Close

Structure and Governance

Challenges over the funding of Christchurch’s horizontal infrastructure repair programme, how it was shared, and how to assure value for taxpayers and ratepayers, shaped and reshaped the governance structure of SCIRT.

How do you govern a multi-billion dollar rebuild of horizontal infrastructure to ensure value for money results for taxpayers and ratepayers after a series of destructive earthquakes?

What power and decision-making structures, policies and processes do you put in place to make critical decisions about funding of the repairs and oversight of their implementation?

Facing a rebuild of huge scale, the Government opted for an alliance model as a delivery vehicle capable of managing the complexity of the largest civil construction rebuild programme in New Zealand history.

However the self-governing alliance model would early on be confronted by multiple issues:

  • Undefined scope of works because much of the damaged infrastructure was difficult and time-consuming to inspect.
  • Funding uncertainty in the absence of a defined scope so it was difficult to estimate total programme cost and secure funding accordingly.
  • Multiple asset owners and contractors in the alliance made alignment in governance and on funding issues particularly challenging.
  • Competing priorities for the asset owners meant the rebuild of horizontal infrastructure was one of several priorities at the time.
  • Cost sharing between the three funding organisations caused considerable tension with most of the assets owned by the Christchurch City Council.

Refer to the attachment document “The Governance of SCIRT – the exercise of control” which describes how SCIRT and its eight alliance participants were required to adapt and adjust governance in order to navigate their way through these challenges and changing priorities.

Glossary terms

  • CGG – Client Governance Group
  • HIGG – Horizontal Infrastructure Governance Group
  • OAG – Office of the Auditor-General
  • NZTA – NZ Transport Agency
  • CERA – Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority
  • CSA – Cost-Sharing Agreement
  • IPSG – Infrastructure Programme Steering Group
  • IPCT – Infrastructure Programme Coordination Team
  • AFG – Audit Framework Group
  • IPTG – Infrastructure Programme Transition Group
  • IRTSG – Infrastructure Rebuild Technical Standards and Guidelines

Attachments

The governance of SCIRT - the exercise of control Cover
The governance of SCIRT - the exercise of control

A document which describes how SCIRT's governance structure was set up and developed in response to the many challenges of the horizontal infrastructure rebuild.

Size:

816.58 KB

Memorandum of Understanding to create the Horizontal Infrastructure Governance Group Cover
Memorandum of Understanding to create the Horizontal Infrastructure Governance Group

A document which details the agreement in September 2013 between the Government and the Christchurch City Council over governance of the horizontal infrastructure rebuild.

Size:

2.11 MB

Horizontal Infrastructure Governance - Client Governance Group Cover
Horizontal Infrastructure Governance - Client Governance Group

A document which details the structure, roles and terms of reference for the Client Governance Group (CGG).

Size:

2.53 MB