Infrastructure investment plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: lessons learned
We will publish a draft infrastructure strategy for consultation in January 2026. We've published this lessons learned evaluation of the current strategy to guide future decision making.
1. Aims and Approach
1.1 Context
The Infrastructure Investment Plan (2021) was published alongside the Capital Spending Review which, together with the IIP, supported the National Infrastructure Mission. The IIP was intended to “provide a strong and coherent framework for directing, analysing, shaping, and prioritising future commitments.”
The IIP document reflected the results of a consultation on the draft infrastructure strategy, and a report of the independent Infrastructure Commission for Scotland (whose work was concluded in 2020). The plan set out what infrastructure projects and programmes would be delivered, grouped under three core strategic themes (summarised as net zero, inclusive growth and sustainable places). The IIP also set out how a new investment hierarchy was to be applied to decision making.
The next Infrastructure Strategy is expected to be published in 2026. To enable adequate consideration of the approach, a process evaluation of the current approach was requested. A new Infrastructure Delivery Pipeline is due to be published January 2026.
1.2 Aims
This is a short process review which focuses on learning about the impact that the IIP document has had on stakeholders’ understanding and decision making. It is intended to provide useful and timely feedback for the infrastructure policy team. The (draft) results were also be discussed with the Planning Infrastructure and Place Advisory Group (PIPAG) in August.
This exercise does not evaluate the success of the plan/policy detailed in the publication.
Overall, information was collected on users’ information needs on infrastructure; views on the various infrastructure documents, uses made of the documents, as well as any views on the way forward for plans and reporting.