Case study 5.1

Wanganui District Council – Making good links to the wider aims of the organisation means asset management planning is integral to achieving objectives, not just something to keep the auditors happy

Wanganui City Council’s plans clearly set out strategic links. This helps in two ways:

• first, from the top down, the strategic direction that the Council has set gives service managers something to plan towards; and
• secondly, from the bottom up, the Council is able to show how its individual services are planned and managed in a way that contributes to its overall aims.

For example, the Parks Facilities Plan is clear that the activity links to the Council's:

• vision of a family-friendly Wanganui – the "preferred place for my family home";
• mission to make Wanganui an attractive place for families and to ensure a quality of life for all; and
• goals of promoting the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of the Wanganui district by encouraging:
  • economic opportunities;
  • a good image and sense of identity;
  • a safe community;
  • good health-care services;
  • connectivity;
  • community networks;
  • quality educational opportunities;
  • quality and affordable housing in contemporary family neighbourhoods; and
  • access to recreational and cultural activities.

The clear way that the vision, mission, and goals are expressed helps service managers to see how their services, and the assets that support them, fit in.