Managing Staff Knowledge As An Asset: Why You Should and How You Can

Most water/wastewater utilities now apply asset management principles to their investments in physical facilities and equipment. Some utilities have extended their application of asset management principles to natural assets such as watersheds. Very few have applied these principles to staff knowledge, even though advanced infrastructure and equipment cannot save a utility from the consequences of operator error if physical assets are incorrectly operated or maintained.Failure to recognize and invest in staff knowledge reflects the fact that utilities have, for decades, been able to maintain operational reliability despite limited attention to staff training and development, documentation of processes and procedures, and knowledge management. Today, lack of organizational competence in and commitment to management of staff knowledge poses a real risk to utility performance.In a time of Baby Boomer retirements, escalating regulations, increased public expectations, and continually changing facilities, processes, and equipment, the question is not whether vacancies can be filled, but whether the people filling the vacancies will be adequately prepared to do high-quality work.Where asset management principles have been applied to staff knowledge, utilities have reduced operational and financial risk and increased efficiency. Utilities have used risk assessment frameworks similar to those applied to physical asset management to prioritize their knowledge management efforts. Leading utilities (City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, Metro Vancouver, Littleton/Englewood Wastewater Treatment Plant, Colorado Springs Utilities, and Union Sanitary District) contributed their knowledge management practices and tools to a study conducted by BAYWORK (a workforce reliability consortium of Bay Area water and wastewater utilities/water facilities) and some of the BAYWORK partners have in turn applied lessons learned from these leading utilities in their own knowledge management efforts.