The Case
Welcome to your new role as the Lead Asset Management Strategist for the City of Northwood. It’s a city on the move, with a growing population and a vibrant economy. However, much of the infrastructure that supports this growth—roads, water mains, public facilities—is a legacy from a different era. Decades of deferred maintenance and reactive repairs are starting to show, and the city's current approach is no longer sustainable.
The City Council just passed an ambitious 10-year strategic plan, "Northwood 2035," focusing on fiscal responsibility, environmental sustainability, and enhanced quality of life for its citizens. The City Manager, Aliyah Chen, recognizes that these high-level goals are meaningless unless they are directly linked to the management of the city's vast portfolio of physical assets. That's where you come in.
Ms. Chen has tasked you with a critical first step: to translate the "Northwood 2035" vision into a tangible, strategic framework for managing the city's assets. She needs a clear, high-level plan that will guide all future asset management decisions, investments, and maintenance programs. The success of the city's 10-year vision starts with the blueprint you create.
Resources and Evidence
You have been provided with the following documents and data to inform your plan. Review them carefully to understand the city's goals and the current state of its assets.
Key Document: Memo: The 'Northwood 2035' Strategic Vision
Northwood Asset Portfolio - 2023 Summary
| Asset Category | Asset Count | Average Condition | Estimated Replacement Value (Millions) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water & Sewer Systems | 15420 | 2.2 | 450.5 |
| Transportation | 8530 | 2.8 | 380.0 |
| Public Facilities | 45 | 3.4 | 155.8 |
| Parks & Recreation | 350 | 4.1 | 75.2 |
| Vehicle Fleet | 275 | 3.9 | 25.6 |
📊 View Diagram: Asset Management Planning Hierarchy
What is a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP)?
According to the ISO 55000 international standard, a SAMP is documented information that specifies how organizational objectives are to be converted into asset management objectives, the approach for developing asset management plans, and the role of the asset management system in supporting the achievement of the asset management objectives. It provides a direct line of sight from the organization's overall goals to its asset-related activities.
Your Task
Your deliverable is a concise, professional memo addressed to the City Manager, Aliyah Chen. This memo will serve as the foundational document for Northwood's new asset management program. Your performance will be evaluated based on the rubric below.
Based on the resources provided, prepare a memo that contains two key deliverables:
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A high-level outline for the City of Northwood's Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP). This should include the main sections and key sub-points you believe are necessary to guide the city's strategy. Think about what headings would be in the table of contents for a major strategic document.
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Three distinct asset management objectives. Each objective must be a single sentence and follow the SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) framework. Crucially, each objective must directly support one or more of the core goals from the "Northwood 2035" plan.
Submit Your Work
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Next Steps
Congratulations on completing the Strategic Asset Management Plan assessment. You have taken the first critical step in translating high-level strategy into a concrete plan of action.
Please ensure you have uploaded your memo to the submission area. Once you have submitted your work, you can navigate back to the course homepage to continue your learning journey.
