IT adoption for municipal infrastructure management

Municipalities face the challenge of managing many types of assets. The CSCE (2003) recommends that municipalities use tools and technology to improve management techniques, yet the adoption of these tools is not extensive. Although comprehensive computerized infrastructure management systems are available commercially, these systems are often too complex, too expensive, or too risky for smaller municipalities.;This paper will examine this hypothesis with an investigation of the City of Fredericton. From there, they will use an example of the incremental adoption with a fire hydrant inspection program to test if the incremental approach is useful and improves their current process. Furthermore, this paper will show the results from a survey conducted with other municipalities to determine if other small municipalities also use the incremental approach. Finally, a framework will outline how other municipalities could improve their current systems using an incremental approach.;There are two extremes in the method a municipality can use to adopt technologies: incremental, a modular approach involving a few people on one process; or radical, a comprehensive change in existing methods involving all people involved in several processes. It seems that when small municipalities adopt new technologies, they are more apt to take the incremental approach.