About EnABLE

What is EnABLE?

EnABLE is an assessment and prioritisation tool developed by UNOPS to help governments facilitate sustainable, inclusive and resilient infrastructure development. The tool assesses the infrastructure enabling environment to identify challenges, needs and opportunities within the enabling environment to better plan, deliver and manage sustainable, resilient and inclusive infrastructure systems. Like no other tool, EnABLE overcomes data limitations by using qualitative data, is easy to use, comprehensive and allows the identification of targeted and context-specific actions. This assessment is oriented towards instigating meaningful and sustainable change. The EnABLE tool was initially developed in 2018 and was previously called the Capacity Assessment Tool for Infrastructure (CAT-I).

What is the infrastructure enabling environment?

The enabling environment consists of the institutions, policies, regulatory and planning frameworks, plans, codes and standards, human and financial resources, processes, as well as key stakeholders that guide infrastructure development and operational use at a national, regional, municipal or local level. It forms the backbone of how infrastructure is planned, financed, delivered and managed (operated and maintained), and as a result determines whether or not sustainable, resilient and inclusive development is promoted and achieved. 

Why is it important?

Research by the International Monetary Fund revealed that inefficient infrastructure governance results in one-third of infrastructure spending being wasted. In low-income countries, this can surpass 50 per cent. Similarly, the Global Infrastructure Hub found that a conducive enabling environment is a key differentiator between countries that successfully scale up infrastructure and those that face challenges in doing so. Establishing a cohesive enabling environment supports effective upstream planning through the development of integrated infrastructure development plans. It also supports the downstream development of infrastructure through the use of high-quality standards and quality assurance processes to ensure effective service delivery and positive social, economic and environmental impacts.

How EnABLE can help

The findings can be used to develop a pipeline of initiatives to build national, state, city or ministerial capacity and support the achievement of the 2030 Agenda, the Paris Agreement, the Leave No One Behind pledge, and the implementation of the International Good Practice Principles for Sustainable Infrastructure. 

Click on the additional pages at the top to learn more or click on the EnABLE icon below to access the tool!