“PIM’s main benefit is that it has delivered visible and useful results,” says Harry Habing. He is involved in the Partner Programme for Infrastructure Management (PIM) as a project manager for Grontmij. “What we have learnt is actually being utilised.”
The development whereby the management and maintenance of public facilities is increasingly transferred to the private sector is a trend for the future, also in Grontmij’s view. The advisory firm already suggested in 2005 to join Rijkswaterstaat on a joint learning and development programme in this area. This proposal, which Atkins joined in on at a later stage, formed the foundation for PIM. Habing: “What you frequently see is that innovations strand in the management organisation. I think our efficient approach partially enabled us to book results in a short period of time, which have also been secured in the organisation.”
Habing is positive about the way in which Rijkswaterstaat involves the private sector in the developments. “PIM is really a glass house. All knowledge and experience is shared. Because Rijkswaterstaat has gone for a clear direction with the model contract it will need to involve the private sector even more explicitly in the coming year. The shift towards the private sector requires a change in culture on both sides. We have to open the doors to one another.” The same applies to Grontmij, of course. “PIM has taught us to take a far more integral approach when dealing with issues, conducting process analysis and structuring. PIM is really a frontrunner. To be able to contribute to it is highly motivating.”
"This bridge over the Vecht near Oud-Zuilen is right near my home. A place where water and land come together - that's always been my world" says Harry Habing.
Peter Waters (Atkins): “In my view, PIM’s main value is its bottom-up approach.”
Peter Waters is convinced that the ‘ground-breaking projects’ of the Partner Programme for Infrastructure Management (PIM) will have a major influence on the way Rijkswaterstaat operates. “PIM is a temporary formula, and should remain so. Because ultimately, the existing organisation should assume responsibility for its future. That’s why it’s so important that we transfer our knowledge and experience. I believe that this is what we should focus on in particular in 2009.”
Peter Waters volunteered as project manager when it became clear that Atkins would participate in PIM. He is now back in England, after having lived and worked in the Netherlands for over two years, but is still closely involved in PIM. “I distinguish three phases in our contribution to PIM. The first mainly involved raising awareness: by posing critical questions about what Rijkswaterstaat does and how, and by organising exchanges with English ‘colleagues’. In phase two, we applied the knowledge acquired in the pilot projects. Thanks to Atkins’ experience as a service provider I believe we have been able to contribute valuable knowledge to for instance the development of a new asset management system and the realisation of the contracts in Zeeland. We are now in phase three. We need to transfer our knowledge in such a way that the staff members involved really know what it’s about and support the changes themselves. This bottom-up approach is PIM’s primary value in my view.”
PIM has enabled Atkins to strengthen its international position. Waters: “Furthermore, we’ve learnt that the issues we come up against are also current in other countries and that collaboration with foreign partners consequently offers added value. For me personally it was a fantastic challenge to be part of a private/public partnership, in an entirely different environment, and to be able to contribute to groundbreaking projects that will have a strong impact on the way in which Rijkswaterstaat operates.”
"This bridge shows to me that what you do today will remain a legacy for the future" says Peter Waters.