Schraven, D; Hartmann, A and Dewulf, G (2011) Effectiveness of infrastructure asset management: Challenges for public agencies. Built Environment Project and Asset Management, 1(1), pp. 61-74. ISSN 2044-124X
Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this research is to better understand the decisions in infrastructure asset management at public agencies and the challenges of these agencies to improve the effectiveness of their decision making. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a literature review on asset management at public agencies, a case study was used to investigate the decision making of a provincial agency in The Netherlands. A total of 12 semi-structured interviews with employees of the agency were conducted, amended by an analysis of policy documents, maintenance contracts, inspection reports, and planning documents. Findings: The research revealed that key challenges to achieving effective infrastructure asset management are: the establishment of alignment between infrastructure objectives, situation and intervention; the formulation of infrastructure objectives; and the management of multiple actors with different interests. Practical implications: Public agencies should pay more attention to clearly defined infrastructure objectives which are consistent with the agencies' strategic policy goals and interests of multiple stakeholders. That also includes that public agents need to develop new skills and knowledge to cope with the various challenges of effective infrastructure asset management. Originality/value: The research clustered decisions in infrastructure management into three decision areas and showed that effectiveness of the decision making is constituted through the interrelationship of these areas and depends on clearly defined objectives.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | assets management; decision making; effectiveness; public agency; the Netherlands |
| Index terms: | documents, effectiveness, methodology, decision-making, agency, agent, infrastructure management, case study, maintenance contract, interview, infrastructure asset management, inspection, literature review, asset management, Netherlands |
| Subjects: | practitioner, data collection methods, data analysis and analytics, Geography, professional development, infrastructure engineering, maintenance engineering, research methods, performance management, quality assurance, asset management, decision analysis, sociology |
| Topics: | Engineering Principles, Information Management, Geographical Context, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Roles and Professions, Risk Management, Quality Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 5 PCTEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here