n 2008 our Program Cost Consultancy team was awarded a three-year building surveying framework to assist Property Services personnel with survey work and some small-scale project works.
In 2009 this was extended to the provision of resource to carry out condition and suitability surveys of the Council’s school accommodation, comprising forty-seven primary, eight secondary schools, four community centers and five swimming pools.
The finalized reports were to form the basis of a reporting process to the Scottish Government on backlog maintenance and future anticipated expenditure.
The Project
We were appointed to carry out non-intrusive condition inspections on an element and sub-element basis along with coordinating the operations of the Client appointed Services Engineer. The survey period was programmed to be undertaken during the 2009 summer vacation period with database inputs for each property uploaded on to the Client’s database.
The extent of the survey process was agreed with the client to produce the following outcomes:
- Detailed program to satisfy window of opportunity for site works
- Desktop audit of existing information
- Development of appropriate proforma templates to suit the required data capture
- Visual inspections
- Input information into the client database
The key challenges to this exercise primarily related to the quality of survey reports produced to reflect the field survey findings from a number of surveyors. This was overcome by use of:
- Proforma templates
- Production of a survey manual for reference purposes
- One day training workshop
- A one-off pilot that was reviewed and accepted by the Client prior to the main survey program commencing
- Regular quality checks during the survey process
- Establishment of a Helpdesk
- Quality checking of completed data
All of the above assisted in providing reports that met the local authority’s requirements first time.
The project was delivered on time, producing a database of information for each school which can be shared by the appropriate Council personnel. It can also be manipulated to identify specifics including annual funding, potential for cost saving work packages for similar works at different locations.
The completed survey program also assists to identify potential future new build or refurbishment requirements when the information is run alongside population demographics and future residential building initiatives.
Clients
Moray Council