Looking to get started on asset management in your municipality? Are you wondering how to get started?
There are many excellent asset management resources available in Canada. This list provides a sample of great asset management resources for beginners, as recommended by the Technical Working Group of the Municipal Asset Management Program.
Remember that your province or territory may have specific requirements, regulations, or approaches to asset management, so we encourage you to start with local resources if they are available. You can also look to your local asset management community of practice for more information. You can find definitions of common terms on the AM Concepts page.
- Guides
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Title
Author
Type
Description
*NEW* Asset management guide for BC First Nations
British Columbia First Nations
Guide, checklist, video
This asset management guide is designed to help First Nation communities sustainably manage their infrastructure assets over their full lifecycles. It introduces concepts, systems and tools to start a new asset management program, or to further develop an existing one.
*NEW* Managing Infrastructure Assets for Sustainable Development: A Handbook for Local and National Governments
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA)
Guide
This handbook provides guidance and practical tools to assess needs, develop information systems, and creating an action plan for sustainable infrastructure asset management.
FCM's Municipal Asset Management Program
Guide and webinar recording
The guide and webinar helps communities at early stages of asset management to take the first steps to reach Level 1 on the Asset Management Readiness Scale.
Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM)
Guide and web portal
This guide and web portal details the initial steps to start asset management and advancing in the five competency areas.
Registration required (free)Guide de gestion des actifs à l’intention des petites municipalités (available in French only)
Centre d’expertise et de recherche en infrastructures urbaines (CERIU)
Guide
This guide will help municipalities understand the concepts of asset management and the main steps to developing an AM policy, strategy and plan.
Guide à l'intention des élus concernant les infrastructures municipales (available in French only)
Centre d’expertise et de recherche en infrastructures urbaines (CERIU)
Guide
This municipal infrastructure guide for elected officials provides approaches for managing municipal assets like water and wastewater systems, stormwater and roadways.
FCM
Guide
This guide helps municipalities embed sustainability into asset management practices, including climate change considerations, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery.
Asset Management for Sustainable Service Delivery: A BC Framework
Asset Management BC
Guide
This Framework establishes a high-level, systematic approach that supports local governments in moving toward service, asset and financial sustainability through an asset management process.
The Joy of Governing (your how-to guide for optimal governance)
Association of Yukon Communities (AYC)
Guide
The Joy of Governing was developed for small northern communities to enhance understanding of governance, leadership, and the link to asset management. It is also available in Inuktitut.
Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA), Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM), Government of Saskatchewan
Guide This guide will provide readers with fundamental information about asset management and how it can be used to help support municipal operations.
- Tools
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Title
Author
Type
Description
Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA); Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA); Infrastructure Asset Management Alberta (IAMA)
Workbook
This workbook helps elected officials gain an understanding of the benefits and trade-offs of asset management, the role of elected officials, using data for decision-making and communicating to the community.
Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA); Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA); Infrastructure Asset Management Alberta (IAMA)
Workbook
This workbook provides municipal staff with information, exercises and reference material to help them understand asset management concepts and competencies, the asset data required, and the process of building an AM Plan.
Starting the asset management conversation with your municipal council: A communication tool
FCM's Municipal Asset Management Program
Tool
This presentation can be easily adapted and used to give municipal council an overview of asset management and its value to the municipality.
Province of Alberta
Toolkit
The tools in this toolkit have been designed to help kick-start municipalities who are in the early stages of their asset management journey, or to support others with continuous improvement of their asset management programs.
Association of Yukon Communities (AYC)
Reference
These tables provide an estimated maximum useful life for tangible capital assets for the purposes of asset management and financial planning.
- Examples
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Title
Author
Type
Description
FCM
Guide with examples
See section 2.5 for examples of AM plans. See section 3.3 for examples of AM strategies and frameworks. See section 4.7 for examples of governance structures
Northern Rockies Regional Municipality, BC
Example
This is an example of an AM Handbook from the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality in BC (population 4,800).
County of Northumberland, ON
Example
This is an example of an AM plan from the County of Northumberland, ON (population 85,000)
Asset Management Leadership Team Terms of Reference for Frankston City, Australia
Frankston City, Australia
Example
This is an example of the terms of reference for Frankston City’s AM leadership team (population 134,000).
- Videos and webinars
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Title
Author
Type
Description
*NEW* The case for asset management: What is asset management?
PEMAC Asset Management Association of Canada
Video and guiding questions for leaders
The video provides senior leaders with an introduction to Asset Management, and the associated web page includes questions intended to enable leaders to engage in a conversation towards improvement within their municipality.
*NEW* Municipal Leadership Essentials: A Guide to Asset Management
Municipalities of Newfoundland and Labrador (MNL)
Webinar recording
This series of six webinars covers the “what” and “how” of asset management, the tools to implement AM, and how AM can support community planning and development.
*NEW* Understanding the Benefits and Clarifying Roles in Asset Management
WaterWolf Planning Inc. (WWP)
Webinar recording
This webinar and handout provides an overview of asset management and the importance of understanding the different roles of staff, administrators, and council members in implementing asset management processes.
Asset Management Ontario
Video
This video describes the principles of asset management, why they are important, and the need for sound asset information to make decisions.
La gestion des actifs (available in French only)
Centre d’expertise et de recherche en infrastructures urbaines (CERIU)
Video
This video explains the importance of asset management and the first steps that municipalities can take to get started.
FCM
Video
This video explains how asset management can address many of the challenges faced by municipalities relating to service delivery through infrastructure.
Institute of Asset Management (IAM)
Video
The Big Picture is a visual tool for starting conversations about asset management within your organisation as well as with customers, suppliers and wider stakeholders.
FCM's Municipal Asset Management Program
Webinar recording
This webinar provides lessons and advice from municipalities on getting started in asset management, creating a team, using software, hiring a consultant, and taking an asset inventory.
FCM's Municipal Asset Management Program
Guide and webinar recording
The guide and webinar helps communities at early stages of asset management to take the first steps to reach Level 1 on the Asset Management Readiness Scale.
- Online courses
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Title
Author
Type
Description
Nova Scotia Federation of Municipalities (NSFM)
Online course
This paid course is designed to provide elected officials with a clear understanding of asset management and how to use it to inform decision making and improve service delivery.
Registration and fee required
Asset Management Saskatchewan (AMSK)
Online course
This paid online course provides an overview of AM concepts, such as levels of service, lifecycle costing and risk, to help small municipalities get started and advance in asset management.
Registration and fee required
Pourquoi se préoccuper de la gestion de ses actifs municipaux? (Module 1) et
Les étapes du cycle de gestion des actifs municipaux (Module 2) (available in French only)
Fédération québécoise des municipalités (FQM), Centre d’expertise et de recherche en infrastructures urbaines (CERIU)
Online course
This free course includes a module about the principles and prerequisites of asset management, and a second module that explains the six steps in the asset management cycle.
Registration required (free)
Note: Different jurisdictions can have specific requirements for asset management plans, policies and strategies. For example, Ontario’s regulation O. Reg 588/17 lays out specific requirements for Ontario municipalities. It is always a good idea to check with your province, territory, municipal association, or local community of practice to see if there are specific requirements or approaches in your jurisdiction.
* “New” or “Updated” resource listings are as of September 2022.
This resource was developed by the Municipal Asset Management Program(MAMP)
MAMP is designed to help Canadian municipalities strengthen their infrastructure investment decisions based on reliable data and sound asset management practices. This eight-year, $110-million program is funded by the Government of Canada and delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. It is being implemented in partnership with municipal, provincial and territorial associations and other key stakeholders.