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Canadian Network of Asset Managers

Quarterly Newsletter

April 2017

What's inside this issue?

Board Updates
2017 Conference - Calgary, May 15-18 - ALMOST SOLD OUT!
Survey Results: CNAM and CSCE
Water Survey: Input on PSD & CWN Research
CNAMpedia: Your Asset Management Resource
Member Profile: Robin Hawker, KWL
Our Sponsors
How to reach us

Board Updates

It has been my pleasure to serve the membership of CNAM as Chair over the past year. There is just a few weeks to go before our annual conference Calgary and I'm excited by an excellent program that includes 57 presentations, 3 keynotes and 6 workshops. In keeping with this year's theme in Calgary we are truly harnessing the power of asset management!

The topics for this 11th annual gathering include: Investment Planning, Transportation, Data Collection and Analysis, Implementation, Change Management, AMP, Investment Planning, Sustainability, Governance, Water/wastewater/ Lifecycle Plans, Financial, Data Collection and Analysis, Collaboration, Climate Change/Resiliency, Risk Management, Criticality, Cultural/Facility, Benchmarking, Decision Making, Education and Training, Policy, ISO 55000, Small Municipalities. There is literally something for everyone over the three days -- from the novice just starting out on their asset management journey to the seasoned expert in the field. Additional workshops were included this year due to many requests from our membership.

An event of this size and importance doesn't just happen overnight. I'd like to thank the conference committee, led by Steve Wyton, with support from Kate Cheney's team, and many CNAM Board Directors, for their fantastic work and effort put into the planning of this year's conference. I'd also like to thank our extensive list of sponsors for their valued support, partnership and contribution. Only with such support can CNAM continue with our vision of "fostering excellence in public infrastructure asset management." Please visit our website cnam.ca for all the details and registration.

It is also that time of year to receive nominations for the CNAM Board of Directors. This year we have six opportunities available. As usual, the newly appointed Directors will be announced at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, May 17, 2017 at the CNAM Conference. As a CNAM member, you have the right to elect the directors you feel will best lead our growing association. You can attend the AGM in person to make your vote or select your slate of directors online when the nominees are made public on April 24, 2017. Of course, in addition to our Board appointments we are always looking for volunteers from the general membership to be involved with key CNAM initiatives and standing committees throughout the year. We encourage you to come forward and get involved.

The CNAM Tereo Awards is also growing this year with a new category, "the Asset Management Pioneer Award". This award will honour individuals who have played an integral role in advancing the asset management industry in Canada and celebrates their long-term commitment and unwavering dedication to the industry. The Awards dinner will be held on May 17 - be ready to party!

This is an exciting time to be in the asset management industry and we'll have some significant announcements to make this year - some of which will be made at the conference. I look forward to seeing and chatting with everyone in Calgary!

Regards,

John Murray
CNAM Chair

2017 Conference

THIS EVENT IS ALMOST SOLD OUT!

Book now to confirm your spot at the 2017 Conference. Come for all that Calgary has to offer; golf, tours of Canada Olympic Park and the Toolshed Brewery. You'll harness some serious asset management power with 3 keynote speakers, 55+ concurrent sessions and 6 workshops! And that's not all...

This year the Tereo Awards are literally going to rock with an 80's themed night so bring your best retro gear!

Find out more about themes and presentations

Survey Results: CSCE - CNAM Infrastructure Asset Management Education

The Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) and the Canadian Society of Civil Engineering (CSCE) are working together to inform Canadian Civil Engineering Departments about the importance of infrastructure asset management education. The first step was to understand the demand for asset management practitioners and the skills that those responsible for managing public infrastructure are looking for. The CNAM membership was surveyed to help inform the discussion about the skills needed by our new engineering graduates as they enter the work force and are responsible for infrastructure management. The results of the survey are summarized below. For the detailed results please see link at CSCE/CNAM Education Working Group Survey Results .

In total 78 asset management practitioners completed the survey representing a broad range of public sectors including Municipalities, Highways, Transit, Energy, Hospitals, Schools & Universities, Airports, Parks, Rail, Housing, Telecommunications, Ports and the Military. These asset management practitioners ranked their organizations asset management maturity. 36% of respondents say they were just getting started, 44% are at an intermediate level and 20% have achieved an advanced level. Almost all organization (96%) employ Engineers to support asset management, and to a lesser extent organizations employ Accountants, Technicians, System and Financial Analysts, GIS specialists, Facility Managers, Architects, Project Managers and Environmental Scientists.

Sixty-five percent of those surveyed indicated they were considering hiring asset management practitioners. Engineers and Data Analysts were identified as the professionals in most demand. When asked to rate their ability to find qualified asset management practitioners, 47% of respondents rated it an 8 out of 10 (or higher) where a rating of 10 was considered very difficult and 0 was considered readily available. Lack of education and experience in infrastructure asset management were listed most often by survey respondents as the main barriers to finding qualified practitioners and many organizations rely on internal training to develop asset management skills.

Seventy-eight percent of respondents indicated that graduates from University Civil Engineering Departments do not have adequate training in infrastructure asset management. It was noted, however, that because infrastructure asset management involves practitioners from many disciplines, it would be difficult to provide all skills to engineering grads. Teams of professionals need to come together to effectively implement good asset management practice.

When asked what skills Civil Engineering graduates are missing, respondents listed infrastructure management, decision analysis, strategic capital planning and asset management standards as the most deficient skill set.

Close to 90% of respondents agreed that there was value in Civil Engineering Departments adding courses in infrastructure asset management.

Some suggest a few courses be added at the undergraduate or graduate level, while other respondents were advocating a specialization or degree program in infrastructure asset management.

Regardless, the survey suggests a strong desire from public sector organization to have Civil Engineering Departments include more courses devoted to infrastructure asset management.

SURVEY: Leveraging Asset Data For Improved Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Infrastructure

The Public Sector Digest (PSD) and the Canadian Water Network (CWN) have partnered to launch a new research project with the goal of assessing how asset management data is used by Canadian municipalities to inform long-term infrastructure planning with respect to water, wastewater, and stormwater. This project specifically aims to identify what data is collected and how key metrics are used for decision-making related to:

(i) Maintenance/Repair/Replacements;
(ii) Investments; and,
(iii) Strategic Planning.

The end-result is to provide municipalities with key insights on how to strategically maximize the use of the asset management data in their decision-making processes.

By completing the following survey, you are contributing directly to this national initiative. Data aggregation of the survey responses will be conducted to establish the current state of water, wastewater and stormwater asset data across Canadian municipalities; and how municipalities use the collected data. Contact information provided will not be shared or published in any format. This information will only be used to code the data by region, municipality size etc., and to allow for any necessary follow-up with our survey participants.

The survey consists of 23 questions and it is estimated that participants will need 20-30 minutes to complete it. Respondents are free to complete the survey in parts, as your answers will be automatically saved from your last entry.

The deadline to complete the survey is April 28, 2017 5pm ET.

Please contact us at [email protected] or 519.690.2565 if you have any questions or concerns regarding the completion of this survey.

Thank you for your valuable time and input.

Asset Management Resource

Did you know you have access to Canada's Asset Management Living Encyclopedia?

It's called CNAMPedia and provides CNAM members access to an entire library of documents related to asset management. CNAM members can search on varied topics from Public Sector Digest and ReNew Canada articles as well as editorial features from across Canada on state of infrastructure reports, asset management plans, policies and strategies. Non-members can view the titles of the documents contained in the web-based repository but only members can download or upload documents. If you are a member, sign in and read up. If you are not a member, join here!

Member Profile: Robin Hawker

Name: Robin Hawker

Organization: Kerr Wood Leidal (KWL)

Current Position(s):

Planning Consultant - support for strategic asset management with municipal and First Nations communities, in addition to municipal rate setting & DCCs, land use planning, environmental policy & bylaws, and community engagement.

How long have you been in this position(s)?

Just over a year and a half

How did you get into the Asset Management Industry?

I was introduced to the world of asset management by a mentor who encouraged me to volunteer at the 2015 CNAM Conference in Vancouver. I was inspired by the way asset management is about sustainability and community health & safety, all of which strongly overlap with planning practice. I met the KWL asset management team at the conference and joined the team soon thereafter! (Thanks, CNAM!)

What projects are you working on?

We're working with the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) on the implementation of their Asset Management System. Development of their Asset Management System was completed in 2015, with roll-out ever since. Right now, we're working closely with the NRRM Asset Management Team to develop tools and templates that NRRM can use to operationalize, report on, and update their System over the long term.

We're also working closely with Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and indigenous communities across BC to develop an Asset Management Guide tailored to the needs and experiences in BC First Nation communities. More on that, below!

Can you provide a quick overview of a specific project that was particularly rewarding or challenging? What was/is the most rewarding aspect of it?

I'm constantly inspired by the communities I work with, and this has been particularly true in our work with communities to develop an Asset Management Guide for First Nations in the BC Region.

We're developing the Guide with ongoing input from staff working with more than ten First Nations communities who have been active in building and implementing their own asset management programs. These representatives have provided ongoing input and stories to establish the objectives, content and design of the Guide - to develop a guide for First Nations, by First Nations.

I've learned an incredible amount from the dedication and leadership shown by these staff members, and the innovative approaches they've used to overcome significant challenges that many rural and indigenous communities grapple with.

Stay tuned for more on this project during a presentation at the upcoming CNAM conference in Calgary!

What advice would you provide to someone who is just starting out in Asset Management?

Aim for simplicity and successful implementation. Resist the urge to overcomplicate an asset management system - even the most robust system will fail if it spends its life on a shelf, unopened.

Work to design systems that are simple, functional across departments, and integrated with the community's existing policies and procedures. An enthusiastic team of staff from across departments is so important for developing an effective and sustainable asset management system. It's this group who will ultimately champion and oversee the system's implementation over the long term.

When you consider the future of Asset Management, where do you see it evolving?

I imagine that, in the future, we won't be talking about "asset management" as an innovative approach. In the future, I hope that the concepts and practices will have melded into the status quo and will be standard practice by communities across the country.

What do you value most of your CNAM membership?

I look forward to the CNAM Conference each year - it's such a fabulous opportunity to learn from leaders in the field, and to meet others who are just as enthusiastic about the role of asset management in building and sustaining healthy, safe and prosperous communities.

Would you like to see a CNAM member profiled here? Let us know!

Contact: [email protected]