AI for AMP Writing: Specific Advice and Prompts for Your AMP Review
Some asset management planners I’ve talked to have tried using AI to help them with their AMP but have ended up lots of content that they don’t end up using.
AI works when you have a clear plan and give it the data it needs to provide useful outputs. Without clear direction, every experiment takes time you don’t have while your document deadline gets closer.
I help asset management planners come up with a practical plan for using AI during their AMP review. You’ll know when it makes sense to use AI (and specific prompts to use) and when it’s better to rely on your own critical thinking and manual processes, so that you end up with a document and direction you fully own.
The challenge with AI and AMP writing
AI can help with AMP reviews, but most people hit two main problems.
First problem: no plan.
You spend an afternoon experimenting and generate outputs that sound polished but lack substance — generic language that could apply to any council. You leave work feeling worse because you’ve lost time and confidence.
Second problem: avoiding AI completely.
The risk of wasting time feels too high when you’re dealing with a tight deadline.
When the AMP is 40% there, and your manager is asking if you’re on track to get it completed on time, it feels safer to stick with how you did it last time, rather than risk going down a rabbit hole with AI that doesn’t get you any further ahead.
You need someone who understands both AMP writing and AI to work with you to discuss the opportunities at each stage of your review, give you AI prompts you can use straight away, and and identify where you are much better to keep doing the work yourself, using your current approach.
Where AI helps with AMP writing – and where it doesn't
The biggest opportunities for AI in AMP writing come at the beginning and end of your review process.
At the beginning AI helps you break through procrastination on large documents. It breaks projects into achievable steps, identifies legislative changes to reflect in your AMP, researches other councils’ approaches, and helps you prepare for meetings with subject matter experts – including drafting questions and organizing answers.
It makes sense to keep some steps manual in the middle of the AMP review process. Reviewing data, assessing service levels, and developing work programmes and cost estimates need your critical judgment and knowledge of the numbers.
However, AI can help express your data’s implications in language that elected members and residents understand – translating technical measures into decisions they can act on.
You can save significant time – and do better work – at the end of the process. You can use AI to help with risk assessment and expressing trade-offs.
It’s also helpful for checking consistency between sections of your plan, spotting contradictions, identifying where visuals might help, and suggesting clearer ways to express complex paragraphs.
It can create a first draft of your executive summary and introduction when you’ve been looking at the document too long to see it fresh.
You can also use it to help you prepare for meetings by anticipating questions from senior managers and elected members.
Three pitfalls to watch out for
- Using outputs from AI without critical assessing them
AI generates fluent text that can lack substance. You need to apply your critical thinking skills (including analysis, synthesis and evaluation) throughout the AMP review process, so that you can put your hand on your heart and say this is what I think about this subject. - Not doing enough creative thinking
AI supports thinking by generating more ideas than you might reach alone. But your solutions need to be based on what will work best in your context — informed by real-life conversations with engineers, scientists, planners and the community. - Over-using AI and losing your connection with your document
Without a plan, you can generate so many outputs you feel overwhelmed and disconnected. Knowing in advance what you’ll do manually and where (and how) you’ll use AI to support your thinking will help you to retain ownership of your ideas and your document.
How I can help
I work with you to design a project plan for your AMP review, with AI prompts at specific points where they’ll be most useful. AI becomes practical immediately, rather than being another thing to figure out.
The process starts with a free, no-obligation call. We discuss your AMP, where you are in the review process, and whether this service fits.
If you decide to proceed, we have a structured discovery session ($120 + GST) . We work through your review stages together, identifying AI opportunities and clarifying scope.
Then I send you a fee proposal. If you decide not to proceed, all you need to pay is the $120 for the discovery session. Otherwise, this is included within the overall fee proposal.
I will develop a project plan and AI prompts designed specifically for your AMP review. You will know what to use, when, and what to do with output.
You can get in touch at any time as you work through the process of using the prompts, to make sure they deliver the results you need.
The prompts will be designed to work in Microsoft Copilot (but will work equally well in ChatGPT and Claude).
Who this is for
This service helps asset management planners who are updating council asset management plans (or activity management plans). You might work on flood protection, parks, transport, water, or other activity areas.
You’re comfortable with technical content – you can share your advice in meetings without hesitation. You’re less comfortable with getting the AMP sorted. You don’t want more training or to be left to figure out alone. You need someone to show you where AI fits within your specific process, so you save time immediately rather than adding to your list of tasks.
If you have attended my presentations on AI for AMP writing and want to apply those ideas to your AMP, this is a good next step.
What stays with you
I help you use AI more effectively. You remain responsible for the document.
Your critical thinking, asset knowledge, and professional judgment about priorities, risks and trade-offs are what will make your document a success. AI doesn’t replace this work. But it gives you something to respond to, manages cognitive load, and frees up time for the analysis and decision-making only you can do.
Safe use of AI
- Check with your team leader or manager before using AI to help you complete your AMP.
- Don’t upload confidential information. Māori knowledge and data is protected under the Privacy Act 2020.
- Review and verify anything AI provides before including it in final documents.
Frequently asked questions
I attended your presentation — is this the next step?
It can be. The presentation gives you the framework and shows opportunities. This service designs prompts for your AMP and builds them into a project plan you can follow. If you emailed your answers to reflection questions from the presentation, we can start there.
What AI platform do I need?
The prompts can be used with Microsoft Copilot, ChatGPT or Claude. If your council has Copilot, we work within that.
Does this work for activity management plans too?
Yes. Some councils use “activity management plan” rather than “asset management plan.” The process and AI opportunities are the same.
How long does support take?
The initial call and discovery session can happen within one to two weeks, to suit your schedule.
Developing your project plan and prompts takes one to two weeks after that. Then you use prompts at each review stage – with access to additional support if you need it.
Can I get help with just one part of the process?
Yes. We can adjust the scope of this service to meet your needs and budget.
What does it cost?
The discovery session is $120 + GST. After that, you receive a proposal with a fixed fee for the agreed scope.
Why I do this work
I worked in policy and planning roles at Nelson City Council for nearly 20 years, including freshwater policy planning. For the past 12 years I’ve provided writing and editing services for New Zealand councils, including work on three waters and flood management AMPs for Marlborough District Council and Parks Activity Management Plans for Porirua City Council.
I understand AMP writing from the inside — structure, legislative requirements, and how they guide council work programmes.
Ready to use AI during your AMP review?
Whether you’re starting your review or partway through and want to bring AI into the process, let’s talk about your opportunities.
Email: debra.bradley@writingforcouncils.co.nz
Phone: 021 215 4698
