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Our Beliefs

Greater transparency and accountability infrastructure reduce waste, mismanagement and corruption and produces better quality roads, bridges, schools and hospitals that the public can use. This means more citizens can access essential rights and services, including jobs, healthcare, water and education. Governments see better value in public budgets, businesses enjoy a level playing field and there are more opportunities for national and international investment.

Impact

As CoST continues to expand around the world, many countries are realising our full impact – an impact which is felt on lives, money, efficiency and accountability.

Prevent Corruption

CoST works internationally with key anti-corruption organisations to facilitate the global exchange of experience and knowledge on transparency and accountability in public infrastructure.

Our Mission

To enable a multi-stakeholder approach in the disclosure, validation and use of infrastructure data. This improves transparency, participation and accountability and contributes to quality infrastructure that meets people’s needs.

Our Vision

Quality infrastructure, stronger economies and better lives.

The infrastructure transparency initiative is built on a tripartite partnership between Government, Private Sector and Civil Society Organizations aimed at initiating and advocating for reforms in addressing challenges that confront public infrastructure delivery. CoST is built on four core features: Disclosure, Assurance, Multi-Stakeholder working and Social Accountability . Pivotal to these core features is an appreciation of the need for transparency in the delivery of infrastructure in the public sector through increased access to infrastructure data, verification of disclosed data through Assurance, as well as dissemination, engagement, advocacy for policy changes and citizen participation.

The Four Core Features of CoST

The CoST approach is focused on four core features: disclosure, assurance, multi-stakeholder working and social accountability.
These features provide a global standard for CoST implementation in enhancing infrastructure transparency and accountability.

01

Disclosure

The disclosure process ensures that information about the purpose, scope, costs and execution of infrastructure projects is open and accessible to the public and that it is disclosed in a timely manner. Key to the process is disclosure by projects procuring entities in accordance with the CoST infrastructure Data Standard (CoST IDS). The CoST IDS requires 40 data points or ‘items’ to be disclosed at key stages of an infrastructure projects cycle including: identification, preparation, completion, procurement and implementation. Read More

02

Multi-stakeholder working

Enhancing transparency and accountability in public infrastructure involves working with different stakeholder groups who have different perspectives and backgrounds, including government, private sector and civil society. CoST brings these stakeholders together through multi-stakeholder groups in each national programme. The groups guide the delivery of CoST and provide a neutral forum for stakeholders to pursue infrastructure transparency and accountability together. Read More

03

Assurance

We promote accountability through the CoST assurance process – an independent review of the disclosed data by assurance teams based within CoST national programmes. The teams identify key issues of concern in relation to the items listed in the CoST IDS and put technical jargon into plain language. This allows socials social accountability stakeholders to easily understand the issues and hold decision-makers to account. Read More

04

Social accountability

Social accountability stakeholders such as the media and civil society play an important role in hiding decision makes to account. CoST works with these stakeholders to promote the findings from its assurance process so that they can they issues into the public domain. In this way, civil society, the media and citizens can all be aware of issues and hold decision-makers to account. Read More

Value for Private Sector

Building confidence in the bidding processes; creating a fair, open and competitive environment for private contractors.

Value for Governments

In addition to promoting transparency, CoST helps increase the flow of direct overseas investment into a country’s infrastructure sector.

Disclosure | Assurance

Better value for community. Ensuring cost-effective delivery of improved infrastructure that improves communities and lives.

Reliable Infrastructure

Access to reliable, detailed and easy-to-understand infrastructure project information.

Government Support

Supporting governments to put systems in place that allow the public to access reliable, detailed and easy-to-understand infrastructure project information.

Value For Multi-stakeholders

CoST helps multi-stakeholder groups to oversee the validation and interpretation of infrastructure data so that civil society, the media and citizens can understand this information.

Welcome Statement by MSG Chairperson

Architect Eugene Fredua Ofori-Atta
MSG Chairperson

It has long been established that the infrastructure sector is the engine of growth of any economy. This is because almost every socio-economic activity requires some form of infrastructure facilities such as schools, hospitals, markets, roads and bridges among others to engender projected economic development.

Public investment in economic and social infrastructure ultimately leads to great benefit for the society in terms of direct, indirect and induced benefits. Among these benefits are improvements in economic opportunities such as increased employment, increased competitiveness; improved productivity, reduction in poverty and inequity and creation of additional opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. Read More