The practice of integrated asset management in Ugandan small towns

Abstract

Integrated asset management (IAM) has been promoted by international agencies and academics as a promising approach for water utilities in developing countries. These IAM frameworks present logical and linear approaches to managing a utility's infrastructure. In this article, we contrast these frameworks with the everyday practice of asset management in seven small towns in rural Uganda. In rural areas of Uganda, utility managers operating and managing assets need to maneuver between political demands, demands from the Head Office, inadequate resources, and limited capacity. As a result, the practice of asset management necessarily deviates considerably from the logical steps identified in many IAM frameworks. Without diminishing the relevance of the more conceptual IAM frameworks, the article suggests that for IAM to become more impactful for practitioners in rural areas and small towns in developing countries, these contextual factors need to be taken into account.