Events

High Performing Property, Government's strategy for transforming the management and use of its office estate over the next five years built on the 'Working Assets' inaugural conference in June last year.
With the publication of the High Performing Property detailed implementation plan in March 2007, the conference provided the opportunity to hear about and debate the progress to date.

Available presentations are below: 

• Keynote 1: Peter Fanning, Acting CE: OGC
• Keynote 2: Bridget Hardy BSc MRICS - Head of High Performing Property (GET): OGC Transforming the Estate (PDF, 990KB)
• Keynote 3: Christopher Hedley: IPD Occupiers
• Keynote 4: Chris Thompson: Corporate Services Director, Department of Finance & Personnel: NI
  

Group A Break out sessions

A1  The RICS Asset Management Guidelines (PDF, 722KB)- Alan White Joint author RICS Guidelines
What links stakeholder satisfaction, the effective use of resources, financial accountability, compliance with regulation and environmental efficiency? It is property asset management and this is the subject of new guidelines for the public sector, which the RICS is launching to assist operational managers and surveyors in achieving excellence in this high profile area. The presentation describes how the guidelines will assist asset managers in delivering efficiency savings, improved services, new ways of working and optimum organisational effectiveness to their departments and authorities.

A2 Non-territorial Working (NTW) & its effect on workplace transformation (PDF, 102KB) - Sara Purcell, DVLA
The Non Territorial Working (NTW) project has a simple project aim of breaking the link between the individual and a specific desk to deliver a combination of financial and cultural benefits. Yet, the DVLA is the first public sector organisation to adopt the concept of desk sharing, and non territorial working, in an operational (transaction processing) environment and whilst the aim of the project may be simple, the scale of the change initiated by this project will truly transform the culture of the organisation and the behaviour of its staff. Following a successful piloting phase, involving over 300 staff, the DVLA has already transferred 4000 staff to a working environment in which 80 desks are provided for every 100 employees

A3 Sustainability- This session had two complimentary presentations on energy.

1. Energy performance certification (PDF, 398KB). What it means for you. - Ted King: DCLG

2. Micro-generation .What grant aid is available and for what? - Gordon Baker DTI
This presentation will outline how the government supports Microgeneration (small-scale, renewable energy generation), and how the public sector can access existing grant programmes to improve their energy efficiency and onsite microgeneration. Detailed description and examples of how public sector organisations can access the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

A4  Benchmarking for continuous improvement (PDF, 228KB) - Christopher Headley, IPD Occupiers
How can you use benchmarking to make a positive difference to your estate and to your job? Speakers from both the client and supplier side of IPD Occupiers will guide you through the practical application of benchmarking to asset management strategies and what you should - and should not - do with your benchmarked property data

Group B Break out sessions
B1 Use of Flexible Managed Office Accommodation (PDF, 260KB) - Michael Ball, STEPS Contract Manager and James Sarmecanic, Head of Business Development : Mapeley
One of the objectives of Government Property Asset Management is a smaller, more cost effective, fit-for purpose estate. Not just today, but flexibly and sustainably in the medium to long term. In this session, they discussed some of the approaches to meet this objective through the use of flexible managed office accommodation.

B2 Waveney - A Varney service transformation case study (PDF, 1MB) - Tim Allen and David Mathieson, Turner & Townsend
 Waveney District Council, Suffolk County Council and Cefas (a government science agency) are collocating in an exciting, new 18,000 sq m development in Lowestoft that fulfils the back office functions for all three and provides new laboratories for Cefas.Covering service transformation, the joint property strategy and an innovative funding route with Waveney acting as developer, the case study will report on barriers met and overcome in progress to date.'

B3 Physical Workplace Transformation
Issues and Opportunities; Any physical workplace change - small team relocation or major estate transformation - creates opportunities to engage those affected in reviewing aspects of how they work. DEGW will build and present a road map, identifying the key stages of a project and the issues and themes that should be considered. Particular aspects of the road map will be illustrated with reference to case studies from ; DfES, DEFRA, Ministry of Justice, MoD, NICS, OFSTED.

B4 The Role of Technology in Supporting Effective Asset Management (PDF, 1.07MB) - Joe Potter, Property Systems Lead,    Andrew Carey, Real Estate & Facilities Lead, Jeff Wilson, European Operations Manager : IBM
The public sector is under increasing pressure to manage its estate more effectively, at lower cost and without compromising citizen value or performance. This session highlighted some key trends in property management and, using a private sector case study, examined the role that technology can play in supporting effective asset utilisation.

Group C Break out sessions
C1 Removing Barriers to High Performing Property - Mark Matthews, Head of Estates Department for Transport and John Gannon, Managing Director, Supporta Terraquest
This session identified lack of management information as a key barrier to 'High Performing Property' and outlined: A route map to achieve fit for purpose property management information; the role of 'joined up' estate management processes in ensuring property management information remains fit for purpose over time; the opportunities which modern technologies provide to achieve 'joined up' estate management processes

C2 Asset Management, Performance Assessment and the Role of the National Audit Office (PDF, 1.12MB) - Guy Brett, PWC (PDF, 1MB); Alec Steele, Senior Business Analyst: NAO; Professor Steven Male, Leeds University

This workshop provided an insight into:

• The NAO's study of central government's use of office property
• The performance assessment tool developed by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the NAO, which     is intended for release as a self-assessment tool for organisations across the public sector
• The Maturity Matrix being developed as part of the High Performing Property by Professor Stephen Male and how these initiatives link and complement each other.

C3 Developing Property Asset Management Skills & Capabilities - Chris Lloyd, Institute of Asset Management and David Cox, Accord Consulting
The Institute of Asset Management (IAM) has led the development of BSi PAS 55 which has rapidly gained national & international recognition as a leading document on asset management. The IAM has recognised that this work has to be underpinned by a much better understanding of the business & individual competencies that are required to support delivering good asset management in a sustainable way. The presentation outlined the principles & development process of the recently published IAM 'Competency Requirements' framework

C4 Home-based flexible working - Smarter working (PDF, 80KB) - Caroline Oldham - Ofsted (PDF, 76KB), Andy Lake - Flexibility (PDF, 2MB) and Phil Flaxton, Work Wise
The tangible benefits to Government- the civil service has a vital role to play in demonstrating how smarter working practices lead to significant cost-savings and enhanced productivity, helping to make the UK one of the most progressive economies in the world. This session explored the practicalities of implementing a consultative and evidence-based approach to flexible working, and the impact of smarter working on space and mobility.

Contact details:
OGC Service Desk
Tel: 0845 000 4999
E-mail: ServiceDesk@ogc.gsi.gov.uk