This page relates to the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme.
Work category 811 provides information on the sector research programme managed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
We (NZTA as investor) manage this work category in consultation with the Ministry of Transport and local government. The primary avenue for input on research topics is through the NZTA research team’s engagement with Transport Knowledge Hub’s topic hubs and their networks as appropriate. The programme purchases research from external research organisations.
Transport Knowledge Hub(external link)
Qualifying activities comprise activities approved for inclusion in the research programme and the management of the research programme.
Work category 811 is available to the investment management activity class.
Examples of qualifying activities include but may not be limited to:
The NZTA research programme invests in innovative and sector-relevant research, which plays a critical role at the forefront of land transport thinking and contributes to achieving the government’s goals for transport. The research is developed with reference to the strategic priorities detailed in the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) 2024 and the priorities detailed in the Transport Evidence Base Strategy.
Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024(external link)
Transport Evidence Base Strategy(external link)
This work category excludes research to support NZTA (for its own activities) – this is to be funded from the most appropriate activity class.
Information on the NZTA research programme is provided on the NZTA website.
Sector research is a NZTA nationally delivered programme of activities, funded 100% from the National Land Transport Fund.
Funding to this work category is approved for the 3 years of the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), under the investment management activity class, when the NLTP is adopted by the NZTA Board.
We (NZTA as investor) require that most projects in the research and evaluation programme undergo external peer review. Independent peer review is integral to the success of the research and evaluation programme and ensures the quality of the final reports. External peer reviews are not required for some projects which are undertaken within short timeframes on a specific issue or development and where a research note is prepared and it is reviewed internally by NZTA.
Peer review guidelines and the agreement form for research/evaluation projects are available on the NZTA research programme page .
Peer reviews are required on completion of a research/evaluation project and before the presentation of any final report to NZTA for editing and publishing. Peer reviews may also be required after the completion of individual stages or tasks if specified as milestones in the approved research/evaluation project plan.
The researcher/evaluator must organise the peer reviewers and peer review process. This requirement is set out in the procurement documents for research/evaluation projects.
The research/evaluation proposal must include a clear description of the reviews that will be undertaken during the course of the project, at what point those reviews will be completed, and by whom. The reviewers must be expert peers or users who will have given their prior agreement to the project’s timeframe. This will ensure the timely provision of comments or advice.
Peer reviewers independently review research/evaluation reports, whereas steering group members may be called on to act as mentors during the progress of a project.
Reviewers are often in a position to provide guidance and professional advice.
Sector research is an NZTA nationally delivered programme of activities, funded 100% from the National Land Transport Fund.
Funding to this work category is approved for the 3 years of the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), under the investment management activity class, when the NLTP is adopted by the NZTA Board.
NZTA submits these activities as a single sector research line item using the improvement activity template in Transport Investment Online (TIO).
Under this line item, we identify research topics in consultation with the sector through various channels such as Transport Knowledge Hubs and researcher networks. The research topics are then developed and prioritised topics with the Ministry of Transport and local government representatives as appropriate. A Research Programme Governance Group, consisting of NZTA and Ministry of Transport representatives, meets quarterly to review and endorse recommended research topics, prior to NZTA approving the topics for inclusion in the sector research programme.
Transport Investment Online(external link)
For guidance on using TIO, see the TIO learning and guidance page on our website.
