The full report is available in Swedish LÄNK
Summary
Between 2019 and 2022 Enköping municipality has worked to develop a stormwater management plan. This plan has been the start of a structured, long-term project with the goal of sustainable stormwater management in the municipality.
Stormwater management and preparedness for large rain events has become a pressing issue for many municipalities. Climate change and the increasing demands from government agencies has meant an increased need for expert knowledge and mitigation alternatives and actions. Enköping municipality has identified the need for a clear strategy to direct stormwater work and has therefore decided to develop a comprehensive stormwater management plan. This evaluation report describes how the stormwater management plan development, based on the handbook for strategic municipal water planning, has proceeded.
The municipality procured an external consultant to help an administrative-wide work group develop the stormwater management plan. The primary purpose of using a consultant as project manager was to have an independent facilitator – one without relationships or ties within the municipal organization – steer the project forward. The development of the stormwater management plan has been performed in a cyclical process with project meetings conducted in a workshop format. Participants have been expected to develop questions and tasks further in the time between these joint meetings to anchor and/or deepen them in dialogue with their departmental and work groups.
The majority of municipal officials involved in developing the stormwater management plan feel that the plan will be a strong support for continued work with water management questions, and that it will contribute to sustainability goals as well as cleaner water. Furthermore, the majority believe that it has been highly valuable to set aside time for officials to work with the plan as a part of their ordinary duties, and that this experience has increased their knowledge of water management issues. Working with an independent external consultant has also been positive. Since the work has partially been conducted in an administration-wide work group, everyone involved has developed a better understanding of their colleagues’ duties and daily challenges. The work on the plan has resulted in the municipality initiating additional projects within the framework for stormwater, where the municipality shall continue work to develop action plans to ensure that the stormwater management plan is followed. The lessons learned during the development of this plan – such as time perspective, internal work culture, and necessary municipal administration – will help pave the way for future projects.
