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Introduction to Asset Management Cohort
Asset management can seem like an overwhelming process, especially for small municipalities. Concerns with upfront costs and changes to current processes can sometimes make embarking on an asset management journey seem not worth the trouble.
The Introduction to Asset Management Cohort will help participants to overcome that uncertainty, understand the fundamentals of asset management, and learn how they can implement meaningful improvements into their operations and decision-making process. This cohort will help participants embark on their journey in a way that works for them!
Group learning content will be designed for all participants to advance their asset management knowledge and capacity, regardless of their starting point. At a minimum, by the end of this process each municipality will have achieved the following:
The cohort is designed for municipal staff. There are no restrictions on which positions or departments may participate, as this is to be determined by the municipality. In past cohorts, municipalities were often represented by staff in finance, public works, planning, and senior administration, as well as other departments. If the municipality sees a benefit in including an elected official in the cohort, they may do so, but at least one cohort member must be a staff representative.
Participation in the cohort will include three in-person workshops, as well as virtual group touchpoints. Participants will operationalize learning within their municipality throughout the project period by engaging others in their municipality in the development of asset management policies, internal teams, etc.
This cohort will occur from October 2022 to February 2023. Exact workshop dates will be determined based on the availability of successful applicants.
Participants will report on their progress through completion of an asset management self-assessment using the MAMP Asset Management Readiness Scale as part of the cohort application process and upon completion of the cohort. Participants will also engage with the project team and one another through phone, email, or other means as needed to share challenges, ideas, and concerns, as regular engagement supports an effective group learning process.
Participants will be asked to sign an acknowledgement of the participant commitment expectations, and council will be required to pass a motion endorsing the municipality’s participation. This will ensure that participants are well supported in their time commitment and have organizational support to implement the learnings from the cohort.
To the extent possible, cohorts will be organized regionally to allow for reduced travel costs and to build on existing intermunicipal relationships.
Municipalities are permitted to apply individually or as a group with other municipalities. All applications are considered but due to the regional nature of the programming, those that apply as a group may be given preference when applications are reviewed. Participating in a group will also provide municipalities with greater value as it will better facilitate long-term collaboration around asset management capacity-building beyond the cohort. In some cases, municipalities that apply individually or as a group may be asked, as a condition of participating in the cohort, to work with the RMA, ABmunis, and IAMA to reach out to municipal neighbours who did not apply in order to form a more cohesive regional cohort.
There is no fee to participate in the cohort. Group learning activities, support from the project team, and guidance from asset management experts are provided free of charge for the duration of the project.
For in-person meetings, food, and refreshments will be provided free of charge, though travel and accommodation costs will not be reimbursed.
Participants may be asked to work with the project team to provide at least one meeting space to hold a meeting or workshop. Ideally, participants will alternate hosting duties to allow for a similar cost and travel commitment among all cohort members.