A service framework for highway asset management

A principle element of asset management is to develop and maintain alignment between the objectives of the organisation and the management of its assets; “line of sight” or alignment, as described by PAS 55 (BSI, 2008) and the International Infrastructure Management Manual (NAMS, 2011). The objectives of this approach ensure that: Assets and the services they provide continually reflect the purpose of the organisation; and, Decision making with regard to asset management and investment is aligned and effective in delivering these objectives. Linking corporate objectives with day-to-day activities is one of the challenges facing asset managers world-wide. Linking the objectives of an organisation to its operational activities and performance is seldom fully understood or well communicated within organisations. The development of a full mapping of objectives to operational activities - a service framework - develops a better understanding of the organisation´s operation and achieves alignment. An exercise to carry out this mapping has recently been undertaken for England´s Highways Agency and is described in this paper. The development of the understanding between the required service, the costs of providing the service and the related risks form the basis of decision-making, including the assessment of plans, programmes of work and maintenance requirements. The Highways Agency´s strategic goals and operational activities have been linked via a series of “service statements” to create a framework which sets out the services to road users and wider stakeholders that the Agency provides, and forms the basis of measuring asset and service performance. The development of the service framework for the Agency was based on detailed review of corporate documents. Key statements and commitments made a