Water management planning across government departments and large organisations can be hampered by disparate processes and a lack of continuity across departmental sections. Alternative approaches may not be understood and can be replaced with business-as-usual service delivery that is not consistent with the overall vision or resilience strategy and objectives.
To assist Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU) with effective water management across southeast Queensland, ISF developed a decision-making framework to provide a robust process to develop suitable policies and strategies, and to consider viable options for delivering those strategies under the conditions of the future uncertainty presented by climate change and population growth. The framework provided guidance on four decision levels, from corporate direction setting and strategic investment planning to conceptual project planning and delivery planning. It also distinguished between investment decisions that respond to regulated objectives and compliance, and those that provide broader community, shareholder and potential business opportunities.
As part of this work, QUU’s existing Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), Cost-benefit Analysis and Investment Logic tools were refined to ensure consistent processes across the organisation. Using the MCDA, the ISF team provided guidance on the Brisbane-Ipswich Servicing Strategy (a sewerage network upgrade due to urban growth and infill) and prepared scenarios to help assess future risks to this network. These risks included predictable trends as well as sudden shocks that could test both the flexibility and robustness of the proposed interventions. As a proof of concept, we prepared a case study for the Ripley Valley Priority Development Area. This study illustrated to the QUU senior executives how the risk assessment process and tools worked and further supported the investment decisions. The process was designed to ensure that community values and concerns were incorporated in the final assessment of the portfolios.
The Decision Framework was endorsed by the CEO and the Executive Committee. The Chief Finance Office made a special note of its analytical and financial robustness. The framework has been applied to the Brisbane and Ipswich Servicing Strategy and it has received high praise for its usefulness.
We have completed the road tests with the key stakeholders and the framework was very well received by all. Well done!
— QUU representative
Researchers
-
Professor -
Cynthia Mitchell -
Research Principal -
Associate -
Research Director
Year
- 2016-2018
Location
- Brisbane
Client
- Queensland Urban Utilities (QUU)
