ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY: “We call it Service Delivery Management, to keep the focus on the services and so all staff can see their role in it,” stated Jenn Wilson, Service Delivery Management Coordinator with the City of Salmon Arm (Fall 2023 issue of Asset Management BC Newsletter)
NOTE TO READER:
The Fall 2023 edition of the Asset Management BC Newsletter includes an article by Jenn Wilson about City of Salmon Arm case study experience. The City’s journey of formalizing asset management practices began more than a decade ago when Jenn (as the City Engineer at the time) attended NAMS training together with the City’s CFO. Their goal was to support a shift from reactive to proactive decision-making.
Just Do It: City of Salmon Arm and Service Delivery Management
“In 2021, City Council approved a Service Delivery Management policy along with funding for a full-time position of Service Delivery Management Coordinator. The top-down endorsement gave new momentum to the foundational work that staff had done in prior years,” explains Jenn Wilson.
“The City has now convened a Climate Action Steering Committee to make connections between climate action and the organization’s goals, and to guide further work on climate adaptation and mitigation. Many members of the Climate Action Steering Committee are also members of the Service Delivery Management Committee, which will lead to further integration of the work.”
Lessons Learned
“Don’t put your head in the details – focus on the big picture, for us that was centered around service delivery,” says Jenn Wilson. “During my initial NAMS training years ago, the instructors emphasized to not always worry about the details – to step back and connect what you’re doing to the big picture.”
“Just start the conversations, talk to people frequently, make connections,” she adds. “It’s hard to drive change when you’re working in your own siloes. When you have a team, and people are checking in, you work together.”
TO LEARN MORE:
To read the complete article, download the Fall 2023 edition of the Asset Management BC Newsletter.
