The Infrastructure Asset Management Manual (IAMM) is a flagship IMESA project. We have the IAMM in South Africa today because of the relentless work of this Institute, with the support of DPLOG, DBSA and SALGA. Appropriately, we should pat ourselves on the back for the tremendous success we have achieved with regards to this venture. We are proud to announce that to date we have trained over 600 candidates, mostly municipal and governmental employees.

We are happy to note that this initiative has also been endorsed and taken over by the LGSETA, who are in the process of developing a training manual that will be accredited by SAQA. This is a very positive, unexpected spin-off and it is putting our name on the map as a developmental Institute. We are also pleased to announce that as a result of this initiative, IMESA’s involvement is sought in various governmental and national initiatives involving infrastructure management, with great enthusiasm.

As IMESA, we are however, not going to slow down or rest on our laurels. The challenge is upon us, more people must still be trained and more seriously, the use and benefit of applying the principles of Asset Management must still be widely promoted. In a recent conference - organised by the Department of Water affairs - it emerged that various larger governmental departments were seriously engaging in Infrastructure Asset Management. However the challenge still sits with municipalities, specifically the smaller municipalities, which until now were not actively implementing these principles.

We also have the challenge to grow the initiative. Once trained our candidates will need continued support, which currently is does not existent. This gap has to be closed and IMESA has to find the solution. Another strategic obstacle that we as an Institute must face is the alluded development of this initiative to a level that can be successfully applied as an accredited university training course. Our members are working hard to counteract these challenges and turn them into solutions. Soon we will be making breakthroughs and again IMESA will be in the forefront of this development. Next ...