Policy Delphi: Contribution to Infrastructure and Engineering Asset Management Organizations

Abstract

Policy Delphi was first introduced in 1969, and it is a process that seeks to generate the strongest possible opposing views on the potential resolutions of a major policy issue, such as strategy and policy for infrastructure and engineering asset management within organizations. The objectives of the Policy Delphi are to: ensure that all possible options have been tabled for consideration; estimate the impact and consequences of any particular option; and examine and estimate the acceptability of all the individual options. There are six phases that include formulation of the issues, identifying options, determining initial positions on the issues, exploring and obtaining the reasons for disagreements, evaluation, and finally, reevaluation of options. The methodology relies on a two-round limit by utilizing the following procedures: (a) The monitor team devoting a considerable amount of time to carefully pre-formulate the obvious issues; (b) Seeding the list with an initial range of options but allowing for the respondents to add to the lists; and (c) Asking for positions on an item and establishing underlying assumptions in the first round. The research investigates what kind of asset management experts is needed to determine the scope of policy requirements for this process? The paper provides a case study of a Policy Delphi to elaborate the efficacy of this method for asset-intensive organizations to develop strategic policy.