AM Competency Framework (AMCF)

The Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) has taken its Asset Management Competency Framework for Canadian Communities (AMCF) and expanded it into this comprehensive online resource for improving the AM capacity of public sector organizations in Canada and enhancing the capabilities of AM practitioners in those organizations.

Finance

Description:

  • Focus is on financing the capital and operating requirements of infrastructure and managing the life cycle costs of same.
  • Encompasses public finance roles in the organization, including accountants, controllers, business analysts, financial analysts, risk managers, and financial officers.
  • Typically, in a finance department and/or embedded in a department they support.

Key AM Responsibilities:

  • Develop AM financial policies and strategies with the AM Manager.
  • Perform AM financial analysis.
  • Support development of AM strategies and plans, the AM management system, and levels of service.
  • Develop the AM long-term financial plan with the AM Manager.
  • Manage finance-related AM life cycle activities.
  • Support AM decision-making and analysis.
  • Integrate AM into finance practice and organizational financial planning, including budgeting, funding, and rate-setting.

AM Roles:

As described previously, the generalist AM Roles described in the General AM functional area are focused on the whole of AM. The roles making up this and other AM Functional Areas would be specialist AM roles. These specialist AM Roles would be focused on only a portion of AM, as represented by the functional area they are found in. Generally, these roles would include subject matter experts in that functional area, often with backgrounds, skillsets, and experience in the related domain.

As mentioned, the roles are described in the form of a competency profile, including a title, description, key responsibilities, and expected competency proficiency in each of the AM Competencies. Expected competency proficiency is defined utilizing the AMCF Proficiency Scale. These generic roles can be used to assist in describing and assessing some of your organization’s own AM practitioner positions. Use the AM Competency Profile Template to create a customized competency profile with your organization’s AM position’s details.

Remember that these AM Roles might encompass a person’s entire job, or only a portion of that job. Several different people may have a piece of their job devoted to one or more of the AM Roles across one or more AM Functional Areas. Additionally, remember that any of the AM Functional Areas or AM Roles described can be delivered by external service providers or consultants as well.

AM Role
Financial Analyst

Description

  • A junior supporting role, either as part of a team or alone.
  • Provides general financial support for AM, particularly life cycle financial analysis.
  • May be in an AM department or may be embedded in an infrastructure-related department or may be part of the Finance department in the organization

Key AM Responsibilities

  • Follow policies, strategies and methods for life cycle financial analysis to support AM decision-making.
  • Follow AM policy, strategy, and principles in project planning and budgeting analysis.
  • Integrate budgeting information with other AM information and appropriately use AM, project analysis, and budgeting systems to share information across the organization.
  • Analyze operational financial implications for assets and asset systems.

Expected AM Competency Proficiency

AM Competency

Expected Proficiency

Leading Others

1 – Basic

Collaboration

1 – Basic

Contextual Analysis

1 – Basic

Holistic Thinking

1 – Basic

Decision Making

2 – Intermediate

Risk Analysis

2 – Intermediate

Information Management

2 – Intermediate

Financial Analysis

3 – Advanced

AM Expertise

2 – Intermediate

Service Focus

1 – Basic

Infrastructure Management

–

Continuous Improvement

1 – Basic

AM Role
Budget, Capital Planning, and Financial Decision-Making Specialist

Description

  • An intermediate to senior supporting or advisory role, either as part of a team or alone.
  • Provides near-term, tactical, project- and budget-level support for AM.
  • May be in an AM department or may be embedded in an infrastructure-related department or may be part of the Finance department in the organization.

Key AM Responsibilities

  • Manage finance-related AM life cycle activities.
  • Develop AM financial policies and strategies with the AM Manager.
  • Integrate AM into finance practice and organizational financial planning, including budgeting, funding, and rate-setting.
  • Integrates AM Policy and Strategy into capital asset decision making.
  • Effectively communicates budget information to external stakeholders.
  • Develop, follow and maintain policies, strategies and methods for life cycle financial analysis.
  • Support AM decision-making and analysis and appropriately integrate financial risks into analytical and decision-making processes.
  • Ensure proper financial outputs from the project prioritization framework, and the project identification framework.
  • Integrate budgeting information systems with other AM information systems.

Expected AM Competency Proficiency

AM Competency

Expected Proficiency

Leading Others

1 – Basic

Collaboration

3 – Advanced

Contextual Analysis

2 – Intermediate

Holistic Thinking

2 – Intermediate

Decision Making

4 – Expert

Risk Analysis

3 – Advanced

Information Management

2 – Intermediate

Financial Analysis

4 – Expert

AM Expertise

2 – Intermediate

Service Focus

1 – Basic

Infrastructure Management

1 – Basic

Continuous Improvement

2 – Intermediate

AM Role
Long-Term Financial Planning Specialist

Description

  • An intermediate to senior supporting or advisory role, either as part of a team or alone.
  • Provides long-term, strategic-level financial support for AM.
  • May be in an AM department or may be in the Finance department in the organization.

Key AM Responsibilities

  • Support development of AM strategies and plans, the AM management system, and levels of service.
  • Develop the AM long-term financial plan (LTFP), with the AM Manager.
  • Implement, review and update LTFP.
  • Analyze AM-related strategic financial risks.
  • Analyze, monitor, and report on life cycle costs for asset systems and infrastructure services.
  • Assess how financial needs and forecasts address service and LOS needs; Assess financial reporting, monitoring, and AM funding needs.
  • Analyze and communicate AM financial needs to internal and external stakeholders, including willingness to pay discussions.
  • Provide analysis and support for rate-setting.

Expected AM Competency Proficiency

AM Competency

Expected Proficiency

Leading Others

1 – Basic

Collaboration

3 – Advanced

Contextual Analysis

2 – Intermediate

Holistic Thinking

2 – Intermediate

Decision Making

3 – Advanced

Risk Analysis

3 – Advanced

Information Management

2 – Intermediate

Financial Analysis

4 – Expert

AM Expertise

2 – Intermediate

Service Focus

1 – Basic

Infrastructure Management

2 – Intermediate

Continuous Improvement

2 – Intermediate

AM-Adjacent Roles:

The roles we describe here are comprised of related, but AM-adjacent, responsibilities. While they would strictly fall outside the scope of the AMCF, they have been included to provide some additional context and contrast to the AM Roles. Remember, individuals fulfilling these roles would still be expected to apply fundamental AM principles and concepts and provide an appropriate level of support to AM practitioners, using their general competence in AM, as described by the AM Fundamentals competency. These AM-adjacent roles will often involve providing practical advice or support to others as to the interaction of the functional area with AM issues and situations. See Who Does the AMCF Apply to? For additional details.

AM-Adjacent Role
Senior Financial Expert
Description
  • Provides subject matter support and advice to the AM program.
Key AM Responsibilities
  • Advises on development of best practices for AM-Finance integration.
  • Advises on AM Policies and Strategies from a Finance perspective, particularly with regard to long-term financial planning and AM-Finance policy integration.
  • Advises on organizational strategic alignment of AM decision-making and risk frameworks.
  • Reinforces, communicates, and supports AM and AM culture in the Finance functions of the organization.
  • Advocates for and engages in the development of improvements in public sector financial reporting and disclosure rules to address AM-related gaps.
Expected AM Competency ProficiencyAM CompetencyExpected Proficiency
AM Fundamentals3 – Advanced
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