Managing your estate projects
Planning, managing and delivering all sizes of estate projects.
Informed and careful project planning can make sure you:
- have the right people to help you achieve your desired outcomes
- make the best use of your resources
- understand your school or organisation’s responsibilities before the project starts, during the project, and after it has been completed
If you’re accountable for the overall performance of the school or organisation it’s your responsibility to make sure that suitably qualified and experienced people develop a realistic project plan and oversee project delivery.
You should consider and manage health and safety through all stages of a project. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM) place legal duties on anyone involved in a construction project. It is important that you understand your responsibilities under the CDM regulations.
You should have processes to help you identify, define, appraise and prioritise estates projects.
Most projects involving the estate should be identified and planned through your estate strategy and asset management plan. Your asset management plan should identify a programme of approved projects.
This can help you:
- provide a longer-term, evidence-based approach
- minimise ad-hoc or reactive projects, which often do not offer value for money
- ensure appropriate engagement with trustees and other interested parties – for example, the diocese
- have the necessary approvals to carry out the project
Example
Projects involving schools with a religious character need the approval of the trustees of the school before starting any works or dealings with land and buildings.
Benefits of project planning
Good project planning makes sure that:
- projects are prioritised to reflect the strategic priorities, resource availability and educational implications
- projects reflect and support strategic objectives
- there’s consistency and transparency in the project appraisal and approval process
- you have the right skills in place to complete the project
- resources, materials, and equipment for the project are supplied on time
- budget planning is informed and cost risks are managed
- completed project works and newly installed equipment are fully operational
- someone has designated responsibility for the project works or newly installed equipment once the project has been completed
- projects are planned within a structured programme to manage disruption and minimise delays thin a structured programme to minimise delays
Recording your processes
To support good project planning, you should clearly document:
- processes and procedures to identify, appraise, prioritise and seek approval for all property-related projects
- roles and responsibilities in the process
- the process to procure professional support services
- processes and procedures for reporting on contract performance
Use this checklist to help you plan and manage your project.
You need to have suitably qualified and experienced people to help to plan and deliver any project. Hire people with the necessary technical and construction skills if you don’t have them in your school or organisation.
You may need professional advice before the start of a project to make sure you have identified all project needs and that these have been considered within the preliminary activities
Schools or organisations remain ultimately responsible for the delivery of their projects. Make sure that:
- skilled resources are appointed and available at the start of the project
- specific requirements of the project are documented and understood by the school’s or organisation’s management and if appointed, by any professional advisor, consultant or contractor
- there is a process to ensure that every project is managed in accordance with all health and safety regulations and CDM regulations
Assigning roles and responsibilities
The different stages of any project require and involve different skills. It’s important that the roles of everyone involved are understood at the outset and that the requirements of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 are met. This includes by the:
- client (the appropriate school representative)
- client advisers
- project lead
- architect or designer
- building services engineer
- civil and structural engineer
- cost consultant
- contract administrator
- health and safety adviser
- procurement adviser
- principal designer
- principal contractor
You may need to procure professional expertise to help you design, price, manage and deliver estate projects.
In addition, specialist input may be required (even on small projects) in relation to:
- design or information management
- master planning
- sustainability
- landscaping
- planning
- fire engineering
- external lighting
- acoustics
- interior design
- catering
- other specialist and support roles
Procuring specialist support efficiently helps to ensure overall value for money. Mistakes in procurement processes can be costly and result in significant delays. You should:
- seek advice on procurement options at an early stage
- ensure you follow your organisation’s procurement procedures
Find out more about procuring specialist services.
You may have responsibilities as a client before there is a decision to proceed with a project.
You should only seek approval to start more detailed project planning, design work and costing after completing some preliminary activities. This could include:
- a feasibility study
- technical or investigative surveys
- cost or budget estimates
The results from these preliminary activities can be used to inform those responsible for the project and help you to:
- identify risks
- validate the need for the project
- identify any planning issues or abnormal site conditions
- produce a realistic project budget
Before starting a project, you should consider and outline:
- how any new capital asset will be maintained in the future – this should be included in the wider procurement for the project and future maintenance planning
- who will be responsible for managing new systems or facilities, such as heating
Doing this will make sure that:
- there is a good understanding of the key operating requirements
- potentially complex new systems, such as heating, are managed effectively
- the intended benefits from the project, for example, lower energy consumption and costs, are achieved
It is important to consider the scope of your project in detail as part of your planning. Any changes after this stage might increase costs or be difficult to do.
Asking the right questions will help you define the scope of a project. This will help you to identify the:
- desired project outcomes
- project’s spatial requirements
- important site and building issues and constraints
- statutory and legislative processes and requirements
- budget
Identifying your options
Once you have defined the scope of your project, you must identify what different options are available to you to achieve the desired outcomes. These will include:
- maintenance works
- internal redesign
- extensions
- refurbishment
- new build
- modular buildings
You should carry out an appraisal of the options you identify.
When undertaking projects, consider opportunities to improve:
- digital technology - for example, by replacing cabling or lighting as part of other refurbishment works
- sustainability
Option appraisal
Option appraisal is an evidence-based process to help you make effective investment decisions. This should be done for all new investments, whether capital or revenue.
You should have a clear understanding of the desired outcomes of the project. This helps ensure the project’s outcomes will meet your needs and that you can measure success after the project has been delivered.
By comparing options against set criteria, you can make an informed decision that is unbiased and transparent. It can help you manage risks and achieve value for money.
Option appraisal also encourages innovation and can help you consider alternative models of service provision.
When comparing different options, you should consider:
- cost
- timescale
- impact on (or disruption to) current services
- funding sources
- risks
- whole life issues (whole life appraisal)
- quality
- appearance
- sustainability
You should consider the significance of each of these factors for your project. You may need to weight or prioritise factors in your evaluation according to your needs.
The amount of detail and effort you put into the option appraisal will depend on the value, importance and longevity of the decision.
Whole life issues
Your decision should not focus solely on short-term cost comparisons. Investing more initially can often save money and improve building and service performance in the longer term. Consideration of the long-term impact of investment is referred to as whole life appraisal.
Consider the performance of the asset over its life, including future maintenance needs and energy costs (also known as life cycle costing analysis). You should always consider the revenue implications of capital investments.
Some studies show that over a 30-year period, the operational costs for a building can be 5 to 10 times as much as the initial capital cost.
Issues to take account of in a whole life appraisal include:
- minimum lifespan of materials and systems
- repairs - including the cost of disruption while repairs take place
- maintenance and redecoration
- energy use
- environmental and social impact
- the flexibility of the building for alternative future uses
- financial issues – such as long-term financing, operational costs including rent, rates and income, and facilities management costs
- procurement options
- acquisition costs
- ownership and potential disposal
- digital technology requirements, including ongoing support and future updates
This requires a rigorous assessment. Decision makers should have clear information on the whole life implications of each option and take decisions in that wider context.
The Constructing Excellence factsheet (PDF, 2.18MB) provides more information on how to consider operational costs alongside capital costs, throughout the life cycle of the building.
Delivering a project on site can have a significant impact on the school’s operation. It’s essential that the delivery of any project on site is carried out in accordance with agreed programmes, procedures and protocols.
Good project delivery makes sure that:
- the impact on school operations are minimised
- appropriate and constructive communication takes place between the contractor and school operation
- projects are delivered within the approved budget and risks of financial penalties are minimised
- potential contract performance issues are identified and appropriate actions are taken to minimise delays
A new or refurbished school building needs to be operated properly and maintained effectively. Be sure you understand and are prepared to take on these responsibilities. You must work with the contractor to prepare for handover and make sure you understand any new responsibilities or requirements.