We have reviewed our long-term strategy. The result: a sharpened Compass RWS. Adjustments have been made to better respond to developments in the environment. However, in the coming years, the focus will be on strengthening execution strength and smarter collaboration, both internally and externally.
In 2021, the Compass RWS was established: a long-term strategy for Public Works and Water Management with 6 focal points where the organization wants to achieve a fundamental change: Asset Management 2.0, Climate Adaptation, Sustainability and Living Environment, Data and Information Provision, Smart Mobility, and Task-Oriented Collaboration.
Substantive shifts
These 6 focal points will remain our major change themes in the coming years. Since 2021, significant progress has already been made. This allows us to now more concretely define how we want to proceed. For example, the focus point Asset Management 2.0 will concentrate on implementing the methodology for which the groundwork has been laid in recent years. The focus point Climate Adaptation will deal more with the necessary adjustments in implementation.
Meanwhile, societal developments demand our attention. Consider the increasing shortages in the labor market, the importance of nature restoration, and concerns about network congestion. This has led to some substantive shifts in the Compass RWS. For example, under the focus point Sustainability and Living Environment, the action point ‘Energy Transition’ has been revised and a new action point ‘Nature-Inclusive Area’ has been added.
Spatial transitions and aging infrastructure
The infrastructure in our country is increasingly due for renovation or replacement. This applies not only to Public Works and Water Management but also to the provinces, municipalities, and ProRail. In addition to the extra efforts for spatial transitions in the Netherlands concerning energy, climate, nature, agriculture, and the housing task, significantly more efforts will be needed to maintain the infrastructure.
How can we increase the pace? And how do we keep the Netherlands accessible during the work? In response, under the focus point Data and Information Provision, a new action point ‘Increasing production capacity through digitalization’ has been formulated, and a new action point ‘Smart Multimodal’ is starting under the focus point Smart Mobility.
Accelerating through different collaboration
As the task grows, we also face shortages. We already see that clients and market parties are increasingly competing for the same workforce. Shortages of raw materials are also arising in various sectors. Construction costs are rising as well.
To realize as much as possible under these circumstances, we start with ourselves. We want to increase our decisiveness. But that is not enough. Acceleration will only succeed if we fundamentally change how we collaborate in the chain: from politics and policy to the contractor. Understanding that everything comes together in the region. The focus point Task-Oriented Collaboration addresses this.
More information on Compass RWS
Want to know more? Read the updated Compass RWS on Open Rijkswaterstaat or request the Compass RWS booklet by mail there.