We are accepting Expressions of Interest for participation until August 22nd

Apply Below

What is this opportunity?

The Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) is partnering with Urban Systems to deliver training in the Operationalization of Climate Change Through Asset Management (aka the ‘Applied Climate Action Cohort’). The Applied Climate Action Cohort is designed to support your municipality in advancing climate change and asset management objectives in an integrated and thoughtful way.

Asset management is a process for making more informed decisions as we plan for an uncertain future – making it an excellent candidate for preparing for the impacts of climate change and acting on adaptation and mitigation as part of broader service delivery goals.

As climate change introduces new risks to service delivery, finding solutions is going to require experimentation and iterative learning. Asset management provides a timely and cost-effective way of managing risks and teaches us to iterate on continuous improvements. Pairing climate change with asset management is a natural fit, especially when it comes to implementation.

The Applied Climate Action Cohort will be highly adaptive, collaborative, relevant, and equip municipalities from various backgrounds with tools to address diverse challenges. The cohort is designed to progress climate action and asset management in the context of your community; check-in support with subject matter experts will be provided after every workshop to help you identify challenges and get the highest value.

Participants will come out of the Applied Climate Action Cohort equipped with knowledge about best practice for operationalizing climate change and deliverables customized to their municipal context .

If your organization sees the value in integrating climate change into infrastructure planning, you are highly encouraged to apply.

By the end of the cohort, you will have:

  • Progressed climate action and asset management with the highest value approach in the context of your community
  • Documented impact of climate change on assets and service delivery, based on available data
  • Documentation of opportunities for integrating climate change considerations into current processes
  • Developed a network of relationships with fellow municipalities at a similar stage in their journey

The cohort will consist of participants that…

  • Have a strong willingness to collaborate and work with other municipalities, and learn from each other
  • Have a diversity of experiences and stories about climate change
  • Work in small- to medium-sized communities
  • Have cross-departmental teams made of multiple roles (e.g., engineering, public works, planning, finance, communication, parks)
  • Have some knowledge of asset management and climate change, but are not very far along in their asset management and climate change journey
  • Come from a diversity of different regions across the country
  • Identifying anticipated climatic changes in your region, the impacts of climate change on municipal infrastructure systems, and the risks of climate change to service delivery
  • Communicating the basics of asset management and the connections to climate change in your municipal context
  • Development of a roadmap for operationalizing climate change through asset management in your municipal context
  • Sharing knowledge and leverage learnings from others about climate change and asset management
  • Evaluating and communicating the costs of action
  • Build awareness of the link between asset management and operationalizing climate action through adaptable educational workshops, tailored to the needs of the cohort
  • Have opportunities to apply learnings to your own municipality’s context and build skills in the application of concepts
  • Build skills in communicating about asset management and climate change to various audiences
  • Develop a network of peers working through similar challenges together that will last beyond the cohort
  • Receive check-in support that will prevent you from getting stuck and stalling progress

Program Requirements and other considerations

The Applied Climate Action Cohort will take place over four workshops held from September 2022 through to June 2023. All workshops will be delivered virtually with consideration of multiple time zones.

Each workshop will consist of six hours of instructional time and participants should expect to complete implementation work between workshops to advance their asset management programs. There will be check-ins between workshops to provide tailored support to overcome barriers.

One of the outcomes of the Applied Climate Action Cohort is to develop case studies that provide insights into key challenges that municipalities have encountered, and lessons learned. Case studies will be completed for municipalities by November 2023 at the latest.

The first virtual workshop will consist of two, three-hour sessions on consecutive days and is tentatively scheduled for September 14/15, 2022.

Limited spaces are available. Participating municipalities will be selected based on demonstrated commitment to the Applied Climate Action Cohort, based on:
  • willingness to learn and collaborate with other municipalities
  • experiences with climate change impacts
  • number and diversity of roles of participants
  • acknowledgment of the value of preparing for climate change / climate change planning 
  • availability and resources for participating in the Applied Climate Action Cohort

FAQ

A: Yes, Regional Districts are eligible and encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest for participation!

A: Yes, First Nations with service agreements with neighbouring municipalities are eligible and encouraged to submit an Expression of Interest for participation!

Please note that the program cost is $1,995 per municipality.

This cost includes any number of participants that will be attending. A minimum of 2 participants is required. If this is not practical for your municipality you can request an exception noting the reason your municipality would only have one participant. In order to apply your submission should include: a response to the Request for Expression of Interest & a letter of support from the organizations Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) or Council.
Click Here to Complete the EOI
Letter of Support Template

Any further questions? Contact Christina Hopkins (chopkins@urbansystems.ca) or Laura Bernier (lbernier@urbansystems.ca)

Canadian Network Of Asset Managers
1 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 705
Toronto, ON M4P 3A1
Phone: 416.335.0171
Fax: 416.981.8759
Email: membership@cnam.ca

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