Green Infrastructure

ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE SERVICE DELIVERY: “We have no more excuses. The concept has been around long enough for staff and elected officials to have an awareness of the issues. We need to move past our anxiety and confront the problems,” stated Arnold Schwabe, Executive Director with Asset Management BC

February 11, 2025 - Posted in 2025 posts, BC Framework for Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery establishes expectations for community planning, Contextual Resources

Note to Reader:

Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. The edition published on February 11, 2025 featured an essay by Arnold Schwabe of Asset Management BC. He shares his vision for building on the foundation created by Wally Wells, his predecessor as Executive Director (2010-2024). His core message is that it is time for a re-set in terms of how local governments deliver services.

Confront the problems, operationalize sustainable service delivery!

In Fall 2024, Arnold Schwabe succeeded the indomitable Wally Wells as Executive Director of Asset Management BC. Wally Wells is often described as a living legend in the world of asset management. He is a tough act to follow but Arnold Schwabe says he is up to the challenge!

In his new role, Arnold Schwabe has the Asset Management BC Newsletter as a communication platform. This edition of Waterbucket eNews features the inaugural opinion piece written by Arnold. In the Story Behind the Story that follows, he shares his vision for building on the foundation created by Wally Wells through hard work over 15 years.

Arnold’s focus is on what local governments are supposed to do. Too often, he observes, councils do not understand the purposes and function of local government in providing services.

CALL TO ACTION: Operationalize asset management for sustainable service delivery

“Downloading is a real issue and local governments are frustrated with the Province,” observes Arnold Schwabe. “I say that from the perspective of someone whose career experience over 35 years includes working for and with all three levels of government. My last 17 years were with local government.”

“From my perspective, however, there is hope because we are seeing renewed interest by local governments to talk about how to operationalize Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery. When I receive requests to talk to elected officials, that opens the door for me to help them understand that their job is about the service not the assets.”

EDITOR’S PERSPECTIVE / CONTEXT FOR BUSY READER

“The collaborative nature of the working relationship between Asset Management BC and the Partnership, combined with our shared commitment to Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery, transcends our memorandum of understanding. We share a mission and represent complementary audiences and perspectives within local government,” stated Kim Stephens, Waterbucket eNews Editor and Partnership Executive Director.

It is time for a re-set in terms of how local governments deliver services

“I would like to say taxpayers are unhappy but that would be an understatement. They are angry! Everywhere there is distrust. Things are changing in local government and we need to get a better handle on what direction that change goes,” Arnold Schwabe emphasizes.

“And I believe that distrust results from failure to communicate the purposes of local government as defined in the Community Charter for municipalities and in the Local Government Act for regional districts. When elected officials get so far into the weeds that they tell staff how to do their job, that creates problems.”

“So, what do we do? We reset. It is clearly a time of change. I think it is an appropriate time for local governments to reflect and self-evaluate the services they provide and how they provide them.”

“This isn’t about blame. It is about putting pieces together. To some degree, I see Asset Management BC in the same position in its history. It has become well-established. With Wally Wells moving on, it is time for self-evaluation.”

Sustainable Service Delivery explained

Glen Brown, co-chair of UBCM, coined the phrase Sustainable Service Delivery in 2010. “It is all about the service”, said Glen Brown. “Basically, well-maintained municipal infrastructure assets are worthless IF THEY DO NOT provide a service. Also, for any asset management approach to be successful, it must not focus on the infrastructure asset by itself.”

“Asset Management is the task. Sustainable Service Delivery is the function,” Wally Wells stresses in conversations and in presentations.

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Confront the problems, operationalize sustainable service delivery! – an article by Arnold Schwabe in the Asset Management BC Newsletter

The article by Arnold Schwabe is structured in four parts. First, he introduces an historical perspective. Then he foreshadows how he envisions Asset Management BC will adapt to what is happening in local government. After that, he states the “purposes” of local government. He closes with a discussion on why he believes the precursors of change are in place for a re-set to take place.

May you live in interesting times

May you live in interesting times is a well-known expression.

“Whether you believe this is an English expression or that it is claimed to be a translation of an old Chinese curse, the implied message remains the same,” wrote Arnold Schwabe.

“Sir Austen Chamberlain (son of Joseph Chamberlain, British politician and social reformer) wrote the following in a letter to Frederic Rene Coudert Jr.”

“You can be forgiven if you have never heard of these two people. That quote is from 1936, almost 90 years ago, but it could have easily been written yesterday.”

“Significant wars are taking place, governments are toppling, new Provincial governments have been elected in Canada, and we are seeing a general feeling of unrest in our local governments as well.”

Who is Arnold Schwabe and what is his vision for Asset Management BC?

“This is where my story begins. I started in my new role as Executive Director of Asset Management BC on October 1, about a month before the 2024 annual AMBC conference, so the bulk of my first two months was spent on conference preparations and wrap-up.”

“I have spent the last 35 years working in private organizations, working for and with Provincial and Federal government branches, and in a municipality and regional district. I am now taking on the full-time role in Asset Management BC (AMBC) and will step into the shoes of Wally Wells, a legend in the asset management community.”

“AMBC is changing and the next few years will involve a review of the organization, the “5 W’s” of the services we provide. We’ll also be looking at the “How” in an effort to increase awareness and identify problems, in an effort to change, to adapt to what is happening in local government. I prefer to call it a reset.”

“I believe the current situation at AMBC is a reflection of change that is happening in local government. We have seen rapid increase in inflation, downloading of services from other governments, a focus on housing, a focus on tackling climate change, integration of natural assets, and a continuing demand for social services.”

“I realize CPI is not a good indicator of cost increases in municipalities, and that elections are often won on the promise of keeping taxes low, but I do not think we have done a good job of explaining those details, or people no longer care. They demand change.”

Legislation provides contextual framework for operationalizing Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery

“But, the flavour of the month cannot be allowed to distract us from our purpose. If you need a reminder, all you need do is read Section 185 from the Local Government Act (LGA) and Section 7 from the Community Charter (CC) on the ‘purposes’ of local governments in BC.”

“I may be biased but I would consider parts ‘b’ and ‘c’ to be the most important of these. I do not believe a community can provide services or guarantee the well-being of residents without a sound foundation of infrastructure upon which to live, build, and grow.”

Seven precursors of change must be at least partially present for change to occur

“A large part of that involves re-evaluating services and better informing taxpayers on costs and resulting decisions. Governing bodies must have the courage to make that change, before the decision is made for us. This generation may be on the brink of financially and environmentally bankrupting future generations.”

“If you follow Kim Stephens’ articles in the Waterbucket eNews, you will see these same sentiments. It is not a coincidence that our articles have a similar theme, we have discussed these issues. We are at the end of three decades of evolution and appear to be at a standstill.”

“Kim has identified nine factors that must be in alignment for change to happen. Many of them require the willingness for change and the courage of staff and elected officials to confront the problems and bring about lasting, meaningful change.”

“While I was writing this, I ran across a book by Fred Hanna on The 7 Precursors of Change, qualities that must be at least partially present in a client for change: a sense of necessity, a willingness or readiness to experience anxiety, awareness, confronting the problem, effort of will towards change, hope for change, social support for change.”