Abstract:
Infrastructure management in Small Island Developing State (SIDS) including in Kiribati were
deeply mired in unsustainable practices. Kiribati is in the South Pacific and is characterised as
a SIDS and one of the Least Developed Countries (LDCs). A combination of challenges
including poor infrastructure management practices and underinvestment in infrastructure
sustainability resulted in the Build-Neglect-Rebuild (BNR) paradigm, a problem common for
SIDS and LDCs. The cyclic nature of the BNR had created entrenched practices that required
context-based solutions, which in this study were derived from widely accepted practices such
as sustainable Asset Management (AM).
AM guidelines and frameworks had been developed, but few were focused on the underlying
causes of the BNR paradigm in the Pacific SIDS and LDCs nor to understand the role of AM
in health and wellbeing outcomes of a sustainable water supply. Based upon investigation of
the literature and existing AM models, analysis of data and consultation with relevant
stakeholders, an Asset Management Framework (AMF) and a performance monitoring
framework (PMF) had been developed.
Mixed methods had been applied including qualitative (e.g., desktop study, semi-structured
interviews, NVivo analysis) and quantitative approaches (secondary analysis of quantitative
data). NVivo analysis was used to draw relevant themes from participants’ opinions and
experiences for conceptual framework development while the desktop study and secondary
analysis of quantitative data confirm the applicability of the models by cross-checking
information and data gathered.
The findings included: 1) A Water Infrastructure AMF that is applicable and can be integrated
with national processes; 2) Development of a PMF that articulates a sustainability-based level
of services and indicators for better health and wellbeing; and 3) A better understanding of the
role of AM in the established relationship between a sustainable water supply and health and
wellbeing. These contributed to policy improvement and better water infrastructure
development in Kiribati. The frameworks adopted for this study should also be relevant to
similar contexts particularly in Pacific Island SIDS and LDCs settings because they are
replicable and adaptable.
