December 2002/53
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| To: | Heads of HEFCE-funded higher education institutions Heads of HEFCW-funded higher education institutions Heads of SHEFC-funded higher education institutions Heads of universities in Northern Ireland |
| Of interest to those responsible for: | Strategic planning, Finance, Estates |
| Reference: | 2002/53 |
| Publication date: | December 2002 |
| Enquiries to: |
Adrian Officer at HEFCE Catherine Killin at SHEFC John Harper at HEFCW |
Contents and executive summary (read on-line)
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Executive summary
Introduction
Overview of results 2000-01
Estates in higher education
Key ratios and measures
Condition, maintenance and functional suitability
Using EMS: case studies
Performance measurement in HE estates
Understanding performance
Assessing performance
Maintenance costs
Total property and management costs
Space provision
Residential estate
Consultation, development and reporting
Training
Data availability and quality
Institutional feedback
Executive summary
Purpose
1. This publication reports on the ongoing progress and findings of the estates management statistics initiative (EMS) during 2002.
Key points
2. This report was produced by IPD Occupiers Property Databank in association with GVA Grimley, and has been endorsed by the steering group. All data relate to the period between 1 August 2000 and 31 July 2001.
3. EMS is the established primary source for estates information in higher education (HE). The initiative has now produced three years of results for almost 200 performance ratios.
4. Comprehensive estates information has been assembled by 157 UK higher education institutions (HEIs) to build a centralised and authoritative picture of the size, characteristics and associated costs of operation of their estates. Participation in the initiative during 2001-02 has been excellent and has built on the work of the first two years.
5. The annual survey of institutions has shown that confidence in EMS is growing. Almost 90 per cent of responding institutions consider that the value of the EMS information has improved in 2002. Institutions still consider the ability to compare any of their results against those of up to 20 self-selected peer groups to be one of the most valuable aspects of EMS.
6. All contributing HEIs have been issued with an interactive report file to facilitate maximum use of the EMS information resource. HEIs have been encouraged to use information to consider internal measures of performance and to compare their own data with similar HEIs.
7. The estimated annual total revenue property costs across the UK HE estate stood at almost £1.4 billion for 2001. Costs per m² of net space managed typically vary between £64 and £84 across institutions. The diversity of results within the sector indicates possible scope for change and improvement across a range of issues.
8. The general condition of the estate has improved slightly, with 67 per cent of non-residential space currently classed as requiring no significant repair expenditure. Despite the progress made, 8.6 million m² of space is in 'poor' condition (RICS Condition C & D) and it is estimated that over £3 billion is required to upgrade space from either Condition D or C to Condition B for the sector as a whole. More investment would be required to modify buildings to ensure they meet the current demands of teaching and research. This goes beyond the amount required to update condition. Further details are in the following reports:
- Arts and humanities research infrastructure (HEFCE 2002/35)
- Teaching and learning infrastructure in higher education (HEFCE 2002/31)
- Study of science research infrastructure: a report by JM Consulting (available on the Office of Science and Technology web-site www.ost.gov.uk/research/funding/underinvest/).
9. There is significant potential to improve the use of space through better management and awareness. Institutions currently typically provide between 7 m² and 13 m² of non-residential space per student. A question for many institutions is whether a significant reduction in the amount of space could help to finance improvements in quality.
10. Information and transparency within the HE estates field has improved dramatically through EMS, and it is hoped that future benefits will continue to be gained throughout the sector at all levels. A number of brief case studies reported by HEIs are presented in this report to demonstrate the direct uses and applications of EMS at an institutional level.
Further information
11. HEFCE 99/18 details much of the development work on EMS. HEFCE 01/10 and HEFCE 01/72 form the annual reports to the sector for 2000 and 2001. Further information may be found on the EMS web-site at www.opdems.ac.uk.