Bringing knowledge to politics – we met with the VA preparedness committee
In Mistra InfraMaint, we want to make a broad contribution with knowledge and insights into sustainable infrastructure management. Not least, it is important to keep in touch with our decision-makers – earlier this year, the program management team’s Robert Jonsson gave a lecture to the Water and Wastewater Preparedness Committee.
Earlier this year, Robert Jonsson, senior lecturer at Linköping University and part of our program management, visited the Swedish Government Offices for a lecture on strategic asset management and organization for long-term sustainable municipal water services.
Robert Jonsson was invited by the VA-beredskapsutredningen, which has been tasked by the government to review regulations and responsibilities, and propose possible changes to ensure robust and continuous delivery of water services.
Robert Jonsson’s research focuses on the organization and governance of strategic asset management in a municipal context.
– “It is good that the government has set up an investigation into strengthening water supply, as there is an extensive backlog of maintenance. Many municipalities have not invested in waterworks and treatment plants for a long time, while Sweden’s population has grown. There has also been a war in Europe for the past two years, which has affected the security situation. Against this background, it is important for politicians to take part in new research on strategic asset management in municipalities,” says Robert Jonsson.
He brought the message to the Government Offices that many different capacities are required to manage strategic asset management and thus strengthen water supply.
– There needs to be political, financial, technical staff, institutional and civic capacity. Today, the capacity situation differs between Swedish municipalities. This creates different conditions for managing a strengthened water supply. And in the long term, strategic asset management must become part of good financial management in a municipal context, so that the problem of extensive maintenance debt is not repeated.
What you hope the listeners will do with their new insights?
– I hope that the study takes into account the fact that the capacity of different municipalities to cope with enhanced water supply and strategic asset management varies greatly. Simply injecting funds from the state is not a sustainable solution, as several different capacities are required. I also hope that the investigation takes into account the importance of strategic asset management as part of good financial management.