FLASHBACK TO 2011: First published reference to the term “Sustainable Service Delivery” in the Asset Management BC Newsletter was in the title of an article contributed by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in BC
NOTE TO READER:
The second edition of the Asset Management BC Newsletter published in January 2011 included an article by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia. Titled Integrated Rainwater Management: Move to a Levels-of-Service Approach to Sustainable Service Delivery, the article is noteworthy because it is the first published reference to SUSTAINBABLE SERVICE DELIVERY, a term coined by Glen Brown who is the founding chair of Asset Management BC.
Levels-of-Service Approach to Sustainable Service Delivery
“During the November-December 2010 period, the Partnership for Water Sustainability released a series of five articles that were designed to inform local governments and others about a ‘course correction’ for Integrated Stormwater Management Plans (ISMPs),” explains Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director.
“The fourth in the series introduced the ‘infrastructure deficit’ (i.e. ‘infrastructure liability’) as a driver for the ISMP Course Correction. It connected the dots to Asset Management as a way to re-focus the ISMP process on what really matters. This led Glen Brown and Wally Wells to ask me to write my first article for the Asset Management BC Newsletter. It was published in January 2011.”
“A key takeaway from the article is that outcome-oriented planning is a problem-solving PROCESS. It is not a procedure. It is not a matter of applying a regulation or a checklist. Participants have to be committed to the outcome.”
To Learn More:
To read the complete article in the Asset Management BC Newsletter, download a copy of Integrated Rainwater Management: Move to a Levels-of-Service Approach to Sustainable Service Delivery.
If readers are curious and wish to delve into the context in greater detail, then download a copy of the Summary Report for ISMP Course Correction Series. Released in February 2011, it provides a consolidated reference source that the Partnership intended would guide those about to embark upon an ISMP process.
This laid the groundwork for the 2-day Course on the ISMP Course Correction, held in November 2011 and co-designed by the City of Surrey and the Partnership.
Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery
“When Glen Brown was an Executive Director in the Ministry of Community Development and Deputy Inspector of Municipalities, his leadership opened the door for the Partnership to coin the term Sustainable Drainage Infrastructure as a component of Sustainable Service Delivery,” continues Kim Stephens.
“One must keep int mind that as of 2008, the Province’s Living Water Smart and Green Communities initiatives constituted an over-arching policy framework that encompassed both the ‘ISMP course correction’ and infrastructure asset management.”
“These companion initiatives were preparing communities for change: start with effective green infrastructure and restore the urban fabric. Actions and targets in Living Water Smart encouraged ‘green choices’ that would foster a holistic approach to infrastructure asset management. That was the vision that guided our actions.”
Affordable and sustainable re-investment in municipal infrastructure is essential
“Section 7 of the Community Charter defines the roles and responsibilities of local government in terms of ‘care of infrastructure and services’. In other words, Sustainable Service Delivery. This is a foundational element of local government. It goes to the heart of affordable and sustainable re-investment in municipal infrastructure assets to meet a level-of-service desired by the community,” explains Kim Stephens.
“The two driving forces in BC’s asset management landscape are Glen Brown and Wally Wells. The persistence and passion of these two mavens has helped ensure communities across the province – and even the country – are working to ensure sustainable service delivery for current and future generations. It is a legacy that we all benefit from,” wrote Jan Enns in a post that celebrated the 2022 Asset Management BC conference.
“From my perspective, Glen Brown and Wally Wells are the heart and soul of Asset Management BC. Without their inspiration, commitment and hard work, an idea whose time had come would not have been translated into reality,” adds Kim Stephens.
To Learn More:
To read the story behind the story, click on AFFORDABLE AND SUSTAINABLE RE-INVESTMENT IN MUNICIPAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS ESSENTIAL: “Too often, thinking stops after the capital investment is made. Yet everyone needs to be thinking in terms of life-cycle costs,” stated Glen Brown, Chair of Asset Management BC
2011 Course on the ISMP Course Correction
“The city of Surrey hosted the pilot course because we wanted local governments and consultants to gather and discuss ISMPs and learn about the various ways they can be delivered. Many local governments were struggling with having these done in a fashion that is meaningful for their community – we hoped that the course would open minds and lead to application of new ideas,” explains Carrie Baron, former Manager of Drainage & Environment with the city.
“We designed the course to assist local governments, other Ministries and consultants delivering the ISMPs to understand options available. Local governments in the Metro Vancouver region are required to have ISMPs completed for all their watersheds by 2014, with possible extension to 2016. Many had not started any in 2011, but would be shortly. Others had done some, but still had questions in terms of delivery and outcomes.”
Integrate the Site with the Watershed and Stream
“Participants learned how they could draw on in-house resources, adapt the City of Surrey’s ISMP framework, apply the Bowker Creek approach (in the Capital Region) to watershed team-building, and embed the vision for a watershed landscape restoration strategy in land use planning processes,” reports Kim Stephens.
“The 2-day course built on the foundation created by Stormwater Planning: A Guidebook for British Columbia, released by the Ministry of Environment in June 2002. The theme for each day of the course corresponded to the 2-part branding for this provincial guidance document.”
“Day 1 was titled Build the Vision. We addressed two theme areas: 1) what we have; and 2) what we want.”
“Day 2 was titled Create the Legacy. Again, we addressed two themes: 3) how we put this into action; and 4), how we stay on target.”
“The course elaborated on methodologies and tools that help local governments: 1) get the watershed vision right; 2) establish achievable performance targets; 3) create an affordable watershed blueprint; and 4) integrate with other processes and/or plans to incrementally implement the watershed blueprint over decades.”
Integrate watershed-based planning, ecological health and ‘infrastructure liability’
Glen Brown provided the provincial context in Module A and set the scene with his message about integration: “The Province is branding Sustainable Service Delivery as a way to bring everything together. This is a sub-set of municipal financial accountability.”
To Learn More:
Visit the homepage for the Course on the ISMP Course Correction,
To download an overview of the course curriculum, click on Integrating the Site with the Watershed and the Stream: Course on the “ISMP Course Correction”
Two guidance documents were released as part of the course curriculum. To download them, click on the links below:
Primer on Rainwater Management in an Urban Watershed Context – Provides an understanding of how a science-based approach has evolved since the mid-1990s.
Primer on Urban Watershed Modelling to Inform Local Government Decision Processes – Provides guidance in three areas: setting performance targets, defining levels-of-service, and application of screening / scenario tools.
