4 The role of the Office of Government
Commerce in improving office property performance
17. OGC aims to deliver £1 billion to £1.5
billion of savings across the whole government civil property
estate by 2013.[47] The
High Performing Property (HPP) is OGC's key initiative to deliver
the required changes but, given the limited success of previous
initiatives, it is unclear why HPP will succeed in achieving the
savings target.[48] Departments
were due to meet two key milestones under HPP in December 2007,
but only five out of sixteen departments delivered the necessary
asset management plans by that date. OGC expects that the remainder
will not be complete until September 2008. It is unclear whether
departments will deliver the required quality of asset management
plans by this revised deadline.[49]
18. OGC believes that meeting the milestones is essential
to being able to assess the value and likelihood of achieving
the projected savings. The current range in predicted savings
from HPP is large, the source of savings is ambiguous, and there
is no detailed plan for how the savings will be achieved.[50]
It is unclear how savings will be quantified and who stands to
benefit from better management of the estate.[51]
19. Under the Transforming Government Procurement
initiative, OGC has a role in monitoring, challenging and intervening,
as well as offering support and guidance.[52]
However, it is questionable how much real influence or power OGC
has with departments to engender the necessary degree of change
given that only five out of sixteen departments met the first
major HPP milestone.[53]
OGC believes it can strengthen its ability to influence and persuade
by making responsible staff more aware of their accountability
for departments' property through public reporting of departments'
performance against key metrics.[54]
20. Some departments are building experienced property
teams and are creating and implementing well considered office
property strategies.[55]
However, departments have not learnt enough from their peers or
regularly shared property management expertise and good practice
across government.[56]
OGC has undertaken little work to identify the skills required
to manage government's property portfolio, assess current gaps
in departments' skills and to build the necessary capabilities
to deliver efficiencies from office property.[57]
47 Q 18 Back
48
Q 46 Back
49
Qq 47-52, 54-55 Back
50
Q 18 Back
51
Q 18, 150 Back
52
Q 63 Back
53
Q 47 Back
54
Q 155 Back
55
Qq 7, 66 Back
56
Q 5 Back
57
Q 66 Back
|
