Asset Management Program
This program helps First Nations communities manage, operate and maintain infrastructure.
On this page
About the program
The Asset Management Program is part of Indigenous Services Canada's (ISC) Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program.
It helps First Nations communities to:
- proactively manage their infrastructure in a more sustainable way
- take preventative measures with improved operations and maintenance
Each proposal will be assessed to see if it has met the proposal assessment criteria.
The initiative encourages projects involving more than one community to promote partnerships among First Nations. The focus for this call for proposals is asset management awareness, planning, implementation and other aspects related to asset management.
Types of projects we fund
Phase 1 Awareness
Increasing First Nations communities' awareness relating to:
- understanding the importance of sound asset management planning among First Nations' elected officials and technical personnel
- determining how asset management planning can result in effective service delivery for First Nations governments
- identifying the importance of asset management as a strategic business tool and its role in effective planning, priority-setting and decision-making
Awareness funding can be provided up to:
- $30,000 for a single First Nation
- $120,000 for recipients who represent 4 or more First Nations or a technical organization, tribal council or educational institution
Phase 2 Planning
Development of an asset management plan, includes but is not limited to:
- data and systems management
- demand analysis
- levels of service standards
- asset data management
- costing and valuation
Planning funding can be provided up to:
- $70,000 for a single First Nation
- $210,000 for recipients who represent 3 or more First Nations or a technical organization, tribal council or educational institution
Phase 3 Implementation
Implementation of an asset management plan by First Nations communities.
Funding for implementation can be provided up to:
- $20,000 for a single First Nation
- $60,000 for recipients representing 3 or more First Nations or a technical organization, tribal council or educational institution
Maintenance management planning
Maintenance management plans are an integral part of asset management planning.
Maintenance management plans:
- enable the planning, scheduling, documenting and reporting of preventative maintenance activities
- track unscheduled or corrective maintenance activities
- allow for greater predictability of operations and maintenance costs
Funding for the development of a maintenance management plan by First Nations communities for all assets or various categories including water and wastewater systems, public access buildings, roads and bridges, can be provided up to:
- $20,000 for a single First Nation
- $60,000 for recipients representing 3 or more First Nations or a technical organization, tribal council or educational institution
Other funding options related to asset management
- Asset management conferences
- Key members, such as leadership, band managers, project leads, finance or public works staff of a community can access maximum funding of $10,000 for a single First Nation to attend an asset management planning conference
- Software tools for ongoing benefit towards asset management
- Other activities that provide ongoing benefit related to asset management
Who can apply
This funding is available to all eligible recipients under the Capital Facilities and Maintenance Program and can include First Nations communities, tribal councils and related organizations.
Eligible recipients have the option to include measures to address climate impacts as part of their asset management planning funding proposal. Please submit these proposals to the asset management program. We will share the proposal with the First Nation Adapt Program and provide a joint funding response.
If the proposal is solely to study climate impact on infrastructure, please submit the proposal to the First Nation Adapt Program.
Deadline
The deadline for proposals is October 2.
Proposals will be evaluated in the order ISC receives them, starting April 1. Funding for approved proposals will be allocated in that same order, until the available funds are exhausted.
Proposals that ISC receives after October 2 may be considered for funding in the following fiscal year, should the First Nation or tribal council wish to proceed.
How to apply
Below is a proposal outline that is also used for assessment criteria. Once completed, send your proposal to your nearest ISC regional office.
What to include in Phase 1 Awareness and Phase 2 Planning proposals
Current state or statement of need:
- explain the background and context for the project, what issues will be addressed and the drivers leading to the application
Eligible activities:
- explain how your proposal aligns with eligible activities and meets program objectives
- ISC’s assessment of your proposal will consider its timeliness and cost-effectiveness
Project costs:
- give a detailed, realistic assessment of estimated costs with a justification of the level of funding required
- recipients representing 3 or more First Nations need to include an outline of how the initiative or project will be managed. This includes:
- project governance
- management of project scope
- human resources
- risk management and project monitoring
- control and reporting
A completed asset management checklist as stated below or equivalent:
- provide details about your training session as per checklist items 1 to 4
- for phase 1, proposals should include all Minimum and Comprehensive checklist activities under 1 to 4 as part of the training
- for phase 2, the same check list items are used to implement those items covered in the training, however, only the Minimum activities are required while Comprehensive are strongly encouraged
- the training must be conducted by a knowledgeable asset management practitioner in the community or knowledgeable third party asset management practitioner
- place a check mark beside each of the items that will be covered in the training
- for explanations of the checklist items, please see the Asset Management Guide for BC First Nations
1. Gather information about your community’s assets
Minimum
- Prepare a consolidated inventory
- Determine the replacement cost of each asset
- Calculate the remaining life of each asset
- Prepare a state of the assets summary
- Adjust life expectancies based on condition
- Data gap analysis
Comprehensive
- Create infrastructure maps using GIS
- Transition to a software tool
- Undertake condition assessments
2. Creating systems and processes for managing and making decisions about infrastructure
Minimum
- Undertake a risk assessment
- Prepare a vision for service delivery
- Prepare and asset management strategy
- Prepare an annual maintenance schedule
- Process gap analysis
Comprehensive
- Document decision-making processes
- Document existing service levels
- Prepare a maintenance management plan
- Prioritize new assets and services
- Process gap analysis
3. Developing tools to help your community make the most efficient use of money
Minimum
- Prepare a renewal plan
- Calculate your community’s expenses
- Calculate available revenue
- Identify new sources of funding
Comprehensive
- Calculate your target reinvestment rate
- Prepare a long term financial plan
- Develop a tangible capital asset policy
4. Acknowledging the important roles that your community, including staff, chief and council and community members, plays in your programs effectiveness
Minimum
- Establish an asset management team
- Establish a team terms of reference
- Hold regular team meetings
- Facilitate training and learning opportunities
- Develop an asset management policy
- Communication material and community events
Comprehensive
- Community awareness strategy
- Identify a community champion
Additional criteria for Phase 2 Planning proposals
Consultation and commitment
- Describe the extent to which your proposal has the support of the community members or communities, this includes:
- a letter of support from chief and council identifying band staff, for example, band manager, project lead, finance or public works staff that will be participating in the project
- a description of activities that illustrate what the community or communities have undertaken to support asset management
- the extent to which a community or communities' have addressed deficiencies from their Asset Condition Reporting System (ACRS) reports or Extended Asset Condition Reporting System
- the extent to which the proposal has been prepared by a community or communities
- As a note, certain checklist items such as condition assessments may not be required as results from previous assessments can be used.
Phase 3 Implementation
Proposals must provide:
- a background and scope of the project
- an explanation of activities and costs
- checklist of items for implementation
Asset management implementation is meant to be a continuous process integrated within day-to-day practices. The implementation can be step-by-step and based on available financial and human resources. This should be part of a continuous process where improvements are made over time, guided by the priorities and projects identified in the development stage of the asset management process. For your consideration, the following are examples of actions and activities that can be part of implementation:
- update asset inventory by including improved information as it becomes available, adding new assets, identifying asset renewals, replacement and decommissioned assets
- update asset replacement costs
- implement risk management plans to deliver target levels of service at a minimum cost
- implement asset operations and maintenance, renewal and replacement projects
- incorporate asset management into procurement processes
- hold regular asset management team meetings to review implementation progress, successes and challenges
- review and update lifecycle analysis of assets in the asset management plan
- implement appropriate asset management systems to support data management
- train staff to enhance asset management competencies, skills and organizational capacity
- develop succession plans
- update and develop job descriptions to align with asset management requirements
- identify the reporting objectives for the membership, chief and council and staff
- develop key performance indicators for measurement, such as service satisfaction by members, technical, financial and environmental health
- measure performance against each of the indicators
- communicate performance results through appropriate channels. For example, communications to the membership may be done through an annual general meeting or a community newsletter
Maintenance management planning and other funding options related to asset management
Proposals must provide:
- a background and scope of the project
- an explanation of activities and costs and provide relevant invoices for purchasing of software tools
Reporting requirements
Successful funding recipients need to send ISC a report about how their projects went.
Phase 1 Awareness Project reports are due by May 30 for activities funded in the preceding fiscal-year as follows:
- sign-in sheets for each asset management workshop or information session, that includes:
- date and duration of the workshop or information session and for each participant
- participants names
- name of the First Nation the participants are from
- participants’ positions or titles in the community, for instance chief and council or band administration, public works, finance
Phase 2 Planning reports are due by May 30 for activities funded in the preceding fiscal-year, as follows:
- name of the First Nation
- the checklist that was used for plan development
- a copy of the asset management plan
Phase 3 Implementation reports are due by May 30 for activities funded in the preceding fiscal-year, as follows:
- indicate name of the First Nation and what activity was done for implementation
Maintenance management plan reports are due by May 30 for activities funded in the preceding fiscal-year, as follows:
- if the proposal was to develop a maintenance management plan for all or a subset of assets and categories, provide either a copy of the maintenance management plan
or - confirmation of the completion of the plan, along with a 1 to 2-page executive summary of each of the assets and categories covered in the plan, such as water, wastewater, public access buildings, roads, bridges
Contact us
To learn more, contact your regional office.