Department For Education
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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 organisations responsibilities before the project starts, during the project, and after it has been completed
If youre accountable for the overall performance of the school or organisation its 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. TheConstruction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM)place legal duties on anyone involved in a construction project. It is important that youunderstand your responsibilities underthe 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
- theres consistency and transparency in the project appraisal and approval process
- you have theright skillsin 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 dont 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 schools or organisations 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. Its 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 organisations procurement procedures
Find out more about procuring specialist services.