Anna Wiewiora

Opportunities and Challenges in Engaging Citizens in the Co-Production of Infrastructure-Based Public Services in Australia

Abstract Research and practice have observed a shift towards service-oriented approaches that depend on input from citizens as co-producers of services. Yet in the delivery of public infrastructure the focus is still on managing assets rather than services. Using a Policy Delphi approach, we found that although experts advocate service-centric approaches guidelines and policies lack a service-centric perspective. Findings revealed a range of impediments to effective stakeholder involvement. The paper contributes to co-production and new public governance literature and offers directions for public infrastructure decision-makers to support and reconnect disengaged government–citizen relations, and determine ways of understanding optimal service outcomes.

Asset management policies and guidelines of different states in Australia: A comparative analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore and compare the asset management policies and practices of six Australian states – New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania – to improve understanding of the policy context to best shape policy focus and guidelines. Australian state-wide asset management policies and guidelines are an emergent policy domain, generating a substantial body of knowledge. However, these documents are spread across the layers of government and are therefore largely fragmented and lack coherency. Design/methodology/approach – The comparative study is based on the thematic mapping technique using the Leximancer software. Findings – Asset management policies and guidelines of New South Wales and Victoria have more interconnected themes as compared to other states in Australia. Moreover, based on the findings, New South Wales has covered most of the key concepts in relation to asset management; the remaining five states are yet to devel...

Unpacking ‘lessons learned’: investigating failures and considering alternative solutions

One of the most common ways to share project knowledge is to capture the positive and negative aspects of projects in the form of lessons learned (LL). If effectively used, this process can assist project managers in reusing project knowledge and preventing future projects from repeating mistakes. Nevertheless, the process of capturing, storing, reviewing and reusing LL often remains suboptimal. Despite the potential for rich knowledge capture, lessons are often documented as simple, line-item statements devoid of context. Findings from an empirical investigation across four cases revealed a range of reasons related to the perceived quality, process and visibility of LL that lead to their limited use and application. Drawn from the cross-case analysis, this paper investigates an integrated approach to LL involving the use of a collaborative Web-based tool, which is easily accessible, intelligible and user-friendly, allowing more effective sharing of project knowledge and overcoming existing problems with LL.

Towards an Integrated Maturity Model of Asset Management Capabilities

Asset service organizations often recognize asset management as a core competence to deliver benefits to their business. But, how do organizations know whether their asset management processes are adequate? Asset management maturity models, which combine best practices and competencies, provide a useful approach to test the capacity of organizations to manage their assets. Asset management frameworks are required to meet the dynamic challenges of managing assets in contemporary society. Although existing models are subject to wide variations in their implementation and sophistication, they also display a distinct weakness in that they tend to focus primarily on the operational and technical level and neglect the levels of strategy, policy, and governance as well as the social and human resources—the people elements. Moreover, asset management maturity models have to respond to the external environmental factors, including climate change and sustainability, stakeholders, and community demand management. Drawing on five dimensions of effective asset management—spatial, temporal, organizational, statistical, and evaluation—as identified by Amadi-Echendu et al. [1], this paper carries out a comprehensive comparative analysis of six existing maturity models to identify the gaps in key process areas. Results suggest incorporating these into an integrated approach to assess the maturity of asset-intensive organizations. It is contended that the adoption of an integrated asset management maturity model will enhance effective and efficient delivery of services.

A comparative study on asset management capability maturity models

Asset service organisations often recognise asset management as a core competence to deliver benefits to their business; however, it is less clear about how organisations know whether their asset management processes are adequate. This paper contends that asset management maturity models, which combine best practices with identified competencies, may provide a useful approach to test the capacity of organisations to manage assets. Existing capability maturity models are subject to wide variations in their implementation and sophistication. Drawing on five dimensions of effective asset management - spatial, temporal, organisational, statistical and evaluation - as identified by Amadi-Echendu et al. (2010), this paper undertakes a comprehensive comparative analysis of six existing maturity models to identify the gaps in key process areas. Results suggest incorporating these dimensions into an integrated approach to assess the maturity of asset-intensive organisations would provide a comprehensive approach towards assessing capabilities of asset service organisations.

Contribution of Computing Services to Benchmarking Asset Management Knowledge Management

Asset management has broadened from a focus on maintenance management to whole of life cycle asset management requiring a suite of new competencies from asset procurement to management and disposal. Well developed skills and competencies as well as practical experience are a prerequisite to maintain capability, to manage demand as well to plan and set priorities and ensure on-going asset sustainability. This paper has as its focus to establish critical understandings of data, information and knowledge for asset management along with the way in which benchmarking these attributes through computer-aided design may aid a strategic approach to asset management. The paper provides suggestions to improve sharing, integration and creation of asset-related knowledge through the application of codification and personalization approaches.

The ‘How’ of Multilevel Learning Dynamics: A Systematic Literature Review Exploring How Mechanisms Bridge Learning Between Individuals, Teams/Projects and the Organization

The organizational learning literature recognizes that learning is a multilevel phenomenon that occurs between the individual, team and organizational levels. Existing literature has begun to identify linking mechanisms between these levels, but the research explaining how these mechanisms operate remains scarce. There is a limited understanding of the learning paths and connections between the individual, team and organizational levels. Using a systematic literature review, this paper synthesizes the research on multilevel learning to: (1) classify primary and less researched mechanisms enabling multilevel learning, and (2) explain how and in what direction these mechanisms operate to link the levels. We then propose a framework to summarize our findings. We investigate this phenomenon in both organizational and project‐based contexts due to the unique temporal and structural learning challenges of the latter. Future research directions are proposed for scholars who wish to further contribute to this important and growing field.

The role of authentic assessment in developing authentic leadership identity and competencies

Abstract The need to develop assessment practices that are contextualised, meaningful for students and closely linked to real-world challenges has been increasingly recognised in higher education. This is particularly relevant for leadership development programmes that are assumed to have a work context embedded in their content and assessment components. Assessment practices currently used in higher education focus mostly on testing academic knowledge, rather than on enhancing leadership competencies. This research used an abductive approach to investigate how the application of authentic assessment can assist in developing authentic leadership competencies. Thematic analysis of written reflections of 24 students revealed that authentic assessment, accompanied by self-reflection, not only enhanced students’ comprehension of theories and improved their leadership skills but, more notably, helped students develop elements of self-concept, which is a key aspect of authentic leadership. Our findings demonstrate that authentic assessment combined with a reflective piece can assist students in the development of their self-understanding and authenticity as leaders.

Bridging Mechanisms for Multilevel Learning in Organizational and Project-based Contexts

The organizational learning literature recognizes that learning is a dynamic and multilevel phenomenon that occurs across individual, team and organizational levels. Existing literature begins to identify linking mechanisms between the levels, but the research explaining how these mechanisms operate to influence multilevel learning remains scarce. This paper systematically brings together the research on multilevel learning and focuses on explaining the process of learning through the role of bridging mechanisms, identified in the literature, influencing learning paths of interactions between the levels. We investigate this phenomenon in the context of project-based organizations due to their temporal and structural learning challenges, but also refer to the general management literature. Future research directions are proposed for scholars who wish to further contribute to this important and growing field.

Stakeholder engagement and asset management : a case study of the Gold Coast airport, Queensland

One of the fastest growing industries—aviation—faces serious and compounding challenges in maintaining healthy relationships with community stakeholders. One area in aviation-creating community conflict is noise pollution. However, current understandings of the factors that affect noise annoyance of the community are poorly conceptualized. More importantly, the way community needs and expectations could be incorporated in airport governance has been inadequately framed to address the issue of aircraft noise. This paper proposes the utility of adopting an integrated strategic asset management (ISAM) framework [1] to explore the dynamic nature of relationships between and airport and its surrounding area. The case of the Gold Coast Airport (OOL) operator and community stakeholders is used. This paper begins with an overview of the ISAM framework in the context of airport governance and sustainable development—as a way to find a balance between economic opportunities and societal concerns through stakeholder engagement. Next, an exploratory case study is adopted as a method to explore the noise-related complaints, complainants, and possible causes. Following this, the paper reviews three approaches to community stakeholder engagement in Australia, Japan, and UK and discusses their implications in the context of OOL. The paper concludes with a contention that airport governance is likely to be much more effective with the adoption of ISAM framework than without it.