Following the Town Hall Meetings, the Expert Panel reviewed all the material obtained and developed a set of recommendations related to the objectives.
While the objectives are to be achieved within the next 10 years, the recommendations are for immediate action by the CIS community. These recommendations ensure that everyone involved in the Canadian CIS industry has a role in achieving the goals, objectives and vision of the CIS industry as represented by the TRM.
The recommendations are:
• To request that the federal government create a National Round Table for Infrastructure (NRTI), bringing together all stakeholders to develop a National Infrastructure Action Plan. An expert advisory body of the NRTI will advise on technology issues.
• To develop a cost-effective mechanism by which data on infrastructure inventory and condition assessment are collected from municipalities and from other owners of infrastructure as they apply for Infrastructure Canada and other funding. This is a first step toward developing a database of the national infrastructure inventory.
• To include life-cycle analysis in the selection of CIS projects or technologies submitted by and to municipalities. This will ensure optimum return on investment, increase the service life of infrastructure systems and encourage the adoption of new, innovative technologies.
• To request that Infrastructure Canada establish a national innovative-technologies demonstration program that could be employed by municipalities and other CIS owners to demonstrate and validate projects that use new, adapted and innovative technologies.
• To establish a Network of Centres of Excellence, or an equivalent, for infrastructure.
• To request the federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments and industry partners to dedicate funds to infrastructure research and development.
• To integrate infrastructure rehabilitation and maintenance content into curricula and into continuing education programs. Programs and short courses should be created to increase professional, labour and administrative awareness of emerging, innovative technologies and practices in the construction, maintenance and rehabilitation of CIS.
• To establish an infrastructure technology transfer program to encourage the movement of technology from research facilities to the marketplace. The program would, in particular, support the development of new technologies within small organizations that might otherwise lack the resources to do so.
• That within five years, the progress and success of the TRM be measured in relation to its objectives and that the TRM be revised and updated as necessary.
• That the partnership of professional organizations that led the TRM and the members of the Expert Panel offer their expertise to organizations that adopt the recommendations, with the goal of helping them achieve the objectives.
The Technology Road Map is a mechanism for the improvement and continuing coordination of CIS stakeholders who are committed to meeting the TRM objectives. An invitation to action is extended to all CIS stakeholders to collaborate in increasing the longevity and improving the efficiency of Canada's civil infrastructure systems, thereby ensuring the continuing health and prosperity of our communities.