Asset Management Training Opportunities

Municipal Asset Management Webinar Series 2025

Making progress in asset management and achieving 2025 regulatory compliance. 
Asset management enables efficient investment in municipal infrastructure. AMO supports municipal sector progress in asset management through several capacity-building projects, policy directives, and the administration of the Canada Community-Building Fund (CCBF). Under the CCBF municipalities are to work towards developing and implementing an asset management plan, culture, and methodology in accordance with Ontario Regulation 588/17: Asset Management Planning for Municipal Infrastructure. 

O. Reg. 588/17 requires all municipalities in Ontario to advance their asset management programs by complying with the implementation of a policy and plans by specific deadlines. The final deadline is July 1, 2025, by which time all municipalities are expected to have developed and implemented an asset management plan (AMP) that includes all asset categories (core and non-core) with current and proposed levels of service (LOS). 

Over the last several years, many municipalities have found it difficult to successfully reach the deadlines due to limited capacity and resources. AMO has engaged Asset Management Ontario to support the delivery of a 4-part webinar series along with a level of services (LOS) framework that will guide municipalities in their efforts to meet the regulatory requirements and advance their asset management programs. 

While relevant to all municipalities, this webinar series is important to those struggling to achieve regulatory compliance. While the sessions are open to both council and staff, the target is municipal staff who are responsible for implementing the asset management program.

Session 1: Proposed Levels of Services & Performance

Levels of service are a crucial tool in strategic decision-making, and in communicating with your stakeholders about service expectations. In this webinar, they will discuss how to develop proposed (or target) levels of service, and how proposed levels of service and performance targets connect with the other July 1 O.Reg. 588/17 requirements. Join us to learn about strategies and tools to help you understand asset performance and develop actionable levels of service targets that can drive your business planning.

Register here for session 1

Session 2: Risk Assessment (March 20, 2025)
Enhance strategic-decision making even further by evaluating the impact of risk on your levels of service. This session will help you understand and manage risks that could affect your proposed levels of service while ensuring compliance with Ontario Regulation 588/17. Develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between risk and levels of service, and how to use that understanding to drive your service delivery.

Register here for session 2

Session 3: Lifecycle Management & Financial Strategy (March 27, 2025)
Risk and levels of service drive your lifecycle management activities—when to take action, what kind of action, and how to monitor the impacts of that action. Each of these actions have financial implications that must be taken into account in your asset management planning and capital budgeting in order to ensure sustainable service delivery. Join us to learn about costing methodologies, performance monitoring strategies and lifecycle activities to enable development of a lifecycle management plan and financial strategy that meets O. Reg 588/17 2025 requirements.

Register here for session 3

Session 4: Growth (April 3, 2025)
How can asset management best practices help municipalities meet growth targets, and changing demographics? How can municipalities balance the need for growth, with the need to maintain existing assets? Join us for a brief presentation that addresses these questions and the growth-related requirements under O.Reg. 588/17, followed by a panel discussion where you can learn about some of the common challenges – and opportunities – faced by municipalities as they build growth considerations into their asset management systems, and how municipalities respond to crucial issues like housing needs, and the housing needs assessment.

Register here for session 4

Municipal Asset Management Webinar Series 2024

Join us for a 4-part series, as we embark on a journey to unravel the intricacies of infrastructure asset management. Learn about the methods and language of asset management and leave empowered to leverage the benefits of a whole-system approach that incorporates climate change considerations.

Whether you are new to the field and looking to understand the basics, or an experienced practitioner seeking advanced strategies, this series will provide valuable insights, practical tips, and real-world case studies applicable to professionals at all levels of expertise within infrastructure asset management. The content, tools, and templates are designed to support municipalities of all sizes.

Session 1: Asset Hierarchy & Data Gaps 

What data do you need? How does it need to be organized? Once it has been gathered, what can it do, and how can the gaps be filled to enhance decision-making? Join us in discussing asset data and how to optimize your asset hierarchies for improved operational efficiency.  Leave equipped with actionable strategies to identify and address data gaps and leverage data to inform decision-making that fosters a more resilient and sustainable approach to infrastructure management.

Webinar recording:
Asset Hierarchy & Data Gaps

Presentations:
Chris VanDooren, Senior Program Manager, AMO
Jessica Angers, Principal Advisor, AMONTario
Khaled Shahata, Manager of Corporate Asset Management, City of London
Gillian Harris, Associate Director, Public Works, Town of Lincoln

Resources:
Asset Hierarchy & Data Gaps Tip Sheet
Asset Information Management Toolkit
Service to Asset Hierarchies and Asset Information Overview

Session 2: Levels of Service

Unlock enhanced strategic planning by joining us to explore levels of service and related industry best practices. This session will help enable participants to implement effective strategies that enhance the overall performance and reliability of their infrastructure assets while meeting desired levels of service, facilitating a deeper understanding of the needs – and commitments – we make to our communities around sustainable service delivery.

Webinar recording:
Levels of Service

Presentations:
Mayuri Bharkhada, Asset Management Advisor, Region of Peel
Daryush Esmaili, AVP and Chief Facilities and Sustainability Officer, Sheridan College
Angela Lochtie, Treasurer/Deputy Clerk, City of Pembrok

Resources:
Levels of Service Tip Sheet
Asset Class & Asset Performance Evaluation Toolkit
Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment Toolkit
Levels of Service Overview

Session 3: Risk Assessment 

Risk is the effect of uncertainty on your objectives – and risk management is the response to that uncertainty. Join us as we explore strategies to identify, evaluate and mitigate the evolving risks faced by our infrastructure assets. Learn the language and the methodologies of risk management and leverage the powerful communication too, that a comprehensive risk management system can be, for communicating your infrastructure needs and prioritizing your decisions.

Webinar recording:
Risk Assessment

Presentations:
Jessica Angers, Principal Advisor at Asset Management Ontario (AMONTario)
Leanne Brannigan (she/her), Acting Director, Enterprise Asset Management, Peel Region
Jessica Feere, Asset Management & Environmental Services Manager, Town of Goderich

Resources:
Risk Assessment Tip Sheet
Asset and Climate Risk and Priority Models Toolkit
Asset Risk Management Overview

Session 4: Financial Strategy/Lifecycle Costing 

The implications of our asset decisions are long lasting. The goal of this webinar is to equip participants with the knowledge and tools to develop effective financial strategies for sustainable service delivery throughout their infrastructure assets’ lifecycle. By delving into lifecycle costing methodologies and financial planning techniques, participants will be empowered to make informed decisions that optimize budget, funding, and resource allocation for long-term infrastructure sustainability.

Webinar recording:
Financial Strategy/Lifecycle Costing

Presentation:
Mayuri Bharkhada, Asset Management Advisor, Region of Peel
Dan Wilson, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Township of Centre Wellington

Resources:
Financial Strategy & Lifecycle Costing Tip Sheet
Financial Model Template Toolkit
Financial Strategy Overview

Asset Management Technical Assistance Project

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), in collaboration with Asset Management Ontario (AMONTario), is providing free hands on training and technical assistance to 80+ municipalities across Ontario by educating multi-disciplinary staff and elected officials on asset management concepts to help them make progress in the implementation of their asset management plans and establishment of a robust asset management system.

Participating municipalities are grouped in cohorts based on geography, population size, asset management maturity, quality of existing asset management plan, staff capacity and common interests/challenges in asset management. This approach facilitates peer to peer learning and help establish knowledge sharing groups for active collaboration among neighboring municipalities.

The project covers different topics such as asset management governance structure, asset hierarchy and data gap analysis, establishing service levels, risk assessment and asset lifecycle strategies for financial planning. Participation requires commitment from municipalities to attend all coaching sessions and complete project milestone using the provided tools and templates over a period of one year.

This initiative is delivered through the Municipal Asset Management Program, which is delivered by the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and funded by the Government of Canada.