The making of 'Modern' Assam, 1826-1935

Climate change, population growth and increasing consumption patterns of water, and increasing urbanisation are challenges and future uncertainties that place stress upon urban water infrastructures. These urban challenges, along with the complexities of asset-intensive systems and socio-economic structures, make the development of efficient long-term strategies for the asset management of urban water cycle systems (WCS) problematic. Vitens - the largest drinking water company in the Netherlands - has considered changing their risk-based asset management approach from input oriented short term, to an outcome-oriented​ long-term approach in line with the institutional environment, which could lead to the development of efficient long-term strategies that would help cope with the complex characteristics of drinking water systems and uncertainties of the future. However, there are related complexities to effectively study the strategic decision-making process for asset management. This thesis aimed to develop a methodological framework that links the complexities of studying long-term strategic decision-making processes for asset management at water companies. The case study research shows that the strategic decision-making process of asset management can be studied by applying an integrated and systematic methodological framework based using the systems diagram method with a different approach. The approach manages three articulated complexities to study the strategic decision-making process: 1) the contentious concept of the asset management process, as it varies within industries, strategic asset management maturity and institutional arrangements; 2) the complex functions of the assets in Water Cycle Systems, and the norms governing them, that are hard to define and quantify; and 3) the difficulties in characterising the interrelations between the internal and external context that constitute the decision-making process. As a result, knowledge relevant to Vitens’ needs was gained in terms of 1) the decision-making process to develop long-term strategies and strategic objectives; 2) the alignment within in the levels of the asset management process; and, 3) the integration of society needs, institutional arrangements, the environment and the business functions in the decision-making process.

Water Science & Technology, 2010

The water sectors of many countries are faced with the need to address simultaneously two overarching challenges; the need to undertake effective asset management coupled with the broader need to evolve business processes so as to embrace sustainability principles. Research has thus been undertaken into the role sustainability principles play in asset management. As part of this research, a series of 25 in-depth interviews were undertaken with water sector professionals from around Australia. Drawing on the results of these interviews, this paper outlines the conceptual relationship between asset management and sustainability along with a synthesis of the relevant opinions voiced in the interviews. The interviews indicated that the participating water authorities have made a strong commitment to sustainability, but there is a need to facilitate change processes to embed sustainability principles into business as usual practices. Interviewees also noted that asset management and sust...

Involving communities in the operation and maintenance (O&M) of water facilities is expected to be a cost-effective means of ensuring sustainable provision of water to rural communities in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the communitybased management strategy for the O&M of water facilities in the Sekyere East District of Ghana and to identify the best practices for replication. The data for the study were gathered from the District Water and Sanitation Team (DWST), Water and Sanitation (WATSAN) Committees and Water Boards (WBs) through direct interviews and focus group discussions. Analyses of the data revealed that the spirit of voluntarism that was expected to drive the local managers to be effective was fading away. Furthermore, the local managers were unable to mobilise adequate revenue to defray the cost of O&M partly due to households’ reluctance to pay coupled with the general lack of accountability on the part of the managers. The authors concluded that for the local managers to be effective, they need to be effectively motivated so that they could in turn be accountable to the community members.

WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment

Water and sanitation services in South Africa are characterized by both achievements and challenges. Over the past two decades, the government's main focus has been on the eradication of backlogs with respect to access to basic services, including water and sanitation. However, the government has, over the past decade, reprioritised the planning and implementation of water infrastructure asset management (IAM) systems by water services institutions (WSIs). Well-managed and cared for infrastructure ensures economic growth, social development and environmental integrity. This paper presents an appraisal of water and sanitation IAM systems in South Africa's three urban water utilities: the cities of Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni and Tshwane. Aspects analysed and evaluated were the Asset Inventory and Condition Assessment, Level of Service, Critical Assets, Life-Cycle Costing and the Long-Term Funding Strategy. The study found that the three water utilities have well developed IAM strategies and plans in keeping with national legislation. However, they face funding shortages to implement their plans. Skills shortage is another area of concern. Although it is not severe in metropolitan areas, skills development is still an area that requires a special focus by the utilities. The study sought to understand the current state of IAM practices in these key utilities with the aim of adding to the body of knowledge available and to suggest solutions to challenges being experienced.

2004

The overall objective of this paper is to outline the analytical framework and theoretical approach underlying a new research paradigm and illustrate how this paradigm can be used for the strategic analysis of water institutions by applying it to the Indian context.

Water, 2021

Water services—including urban water supply, wastewater, and stormwater services—are essential to society and critical for protecting human health and the well-being of communities. Goal 6 of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognizes this importance and aims to “ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Despite progress, the UN reports billions of people still lack water and sanitation services. Many governments around the world face the challenge of balancing between investment in new assets, programs, and services and providing the required funding for repair and replacement of existing water assets. This paper argues infrastructure asset management establishes a foundational framework for the system of operations, management, and importantly, governance of assets to deliver services. An enabling environment for asset management, in addition to supporting the delivery of services, also contributes to meeting publ...

IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 2014

Public sector organizations have best strategies but results of all organizations are not rewarding in accordance to long term objectives. Developing and having strategy alone is not enough. Implementation of a strategy is more important than formulation. Even an effectively developed strategy that reflects the hard choices an organization must make is worthless if it is not implemented. Today many public sector enterprises have failed to implement well thought out strategies. Well formulated strategies only produce superior performance for the firm when they are successfully implemented. Although numerous studies acknowledge that strategies frequently fail not because of inadequate strategy formulation, but because of insufficient implementation. This study sought to review the factors that affect strategy implementation in the Water Sector in Kenya. The study adopted a desk study where secondary data was analyzed to explore the factors that affect the strategy implementation. After reviewing the literature and experts opinion, the studied identified various factor which affects strategy implementation. These were strategy formulation process, relationship among different units/departments and different strategy levels, executors, communication, implementing tactics, consensus, commitment, organization structure, employees and inadequate resources among others. Some of the recommendations that have been recommended which if implemented would ensure successful implementation of strategies are involving the employees during the strategy implementation process, engaging employees through frequent updates, providing adequate resources, aligning of organization structure with the new strategy, proper structures, clear and well developed strategies, motivation, support by top level management, technological infrastructure among others.

IJSES, 2021

Water and Sewerage Companies in their respective regions face a myriad of challenges in trying to meet their mission of providing reliable, quality, affordable, sustainable sanitation and water services in a way that is well oriented to customers. Garissa County is among the areas that have a poor access to clean water due to dilapidated infrastructure and poor water quality. Hence, for water service providers like Garissa Water and Sewage Company (GAWASCO) to counter the various challenges, they need to have clear strategies. However, even with excellent strategic plans which define the company's ultimate goals, failure to implement these strategies would be detrimental to the excellence and effectiveness of delivery of water by service providers. The above concern forms the motive behind the study. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effect of strategy implementation on water service delivery in Garissa County. Specifically, the study sought to: establish the effect of resource mobilization on water service delivery in Garissa County; establish the effect of stakeholder coordination on water service delivery in Garissa County; determine the effect of infrastructure on water service delivery in Garissa County and determine the effect of change management on water service delivery in Garissa County. The study was founded on the resource based view theory, stakeholder theory and Kotter’s Model. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The target population for this study was all the 180 employees working with Garissa Water and Sewerage Company in all cadres of management. The study used stratified sampling as well as simple random sampling to generate the sample. The study used primary data collected using semi structured questionnaires. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 software was used to analyze the data where multiple linear regression analysis was conducted. The inferential statistics generated was used to check the relations between variables. A multiple linear regression model was used to show the link between strategy implementation and water service delivery in Garissa County. Quantitative data was presented descriptively and through statistical techniques such as tables and charts while the qualitative data obtained was analyzed using content analysis. The study found that strategy implementation had a positive influence on water service delivery. The regression results revealed that resource mobilization with a coefficient of 0.2

Urban Water Journal, 2023

The importance of stakeholder engagement in asset management is widely accepted and emphasised. Nonetheless, in asset management practice, stakeholder engagement is still often applied in an unsystematised and ad hoc manner. By proposing a framework of considerations for the deliberate design of stakeholder engagement, this study aims to contribute to the realisation of integrated asset management by offering a means to explicate the often implicit considerations regarding stakeholder engagement. By providing a conceptual exploration, as well as an analysis of three asset management cases in the Netherlands, this article provides building blocks for deliberate stakeholder engagement, guided by consideration of the mission, local context, and available time. Taking the daily reality of asset managers as a reference, this study develops a synthesis between literature on stakeholder engagement and asset management, hereby showing that both material and relational considerations should be made deliberately in all phases of an asset management project.