A framework for the operationalisation of resilience in the water sector

Abstract

Global threats such as a changing climate, rapid population growth, and increasing levels of urbanisation, will continue to pose major challenges to the water sector over the coming years. Within the UK, questions over future water supply, delivery, and demand all form a central part to this argument, with the themes of resilience and sustainability often employed in the response. Recent national events, along with changes to legislation and policy, have resulted in the need for the concept of resilience to develop from a theoretical concept into a tangible operational method. Despite a rise in popularity and use of the term resilience, within both the water sector and wider society, there remains a lack of clear consensus on what resilience really is for the sector, and how it can be applied with actions implemented at the operational level. A combination of methodological approaches, data collection and analytical methods have been used to develop a strategic framework for the operationalisation of resilience theory in the UK water sector.

A pilot study questionnaire, and semi-structured interviews with members of the Northumbrian Water workforce have provided insight into core issues surrounding resilience understanding and the historic application of the term within the water sector. Semi-structured interviews with water sector executives have contributed to an example of how an existing resilience framework can be used to develop a methodology for resilience analysis. A case study example using the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has provided insight into the sectors ability to plan for and respond to acute external events. The use of focus groups conducted with members of the operational workforce to co-develop a resilience based mobile application have contributed to the development of an application to aid the operationalisation of resilience. The thesis has also led to the development of a strategic framework to aid the operationalisation of the resilience concept within Northumbrian Water and the wider water sector.

Key conclusions from this research highlight a continued focus on the physical engineered assets in comparison to the social, a lack of clear understanding of the term and wider concept of resilience, and a failure to prioritise long term planning and preparation across both Northumbrian Water and the wider UK water sector. The development of a research methodology using the Safe & SuRe framework has provided an example of how existing frameworks can be used for additional analysis. The co-development of a resilience based app has provided an example of a mode for increasing resilience understanding and communication within the organisation, and identification of resilience based interventions. Required changes that were identified before the concept of resilience can be further operationalised within NW include the need and desire for internal resilience focussed educational programmes, rewarding of long term planning, and the need to make the introduction of new ways of working personal to the user.