Development of a Holistic Wellbeing Framework and Conceptual Model for Infrastructure Investment: A Comprehensive Approach to Performance Monitoring for Intergenerational Wellbeing Outcomes in New Zealand

Abstract

Investment decisions and our infrastructure’s performance are under increasing pressure to provide transformative solutions to address social injustice, environmental impacts, and poverty and improve intergenerational wellbeing. This paper discusses a meso-level infrastructure wellbeing performance framework and conceptual model that has been developed for the New Zealand context, including New Zealand indigenous knowledge (Mātauranga Māori), and tests the viability using three waters (drinking water, sewage, stormwater) data derived from New Zealand sources. An infrastructure investment and a performance monitoring framework that embeds wellbeing analysis will help decision makers better understand the performance of their infrastructure in delivering on a community’s wellbeing. Current performance and decision-making frameworks and assessment tools like multicriteria analysis and cost-benefit decision-making models, rely heavily on economic analysis and technical asset variables. Decision-making frameworks that use sustainable and wellbeing variables tend to be limited in scope and primarily focus on macro policy decision making and micro infrastructure asset-level performance outcomes. A meso (local/regional) level framework that considers wellbeing is required to better understand the performance of infrastructure on intergenerational wellbeing. The development of this novel framework and conceptual model considers the New Zealand Treasury Living Standards Framework 2021 (NZ LSF), which has significant influence from He Ara Waiora (a framework considering mātauranga Māori principles of wellbeing) and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG). The novel wellbeing framework and conceptual model provide a comprehensive performance monitoring tool for three waters infrastructure at a meso (local/regional) level. The framework and model will help decision makers make holistic decisions for their infrastructure investment, looking at intergenerational wellbeing. When it comes to deciding where to invest in infrastructure, there are a lot of factors to consider. We want to ensure that our decisions do not harm the environment or make life harder for future generations. Most of the time, people look at technical details and cost. To address this problem, our research in New Zealand came up with a new way to make decisions about infrastructure and consider how they are performing regarding delivering social, cultural, environmental, and economic outcomes. A tool was created that looks at different aspects that would make our lives better now and in future generations, like how well people are doing, how indigenous knowledge can help, and what the United Nations and government think is important. This way, decision makers can make choices that are good for everyone and better understand the impact the decision may have on our wellbeing.