Integrating Asset Management & Climate Change – A Path Forward
In the Fall of 2018, with funding support from the Municipal Asset Management Program (which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada) NSFM partnered with ClimAction Services Inc. to offer two workshops aimed at enhancing local asset management practices by providing municipalities with the information and tools they need to include climate considerations into their long-term infrastructure planning.
To facilitate the understanding of how to integrate climate considerations into asset management planning, ClimAction Services worked with WSP to develop a paper that lays out a framework for implementing adaptive measures to ensure assets are designed, build, operated and maintained to reduce risks and be more resilient to our changing climate. pdf Integrating Asset Management and Climate Change – A Path Forward (399 KB) provides a 6-step approach for integrating climate change considerations into asset management planning, which will help position municipalities to take the necessary steps to proactively adapt their assets to climate risks.
NSFM Launches Online Asset Management Courses for Municipalities
NSFM has developed two online resources to support municipalities in understanding and implementing sound asset management practices, which will help them make informed, proactive infrastructure and budget decisions based on the priorities and needs of their communities.
The sole reason municipalities exist is to provide services to residents, such as clean drinking water, safe roads, opportunities for sports and recreation, and countless other benefits that support our quality of life. However, much of our infrastructure needs renewal or replacement, which will increase future costs to municipal budgets. That’s why it’s important for municipalities to implement asset management practices so they can make effective and informed decisions, manage risks and plan financially for the maintenance, renewal and replacement of their infrastructure.
Municipalities are already practicing components of asset management in their daily operations but having an asset management process in place helps them plan long-term, so residents can have the services they need and have come to enjoy. Smart planning ensures that infrastructure investments are beneficial now and in the future.
To support municipalities with their asset management planning efforts, NSFM has developed the following online courses:
The Basics of Asset Management for Elected Officials to provide elected officials with a simple and clear understanding of asset management and how to use it to inform infrastructure decision making and improve service delivery (cost: $175.00)
The Data Collection Standard Operating Procedure Guide for Linear Assets to provide an overview to the first set of tools developed through the Nova Scotia Asset Management Program by the Province of Nova Scotia for linear data collection (cost: Free)
Learning online about asset management has many benefits and NSFM’s courses provide a flexible option for elected officials and municipal staff to learn at their own pace. They can proceed through the material at their leisure, pause at any time, pick up where they left off and review parts of the course already covered. This makes it easy to fit learning into busy schedules from the comfort of home or anywhere Wi-Fi can be accessed. Learning about asset management is as simple as opening your computer or tablet: there is no dress code, it requires no driving, and there is no final exam!
For more asset management resources please log into our members only site.
These initiatives are offered through the Municipal Asset Management Program which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada.
