A Framework for Defining and Developing Capabilities for Operations and Maintenance of Infrastructure Assets

Infrastructure asset management faces major challenges in maintaining ageing assets while adapting to technological changes and budget constraints. This paper addresses the lack of a clear definition for “operations and maintenance (O&M) capability” in the context of infrastructure asset management. The authors conducted a systematic literature review extracting 13 capability definitions across multiple domains, followed by semi-structured interviews with 11 senior industry experts from diverse infrastructure sectors, analysing data through List–Group–Label methodology. The research resulted in a comprehensive yet practical definition of O&M capability and identified its key components through an expert-refined framework that balances comprehensiveness and simplicity. This definition provides practitioners and researchers with a common understanding that enables better adaptation of infrastructure to rapid technological change, better utilisation of data and a stronger focus on citizen needs. The framework enables cities and infrastructure operators to systematically assess, develop, and communicate their O&M capabilities, supporting standardised approaches to capability planning and performance measurement across smart city infrastructure projects. The framework creates a foundation for future research and practical applications in O&M and stimulates further development of approaches to build capabilities for smart city infrastructure.