3 Asset Management Policy, Strategy and Objectives

3.1 Background

We first published our Asset Management Policy and Strategy in the 2007 version of the Road Asset Management Plan (RAMP) and since then we have significantly improved our asset management capabilities within the organisation and our supply chain.

Asset Management Framework

The Scottish trunk road network is a fundamental part of the transport system in Scotland and it is essential that it is effectively maintained and efficiently managed. That means adopting an approach to road maintenance with the aim of improving the condition of the road network, whilst meeting the needs of its community, and supporting the changing needs of businesses and local economic growth. In order to achieve this we have updated our trunk road network Asset Management Policy and Strategy so that it aligns with the current strategic objectives of the Scottish Government, overall delivery priorities for Transport Scotland and current best practice in asset management.

Although standalone documents our policy and strategy should be read in conjunction with several other publications including our Corporate Business Plan, this Road Asset Management Plan and relevant current legislation.

3.2 Policy

Our Trunk Road Network Asset Management Policy aligns our asset management processes and procedures with our corporate Delivery Policies. It demonstrates our commitment to asset management and summarises the principles adopted in applying asset management to achieve our strategic objectives.

3.3 Strategy

The trunk road network is one of the most visible community assets for which the Scottish Government is responsible. It is used daily for thousands of journeys and must be appropriately maintained in order to ensure the journeys we make are safe and reliable. Our Asset Management Strategy builds on the progress we’ve made to date and sets out how our Asset Management Policy will be delivered. It is informed by the adoption of asset management principles, understanding asset management as part of a framework with local and national influences, and establishing specific performance standards which align to our corporate Delivery Policies.

3.4 Our Asset Management Framework

We have developed our Asset Management Framework to help us manage our trunk road assets. The Framework sets out the activities and processes that are necessary to develop, document, implement and continually improve our approach to asset management.

Our starting point was to undertake a series of Gap Analyses, most notably in 2010 using the Institute of Asset Management PAS 55^[1] Maturity Assessment Toolkit, which has allowed us to develop and prioritise an action plan which we have been using to develop all components in our asset management framework. Regular updates of the gap analysis are required to ensure we continue to develop our asset management strengths and capabilities (see Section 9.3).

As stated in Section 1.4 our Asset Management Framework follows world’s best practice to define the context in which we operate, our planning tools, our enablers and our delivery priorities.

Context

The context for road infrastructure asset management on the trunk road network in Scotland encapsulates a variety of factors that we need to take into consideration when setting the expectations for the trunk road network. The Scottish Government’s Strategic Objectives, Transport Scotland’s Delivery Priorities, expectations of our stakeholders and the legal and financial constraints within which we operate all need to be embedded into the Framework to ensure that they are aligned with our delivery priorities.

Planning

The key activities that we undertake as part of the asset management planning process include the following activities:

Policy – Our published commitment to road asset management.
Strategy – Our published statement on: how the policy will be implemented; the Asset Management Framework; the strategy for each asset type; our network hierarchy and priorities; and our commitment to continuous improvement.
Measuring Performance – Our Performance Management Framework, the service delivery standards to be provided and how the performance measures will be measured and reported.
Lifecycle Planning – Lifecycle plans for individual asset types which when combined with funding levels and desired levels of service enable informed decisions to be taken.
Programmed Maintenance – Our scheme identification process which leads to one and three-year programmes of work.

Our Enablers

These are a series of activities that support us in the implementation of our Asset Management Framework and provide:
a means of developing organisational leadership and the adoption of an asset management culture including a means of effectively communicating and collaborating with all stakeholders;
the development of the competencies and skills of all staff (including our supply chain);
an effective means of managing risk;
a strategy for the use of asset management IT systems; and
a means of measuring the performance of the asset management framework, including benchmarking progress and collaborating with others, and above all, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation.

Delivery

We are committed to providing the best network condition for the available investment. The delivery component of the framework sets out how our commitments will be delivered via our road maintenance contracts for which a series of service delivery and contract delivery objectives have been established respectively.

3.5 Trunk Road & Bus Operations Asset Management Objectives

The TRBO asset management objectives reflect our business responsibilities and activities and align with Transport Scotland’s five delivery priorities, the Scottish Government’s Strategic Objectives and Purpose. The linkages are presented in Figure 3.1 and these objectives will enable us to present a consistent and meaningful picture of changing performance over time.

Each of the TRBO asset management objectives identified in Figure 3.1 will be supported by a number of service delivery standards which are measured using quantifiable performance measures. Further details of the performance measures can be found in Section 4 of this document.

Figure 3.1: The relationship between our objectives