Strategic reform for local governance: Professional approach – Part 2

While debates around governance structures will undoubtedly continue, these should not delay practical reforms

Leadership for modernisation: Practical action, not rhetoric

Sri Lankans have expressed their expectations through the ballot box. Now, leadership must deliver, not through rhetoric, but through decisive action. Modernising local government is a vital investment in democratic integrity, social cohesion, and national progress. By approaching reform with professionalism, this journey can redefine the relationship between the people and the Government, ensuring that the Government delivers more effectively for its citizens.

Navigating Sri Lanka’s complex governance system

Sri Lanka’s multi-tiered governance system includes the Central Government, nine Provincial Councils, and 340 Local Government bodies. While this structure aims to bring decision-making closer to the people, it often leads to inefficiency, confusion, and duplication.

The Central Government, headed by the President, oversees national matters like national mega infrastructure development, public law and order, defence and foreign policy. Provincial Councils, established through the 13th Amendment in 1987, manage regional matters such as education, health, and major infrastructure. At the local level, Municipal Councils, Urban Councils, and Pradeshiya Sabhas deliver basic essential services for the public.

However, the distribution of powers often leads to fragmented responsibilities and operational inefficiencies. Local government, despite their direct accountability to the public, are heavily dependent on the Central Government and Provincial Councils for funding and oversight. This has resulted in tensions between centralisation and devolution, exacerbated by political rivalry and unclear jurisdictions.

Professional leadership in the face of political debate

While debates around governance structures will undoubtedly continue, these should not delay practical reforms. Professionals within the public sector, the planners, engineers, financial officers, and administrators, can lead reforms that do not require constitutional amendments but have a significant strategic impact. These include standardising planning and reporting mechanisms, establishing performance-based service delivery benchmarks, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and promoting a culture of accountability and service excellence.

Drawing from global best practices: The New South Wales model

One highly effective governance model is the Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) framework, which has transformed local government operations in New South Wales, Australia. The IP&R system aligns strategic planning, budgeting, service delivery, and performance monitoring within a coherent framework. This practical model offers an ideal starting point for Sri Lanka’s local government reform.

Key components of the IP&R framework

The IP&R framework integrates long-term community aspirations with actionable service delivery and resource management through the following elements:

nCommunity strategic plan: A long-term (10+ years) vision co-developed with residents, reflecting community values and priorities.

nDelivery program: A four-year action plan aligned with the elected council’s term.

nOperational plan: An annual breakdown of services, budgets, and performance indicators.

nResourcing strategy: Long-term financial and asset management plans, ensuring councils can deliver on their commitments.

nAnnual reporting: A public report assessing council performance, promoting transparency and accountability.

Why the IP&R model is suitable for Sri Lanka

The IP&R framework is adaptable and doesn’t require constitutional amendments or legislative changes. It can be introduced through administrative reform, such as a ministerial circular. This would allow Sri Lanka’s local councils to align their work with national goals and local needs, improving service delivery and public accountability.

The model addresses key issues in Sri Lankan local governance, including:

Lack of community engagement: By embedding structured public consultations, the IP&R framework strengthens the relationship between councils and their communities.

Weak service planning and delivery: By linking resources with performance expectations, councils can deliver services that are more realistic and accountable.

A foundation for long-term reform

Adopting the IP&R framework would standardise planning and reporting across Sri Lanka’s local councils while laying the groundwork for deeper institutional reform. It promotes foresight, responsibility, and measurable performance qualities essential for a credible governance system. In an era when Sri Lankans demand transparency and results, the IP&R model provides a clear pathway to restoring trust and improving service delivery.

Building reform on professionalism

Effective local government reform begins with a professional and strategic approach that places community needs at the forefront. By embracing structured planning, operational transparency, and robust performance monitoring, Sri Lanka can strengthen its local governance framework, ensuring councils are capable of addressing present challenges while positioning themselves for sustainable future development. The Integrated Planning and Reporting (IP&R) model provides a proven, practical framework for such transformation, offering a pathway to embed meaningful change from the ground up.

The Resourcing Strategy serves as a comprehensive operational framework, guiding councils in managing their people, assets, and finances to ensure effective service delivery over time. Key components of this strategy include an Asset Management Policy, Strategy, and Plan, a Workforce Management Plan and a Long-Term Financial Plan.

Together, these documents form the foundation for effective local governance. They enable councils to plan with foresight, deliver services with confidence, and ensure transparency in reporting. A properly executed Resourcing Strategy marks the shift from reactive service delivery to a more strategic, proactive, and people-focused approach in local government.

Unlocking the potential of asset management engineering in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka boasts a highly skilled pool of young engineers, eager to contribute to national development. However, their career paths are often shaped by short-term financial incentives rather than long-term impact. A significant skills gap exists in the field of Asset Management Engineering, driven by two primary factors.

Asset Management is not yet recognised as a distinct engineering discipline in Sri Lanka, nor does it lead to Chartered status.

There is no established academic or professional pathway for engineers wishing to specialise in asset management, unlike the clearly defined asset management frameworks found in developed countries.

Adopting the IP&R framework would standardise planning and reporting across Sri Lanka’s local councils while laying the groundwork for deeper institutional reform. It promotes foresight, responsibility, and measurable performance qualities essential for a credible governance system. In an era when Sri Lankans demand transparency and results, the IP&R model provides a clear pathway to restoring trust and improving service delivery

Asset management: A strategic discipline beyond maintenance

Contrary to common perception, asset management is more than infrastructure upkeep; it is a strategic, multi-disciplinary profession integrating engineering design and reliability, strategic and financial planning, risk management, data analytics and systems thinking, community needs assessment and organisational governance.

A skilled Asset Management Engineer not only understands the technical aspects of physical assets such as roads, water systems, and buildings but also comprehends their role in long-term service delivery, economic development, and institutional performance.

Globally, asset management is a collaborative field, involving professionals from engineering, finance, ICT, economics, and project management. As the discipline evolves in response to technological, environmental, and societal changes, effective practitioners must be agile, continuously learning and adapting to new data, tools, and insights.

Tailoring asset management to local realities

The success of asset management strategies depends on their ability to adapt to an organisation’s specific context. Some local authorities may excel in preventive maintenance, while others may be at the early stages of asset mapping. Therefore, asset management strategies must be bespoke, regularly tested, and refined, with ongoing performance monitoring ensuring they remain fit for purpose.

A strategic imperative for Sri Lanka’s future

If Sri Lanka aims to improve public infrastructure, enhance local government performance, and secure the reliability of essential services, strengthening its asset management capabilities is not optional. It is vital. Key steps to achieving this include formalising asset management as a recognised engineering sub-discipline with clear professional accreditation pathways, developing academic programs that equip engineers and allied professionals with the necessary cross-sector skills, raising awareness about the strategic importance of asset management roles and building multi-disciplinary teams within public sector organisations, combining expertise in engineering, finance, planning, and IT.

Asset management is a governance, financial, and long-term service delivery issue. It is critical to the future sustainability of Sri Lanka’s cities, infrastructure, and local communities.

Advocating for asset management in Sri Lanka’s public sector

Throughout my career, spanning both Sri Lanka and Australia, I have witnessed the transformative potential of public sector reform. My personal advocacy for asset management began over a decade ago with a presentation at the Central Engineering and Consultancy Bureau (CECB). Although it is unclear whether that session sparked immediate change, it set the stage for my ongoing mission to promote smarter, more localised asset management practices.

One of the biggest challenges I have faced is a leadership deficit within the Sri Lankan public sector. Many senior officials, despite their formal qualifications, lack the vision and technical acumen to manage complex organisational processes. This inefficiency and outdated thinking have hindered meaningful reform, and Sri Lanka must now take bold action to modernise its leadership and governance structures.

(The writer is a Chartered Professional Engineer, a Fellow, and an International Professional Engineer of both the Institution of Engineers, Sri Lanka, and Australia. He holds two Masters Degrees in Local Government Engineering and in Engineering Management and at present, works in the Australian NSW Local Government Sector. He shares over three decades of local and overseas experience with Sri Lankan professionals to transform public sector management practices to meet international standards. He is contactable via [email protected].)

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• Part 1 of this series can be seen at https://www.ft.lk/columns/Sri-Lanka-s-Local-Government-reform-Strategic-imperative-for-progress-Part-1/4-778396