97 Those who can, do; those who can’t, blog

The title is a paraphrase of the famous line “those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” from the play Man and Superman by George Bernard Shaw.? The significance will become apparent in a few paragraphs.

I started this blog two years ago because I thought that there was need for substantial changes to the guidance on how to do long term drainage planning to produce Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans.? I hoped to influence how that guidance was updated.? Actually, I wanted more than for it to be updated, I wanted it to be rewritten.

I think that I have managed to introduce some new thinking to the topic over the last two years, both in the UK, where the DWMP guidance applies, and elsewhere with similar problems and a need for similar long term planning.

The first complete draft of the DWMP guidance was published 6 years and 4 days ago with the formal first publication 6 months later and updates over the following year. ?It then took all of 5 years to prepare the first cycle of DWMPs leading to them being published last year.?

DWMPs need to be updated every 5 years.? The next cycle may be a bit quicker to prepare than the first, but probably not much, as there were some gaps in the first cycle and changes in approach are required.? So the clock is ticking for Cycle 2 and updated guidance is required fairly quickly so that all of the water companies and other stakeholders know what they need to be doing and how they need to do it.

It is therefore good news that the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) informed the water companies last week that work was underway by a team led by HR Wallingford to prepare the new guidance for Cycle 2.? (Note that it says prepare new guidance rather than update existing guidance.)

What you may have missed in the small print is that I am part of that team carrying out the rewrite.? Maybe a case of, “be careful what you wish for; it might come true”.

It should go without saying that I am really pleased with this opportunity and also a bit nervous.? I will now have to deliver on the promise of improved guidance and hopefully produce something that will not need completely rewriting in 5 years.?

This is going to need a different mindset to my approach to the blog.? Instead of challenging the status quo and going round in circles questioning my own thinking, I now have to reach some conclusions and present them to the world.? Also instead of typing alone here in my little office, I have to work closely with the rest of the team and with the many stakeholders who are involved in the task.? In the old saying from my native north-east of England; I need to stop being all mouth and no trousers.

So, the DWMP blog will have to take a back seat for a while.? Partly because I am going to be rather busy, but also because I will find it a challenge to hold the doing mindset and the blogging mindset in my brain at the same time.? After all, I am not Superman.

I will still blog when I have time and when my mind is in the right place, but in the meantime I would welcome any offers to write a guest slot on the blog if there is anything drainage related that you want to say to an avid on-line audience.? I would particularly encourage young professionals or young researchers to take the opportunity.

Just drop me a direct message if you are interested.?

Meanwhile, back to writing the guidance.