UNIVERSITY POLICY ON SPACE MANAGEMENT PP&T Code Title FM00092 University Policy On Space Management Version 7.0 Last updated 27 April 2011 Review Date 26 October 2011 Owner Implemented by Approved by Steven Dickson Facilities Management Corporate Services and Facilities Committee
CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION... 3 2. SCOPE... 3 3. GOVERNANCE, OVERSIGHT AND MANAGEMENT... 4 4. EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY... 4 5. IMPLEMENTATION... 4 6. TEACHING SPACE... 4 7. NON-TEACHING SPACE... 5 8. VACATING SPACE... 6 9. RESPONSIBILITIES... 6 10. PROBLEM RESOLUTION... 7
1. INTRODUCTION The University has increased its interest in space management because of a number of internal and external factors: Increasing property costs Cutbacks in government funding Competitiveness in the sector for fit for purpose teaching/research space Student experience After salaries, the second highest expenditure within the University is spent on the built environment. Imminent funding cuts will place greater emphasis on sweating the University s built assets and direct finite resources wisely into revenue and capital investment in replacing or refurbishing its Estate. Space management will assist in this process by determining exactly what space is available now and link it with spatial requirements in the future, as set out in the Strategic Plan and planning process. This data will ultimately inform how the management of space fits into the build, refurbish or demolish decision making process. The costs associated with maintaining space have also risen significantly over the last 10 years. Since 2003-04 maintenance costs have risen from an average of 23.67 per square metre to 31.69 as of 2007-08 (HEFCE EMS Report 2008), a rise of 33.9%. These costs will continue to rise year on year, but effective Space Management will help to reduce the impact. Space Management is a key performance indicator of the Capital Investment Framework 2 allocation process. Universities must now prove that they are improving their usage of the estate. To do this Facilities Management will use the Space Assessment Model (SAM) and Model of Estates Cost (MEC) as provided by AUDE and HEFCE. At present 40% of the funding is linked directly to utilising these tools, and the University has been informed that it s space reduction targets are not challenging enough and that we are not in a strong position compared to our peer group (i.e. the Russell Group). Along with other initiatives the Space Management Policy will address this. Note: Level 1 Unit refers to Departments Level 2 Unit refers to Schools/Institutes or Professional Service Level 3 Unit refers to Faculties 2. SCOPE This policy covers the approach to Space Management that the University will implement across the entire University Estate. It covers the procedures that Facilities Management will follow to allocate space to Level 1, 2 and 3 units, monitor its use and improve space utilisation. The policy also covers the process of vacating space. The cooperation of all University colleagues, whether Academic or Non-Academic, will be required. The Space Management Policy covers three key areas: Space Allocation Space Monitoring Vacating Space
3. GOVERNANCE, OVERSIGHT AND MANAGEMENT Space Management is overseen by Facilities Management. The Space Planner is responsible for implementing the steps outlined in this document in conjunction with other members of the Facilities Management Team. The Space Management function will also work closely with the Central Timetabling Team to monitor and ensure that the teaching space is utilised efficiently. 4. EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY The allocation of space within the University is carried out in line with the University s Diversity and Equality of Opportunity Policy. Students or staff requiring particular facilities, where possible, should be invited to make their needs known before space is allocated to a particular level 1 unit. This is to ensure appropriate measures or adaptation is made. 5. IMPLEMENTATION To implement the space policies that will drive the efficiencies outlined above, the following actions have been identified. 6. TEACHING SPACE To ensure that the utilisation of space across the University is maximised, the Facilities Management team will implement the following procedures to monitor its use. Annual Teaching Space Utilisation Survey A space utilisation survey will be carried out on an annual (or bi-annual where possible) basis to determine the utilisation of the teaching rooms within the University. The surveys are carried out over a week long period for 40 hours between 9am and 5pm from Monday to Friday. The following results will be calculated for each room: Frequency = The number of hours a room is used for during the time period divided by the number of hours that it is available Occupancy = The number of people using the room divided by its capacity Utilisation = Frequency multiplied by Occupancy The statistics will also be summarised by the following: Frequency, Occupancy and Utilisation by Building Frequency, Occupancy and Utilisation by level 1,2 and 3 units Frequency, Occupancy and Utilisation by Room Type Frequency and Occupancy by Timeslot Facilities Management will publish the results of the surveys on the intranet. The report itself will be published along with academic rankings based on a number of criteria.
Timetable Desktop Analysis On a regular basis the timetable records will be analysed to calculate frequency, occupancy and utilisation rates based on room bookings for any given week. This will provide Facilities Management with an indication of how well utilised the estate is over a specific time period. Analysis will be carried out on an ad-hoc basis. Spot Check Surveys In conjunction with Timetabling, Facilities Management will carry out spot check surveys on an adhoc basis. A member of the Facilities Management team will compare the expected room use (as on the timetable) with the reality (what is actually taking place). This will determine how regularly room bookings are used. 7. NON-TEACHING SPACE Office Space Norms The University will use the norms detailed in the Office Space Allocation Document (Appendix 1). These have been calculated by determining what furniture and equipment is required in an office to carry out a particular function. The University space norms have also been derived from comparisons with other Russell Group Universities. In all cases, if required, all members of staff are expected to share offices, but where possible; Accepted space norms will be used to allocate office space to all members of staff. Academics will be allocated workspace based on a needs assessment of their academic output and specified requirements. Researchers will be given their own workspace in a shared office, unless clearly specified otherwise in research bids. Fellows and honorary staff will be given access to hot desking facilities or shared office space, if signed off by Level 3 Exec-Pro Vice Chancellor Administrative staff will be given their own workspaces (if full time) or hot desking facilities (if part time and less than 0.5 FTE). Annual Allocation of Space Level 1, 2 and 3 units will outline their spatial requirement before the beginning of each academic year. The required provision of office, meeting and storage space must be stated clearly. This should be submitted to Facilities Management using the Annual Space Review documentation sent to School Managers as part of the planning and budgetary process. Note: This information will assist the planning performance and budgetary cycle and will underpin capital investment proposals that Faculties and Professional Services teams submit during the planning rounds. It will be used by the Planning team to ascertain how much space Faculties and Professional Services currently occupy, and whether they do in fact need further space based on their proposals.
Request for Space Level 1, 2 and 3 units will make a formal request for space as and when a new requirement is determined. The required provision of office, meeting and storage space must be stated clearly. This information should be submitted to Facilities Management using the Room Request document provided in Appendix 2. Change of Space Level 1, 2 and 3 units that wish to dispose of or reconfigure space should outline their requirement to Facilities Management, for example if there is a desire to convert a meeting room into an office. This should be submitted using the Room Change document provided in Appendix 3. Note: an internal change to office occupier, i.e. change of member of staff, does not need to be reported. Space Allocations will be dealt with as follows: Space Allocations that form the basis of a capital bid will require Estates Advisory Board approval. Space Allocations that do not form the basis of a capital bid will require an identified funding source to be met by level 2 or 3 units. Spot Check Surveys Spot checks will be carried out on non-teaching space such as offices, libraries and meeting rooms. These will be carried out on an ad-hoc basis and will be used to assess how effectively these spaces are utilised. 8. VACATING SPACE It is the responsibility of the end user to arrange for removal of all waste, confidential documentation or equipment that needs to be scrapped. Any requests should be coordinated through Facilities Management. 9. RESPONSIBILITIES Senior Officers Level 2 unit Managers (Level 3 unit Managers where required) and Heads of Professional Service will have the responsibility of ensuring that the space that is allocated during the Annual Space Review is utilised as effectively as possible. Level 2 unit Managers (Level 3 unit Managers where required) and Heads of Professional Service are responsible for ensuring that the Annual Space Review - Return Form is submitted to the Facilities Management team before the specified date. Level 2 unit Managers (Level 3 unit Managers where required) and Heads of Professional Service must gain permission from the Facilities Management team before moving offices and/or reconfiguring space. If this is carried out without prior approval Level 2 units will be liable for all costs incurred. Level 2 unit Managers (Level 3 unit Managers where required) and Heads of Professional Service are responsible for ensuring that vacated space is given back to Facilities Management in a similar state as when it was initially provided.
Facilities Management Where property needs to be leased from third party landlords, the costs will be passed on to the relevant unit (whether academic or professional services). In all cases, agreeing the specific rental terms will be the responsibility of Facilities Management. Facilities Management will, where required, carry out space audits to monitor and review existing space allocation. This will be in the form of teaching and office utilisation surveys, and on the spot checks using timetable records. Where necessary these will be carried out by external consultancy companies. 10. PROBLEM RESOLUTION Wherever possible problems should be identified and passed to the Estates Manager as soon as possible. Problems which cannot be resolved in this way may be escalated to the Director of Facilities Management for resolution.
Appendix One OFFICE SPACE ALLOCATION SUMMARY 1. BACKGROUND A report written by IPD Occupiers for the Office of Government Commerce (Nov 2007) found that on average space per person in the public sector is some 25% higher than reasonably well managed estates in the private sector. The majority of private sector properties included in the survey allocated 10-12 m 2 per person per office, whilst in the public sector the most common range was more than 24m 2. Although some buildings within the public sector are difficult to reconfigure (city centre listed buildings etc) a set of office space norms will provide a guideline indication of how much space should be provided in new buildings, or existing buildings suitable for reconfiguration. The key aim of office space norms is to improve productivity through minimising wastage and inefficiency across the University Estate. An initial analysis of the offices across the University provides the following statistics: Category Mean Academic Staff Office 18 m 2 Research Office 21 m 2 Admin & Support 25 m 2 Total Offices 61,270 m 2 Total Staff 4,085 FTE Average m 2 per workspace 15.0 m 2 The above figures indicate that the average Academic Office is 18m 2, which in the vast majority of cases, are single occupancy spaces. The average Research Office is 21 m 2 and the average admin and support office size is 25m 2. However, in many cases the offices in question will be open plan offices, hence the larger average room area. At present, the average office is 15 m 2 based on the total number of FTE staff within the University. This is a particularly high figure and indicates that many offices are large and of a cellular configuration (i.e. open plan offices typically use a lower m 2 figure per person).
2. OFFICE ALLOCATION PROCESS All full time members of staff are expected to work in multi-occupancy offices unless expressly stated otherwise. Use of office space is strictly dependent upon a business case that is supported by Head of Level 2 Unit or Head of Professional Service. The configuration of an office should also be based on the fittings within each office, rather than on academic or professional standing. The University space norms have also been derived from comparisons with other Russell Group Universities: Institution Academic Non-Academic Kings College London 10-12m 2 Single Occupancy None University of Birmingham University of Nottingham No prescriptive figures 9-18m 2 (Grade 5+ Single Occupancy) No prescriptive figures 9m 2 13m 2 (Grade 5+ Single Occupancy) University of Leeds 12m 2 Single Occupancy Multi-Occupancy University of Manchester 7m 2 to 15m 2 Single Occupancy 7m 2 to 15m 2 University of Warwick 12m 2 14m 2 Single Occupancy Multi-Occupancy The University of Liverpool office norms are as follows: Category Office Type Description Standard Office Inclusive Office Standard Office Multi- Occupancy Multi- Occupancy Single Occupancy Desk, Chair, PC, Filing / Bookshelves Desk, Chair, PC, Filing / Bookshelves, Meeting Space Desk, Chair, PC, Filing / Bookshelves Norm (per workspace) 7m 2 8m 2 12m 2 Example Foundation 1 st Floor Foundation 1 st Floor Numerous Please note that these are guidelines only and in reality their application may be limited within specific buildings on the estate. They will be used to inform new developments and will not necessarily affect existing as-built office environments. The guiding principles to the above norms are that the University wishes to move away from the provision of seminar and meeting room space within offices, which is often underutilised and costly to maintain in terms of estates costs. In future, where meeting space is needed, it will be provided within a multi-occupancy office in the form of pods or designated meeting rooms will be provided next to a suite of offices.
Facilities Management acknowledge that there will be operational issues regarding the use of multioccupancy space. However, these issues will be mitigated by the benefits associated with multioccupancy space, such as: Multi-occupancy offices increase collaboration and communication amongst staff members. Colleagues can work together, share ideas and carry out activities without having to meet in a set location. No time is wasted moving between offices. Break-out space and meeting space in modular pods, similar to in the Foundation building. These can be used for ad-hoc discussions or meetings with colleagues. Open plan offices can incorporate storage units that can be used by Level 1, 2 or 3 units to store their books, papers etc. This will reduce the number of offices that are used as spill over storage areas. Open plan offices are more efficient. More workspaces can be provided within a defined space than through the use of cellular offices. Costs associated with air conditioning, lighting and general maintenance will be lower. One area is heated/cooled and lighted at any one point as opposed to many cellular offices, each requiring their own personalised settings. Open plan offices can be reconfigured quickly and at minimal cost. Furniture can be moved easily and/or partition walls amended where required. Cellular offices are not very flexible and are costly to reconfigure. Management can monitor the work of their staff more effectively. They can be in constant contact with one another and monitor productivity more easily.
Appendix Two ROOM REQUEST FACULTY: INSTITUTE: SCHOOL: DATE: SITE: BUILDING: SPACE REF: This form should be completed by Schools/Institutes that wish to procure extra rooms. Please answer all sections clearly and concisely. Please use the Space Classifications codes where necessary. Once completed, return this form to the Facilities Management Helpdesk by emailing fmhelp@liverpool.ac.uk 1. DESCRIPTION OF REQUESTED ROOM (General Description): SPACE CLASSIFICATION (see relevant document): 2. WHY DO YOU REQUIRE THE ROOM? (Objectives, Specific Requirements): 3. HOW WILL THE EXTRA SPACE BENEFIT YOUR DEPARTMENT? (Efficiencies, Improved Teaching etc)
4. DOES THE ROOM REQUIRE REFURBISHMENT? (Y/N/Don t Know) IF YES, WILL THE DEPARTMENT MEET THE COSTS? (Y/N/Don t Know) 5. WHEN DO YOU REQUIRE THE ROOM? Immediately 3-6 Months Over 1 Year 0-3 Months 6-12 Months Don t Know 6. HOW LONG WILL YOU REQUIRE THE ROOM? 0-6 Months 1-2 Years Indefinitely 6-12 Months 2-3 Years Don t Know AUTHORISATION SCHOOL/INSTITUTE MANAGER NAME: APPROVED BY MANAGER (Y/N/Don t Know) DATE: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT USE ONLY DATE FORM RECEIVED: COMMENT:
Appendix Three ROOM CHANGE FACULTY: SCHOOL: DEPARTMENT: DATE: This form should be completed by Schools/Institutes that wish to reconfigure, change the occupier of or vacate a room. Please answer all sections clearly and concisely. Once completed, return this form to the Facilities Management Helpdesk by emailing fmhelp@liverpool.ac.uk CHANGE OF USE (Please use the Space Classification document for Existing and Future Use) BUILDING SPACE REF EXISTING USE FUTURE USE EFFECTIVE FROM EXPLANATION: CHANGE OF OCCUPANCY BUILDING SPACE REF EXISTING OCCUPIER FUTURE OCCUPIER EFFECTIVE FROM EXPLANATION: VACATING (Please use Appendix 4 - Space Classification document for Existing and Future Use) BUILDING SPACE REF EXISTING USE EFFECTIVE FROM EXPLANATION:
AUTHORISATION SCHOOL/INSTITUTE MANAGER NAME: APPROVED BY MANAGER (Y/N/Don t Know) DATE: FACILITIES MANAGEMENT USE ONLY DATE FORM RECEIVED: COMMENT:
Appendix Four SPACE CLASSIFICATIONS When submitting documentation to the Facilities Management team, departments should use the following space classifications: CODE SPACE CLASSIFICATION Office Accommodation 0A01 Single Occupancy Academic Office 0A02 Single Occupancy Research Office 0A03 Single Occupancy Support Office 0A04 Multiple Occupancy Academic Office 0A05 Multiple Occupancy Research Office 0A06 Multiple Occupancy Support Office Teaching Accommodation TA01 Teaching Room (Flexible) TA02 Teaching Room (Fixed Seating i.e. Lecture Theatre) TA03 Teaching Laboratory TA04 Teaching Computer Suite TA05 Teaching Other Research Accommodation RA01 Research Laboratory RA02 Research Computer Suite RA03 Research Other Support Accommodation SA01 Store SA02 Meeting Room SA03 Student Common Room SA04 Staff Common Room SA05 Changing Room SA06 Toilets (Male Staff) SA07 Toilets (Female Staff) SA08 Toilets (Disabled Staff) SA09 Toilets (Male) SA10 Toilets (Female) SA11 Toilets (Disabled) SA12 Support Other