Sustainable asset management (SAM) decision making: An exploration of current practice

The fundamental aim of any construction client is to gain maximum benefit or utility from any project or programme proposed. Traditionally the utility of the project has been evaluated using monetary based techniques including, although not limited to, cost planning and whole life or life cycle cost analysis. In recent years, however, social housing providers have become increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability; both in terms of sustainable development and sustainable communities, leading some to consider a multiplicity of other non-financial attributes, cutting across the social and environmental aspects of sustainability during project appraisal. The results of an exploratory qualitative survey are reported, based on a series of semi-structured interviews undertaken with senior housing professionals from a range of social housing providers and local authorities. The research indicated a desire within the social housing sector to embed the three high level criteria associated with sustainability within their asset appraisal processes. Attempts to integrate sustainable benefit planning into the decision making process require further refinement as no apparent tool yet exists to facilitate this process.