Systemization is crucial for city leaders and management to accelerate a synchronized delivery of smart cities.
OF SMART CITIES
OVERALL
IMPLEMENTATION
3P
In any nation-building initiative, the 3P methodology provides a holistic and integrated approach covering Policies, Programs and Projects. As a medium-term plan, this policy direction or initiatives normally covers 5 years or more in time horizon.
However, often after the launching of any new national policies/initiative, projects are the normally the first to commence on the ground at local level. Projects in turn, may normally last for a year or two.
The management of these multiple projects is a critical effort that need to be synchronized and coordinated through Program Management in safeguarding and to eventually realise the policy aspirations.
Program Management of Smart Cities therefore, is crucial in managing and navigating the downstream projects delivery to align and support achievement of upstream policy targets.
7-Step
OF SMART CITIES
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
Smart Cities involves the interplay of multiple contents and stakeholders. Hence, it can be regarded as the Art and Science of Systemising Complexity. Through this systemization, it aligns various city stakeholders involving governments, communities, private sectors, youth, academia and NGOs, towards addressing the key challenges of urbanization and climate change in cities. There are 7 key steps to get started on Smart Cities namely Planning, Governance, Innovation Hub, Delivery Office, Data Management, and eventually leading to the pinnacle of operationalising the Integrated Operation Centre (IOC). With these 7 systemised steps, it will also de-risk delivery and private investments in smart cities.
STEP 1 - SMART CITY VISION
Smart City Vision is translated through a common document, Smart City Action Plan (SCAP) at the local level. For developing countries which are dependent on private sector partnership, this SCAP will in turn indirectly translate into the private sector business plan.
STEP 2 - SMART CITY GOVERNANCE
To operationalize the SCAP, its implementation governance need to be firstly put in placed. Smart City Governance involves the establishment of Terms of Reference (TOR) for two level governance namely Program Steering Committee and Program Implementation Committee. The Secretariat for these two committee is the Program Delivery Office (PDO).
STEP 3 - CITY INNOVATION HUB
Upon operationalizing the governance system, other external stakeholders need to commence their participation in jointly delivering the program as outlined in the SCAP. As these stakeholders are from different background and perspectives, it is crucial that they interact on a neutral platform to spur open-mindset and collaboration.
STEP 4 - PROGRAM DELIVERY OFFICE (PDO)
Through the Innovation Hub, collaborations amongst stakeholders are derived and spurring various smart city projects and initiatives, involving the related smart domain namely smart community and living, smart economy, smart mobility, smart government, smart environment and smart digital infrastructure. These multi-projects need to be planned, coordinated, monitored and reported through a central coordination team, namely the PDO.
STEP 5 – DATA MANAGEMENT
Through various smart solution projects, there will be high volume of data to be consolidated, integrated, and processed towards value creation, as one of key objectives of smart cities. Hence, Data Pipeline Management is an important capabilities to facilitate data sharing policies, cleansing, aggregation, profiling, cataloguing, modelling, analytics, and data services.
STEP 6 – DATA MANAGEMENT
Data management therefore plays a critical role to support the operationalization of IOCs in terms of city planning, surveillance and decision making. The IOCs operates on 3 modes namely Daily Management, Incident/Accident Management and Disaster/Crisis Management. The early and accelerated recovery of cities towards normalisation demonstrates the city’s sustainability and resilient.
STEP 7 – DISASTER/CRISIS MANAGEMENT
For cities to be resilient and sustainable, it needs to accelerate its preparedness for disaster and crisis scenario encompassing : Pre-disaster, During disaster, Recovery and Post-disaster phases. Hence, Disaster/Crisis Management need to be approached as a program with continuous activities during and outside disaster/crisis situation.