Estates Management Strategy

Description

Waterways Ireland’s estate is extensive in Ireland and Northern Ireland and ranges from offices to depots, lockhouses, services blocks, sluice houses, rented property and land holdings, reflective of the widespread functions of the organisation. The cost of running the estate is one of the highest administrative costs within Waterways Ireland after salaries and therefore has the potential to be a key source for efficiency savings. With changes in work patterns following the Covid 19 pandemic, there may be further opportunity to improve space occupation, rationalisation opportunities and exit strategies. There might also be opportunities to prepare strategies to promote regeneration and kick start dormant property and to exploit surplus land and buildings to help stimulate growth within the organization. The delivery of an Estate Management Strategy is a key objective identified under Strategic Priority 3 – Asset Portfolio Management, of Waterways Ireland’s 10 Year Plan. In 2019, Waterways Ireland commissioned an Asset Management maturity assessment aligned to good practice sources . An Asset Management Improvement Programme was subsequently developed to address gaps identified. Implementation has been ongoing since 2020, focusing on areas such as strategy and planning, asset management decision making, lifecycle delivery, asset information, and asset management capabilities including competencies and supporting technologies. Asset Management is defined by ISO55000 as the “coordinated activity of an organisation to realise value from its assets”. The value of the inland waterways can only be truly assessed by the benefit which they add on an annual basis to the local and national economies, to the health agenda, to social cohesion, to the environment, to culture and heritage and future generational use. Waterways Ireland is committed to managing our assets sustainably, balancing environmental, social, heritage and economic requirements at a local and national level. We will do this by delivering a robust framework by which we manage our assets, enabling informed decision making and sustainable funding that balances requirements, across the whole asset lifecycle. An Estate Management Strategy will form a key part of this framework and allow Waterways Ireland to create an effective, efficient and sustainable waterways estate which will provide value for money for the taxpayer, reduce our environmental impact, enhance our corporate social responsibilities, transform the way our employees work and contribute to our growth in income agenda. Waterways Ireland’s estate is extensive in Ireland and Northern Ireland and ranges from offices to depots, lockhouses, services blocks, sluice houses, rented property and land holdings, reflective of the widespread functions of the organisation. The cost of running the estate is one of the highest administrative costs within Waterways Ireland after salaries and therefore has the potential to be a key source for efficiency savings. With changes in work patterns following the Covid 19 pandemic, there may be further opportunity to improve space occupation, rationalisation opportunities and exit strategies. There might also be opportunities to prepare strategies to promote regeneration and kick start dormant property and to exploit surplus land and buildings to help stimulate growth within the organization. The delivery of an Estate Management Strategy is a key objective identified under Strategic Priority 3 – Asset Portfolio Management, of Waterways Ireland’s 10 Year Plan. In 2019, Waterways Ireland commissioned an Asset Management maturity assessment aligned to good practice sources . An Asset Management Improvement Programme was subsequently developed to address gaps identified. Implementation has been ongoing since 2020, focusing on areas such as strategy and planning, asset management decision making, lifecycle delivery, asset information, and asset management capabilities including competencies and supporting technologies. Asset Management is defined by ISO55000 as the “coordinated activity of an organisation to realise value from its assets”. The value of the inland waterways can only be truly assessed by the benefit which they add on an annual basis to the local and national economies, to the health agenda, to social cohesion, to the environment, to culture and heritage and future generational use. Waterways Ireland is committed to managing our assets sustainably, balancing environmental, social, heritage and economic requirements at a local and national level. We will do this by delivering a robust framework by which we manage our assets, enabling informed decision making and sustainable funding that balances requirements, across the whole asset lifecycle. An Estate Management Strategy will form a key part of this framework and allow Waterways Ireland to create an effective, efficient and sustainable waterways estate which will provide value for money for the taxpayer, reduce our environmental impact, enhance our corporate social responsibilities, transform the way our employees work and contribute to our growth in income agenda.