CIHT have been working with EAP on a guidance note entitled ‘Maximising the Social Development Outcomes of Roads and Transport Projects’. The guidance note considers opportunities to maximise the contribution of roads and transportation projects to social development and poverty reduction. The main focus is on developing countries, but many of the issues and recommendations are also applicable in a developed country context.

The note is structured in three parts:

Part 1 – An introduction to the importance of transportation services to development, highlighting the ‘business case’ for transport industry professionals to consider social issues in detail in project design and implementation.

Part 2 – An overview of ten key social and developmental dimensions of transportation projects. These are: national economic development; rural transport; urban transport; road safety; health; mobility for disadvantaged groups; employment and livelihood opportunities; operation and maintenance; corruption and accountability; climate change and environment.

Part 3 – Three key strategies to ensure social issues are appropriately addressed in project design and implementation, plus a list of further useful resources. The key strategies are: effective stakeholder identification, engagement and participation; comprehensive social impact assessment; monitoring and evaluation through the entire project lifecycle.

The target audience for this guidance note are CIHT Members and other sector professionals who have an interest in development issues or need to consider these issues in their professional practice. The day-to-day responsibilities of many transport professionals focus on addressing the technical challenges associated with transport projects, and ensuring projects meet time, cost and quality deliverables. However, many of the ‘technical’ decisions made in the design and implementation process have significant social impacts – both positive and negative – which have an important bearing on the success of the project. This guidance note seeks to provide an overview of these issues and to make recommendations on how best to address them.

Copies are available to download here: Maximising the Social Development Outcomes of Road and Transport Projects


If you are interested in hard copies or would like to base a Branch presentation around this, please contact amy.napthine@ciht.org.uk for further details. This guidance note was produced with the generous assistance of the CIHT Foundation and with expert guidance from the CIHT Transport Policy Board.  Thank you to all those who have contributed to its development, and in particular reviewers Kit Mitchell and Mike Slinn.

Engineers Against Poverty (EAP) is an independent NGO working in the field of engineering and international development. EAP was established by some of the UKs leading professional engineering institutions and is closely allied to the profession. They work with partners in industry, government and civil society to fight poverty and promote sustainable development, identifying innovative ways for SETI (Science, Engineering, Technology and Innovation) policy and practice to contribute to addressing developmental challenges. Currently their focus is on public sector infrastructure, extractive industries and engineering education.

For more information on the note and EAP, please see www.engineersagainstpoverty.org or contact Lily Ryan-Collins at l.ryan-collins@engineersagainstpoverty.org.