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EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT FUND
Stage 1 application - expression of interest for a combined Strategic Planning System ( SPS) and Desktop Geographical Information System ( GIS)
Part 1: Summary Table
Bid number (for EG use) | EGF/1/3/088 |
Lead bidder | NHSScotland - Property & Environment Forum, Empire House, 131 West Nile Street, Glasgow G1 2RX. Contact: Mr Paul Kingsmore, Chief Executive |
Brief description of the aims of the project | Create a service led, risk and benefit based strategic platform to support effective strategic and operational property management. Support the 'Joint Futures' agenda and development of Community Health Partnerships. Address the NAO criticisms: - An approx. £4billion property portfolio has a low profile with senior management
- No management information and reporting systems
- Poor utilisation of property
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Clear description of what the EGF money would be used to buy | - System development and software integrated with the Scottish Capital Investment Manual
- Integrated Geographical Information System 'Desktop' for strategic planning
- Technical IT support
- National roll out and implementation
- Project management support and quality control
- Review for application across the public sector
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Partners to the project likely to commit resources | - NHSScotland Boards (15 No.)
- NHSScotland Special Health Boards (7 No.)
- Scottish Executive Health Department ( SEHD)
- Joint Premises Project Board (NHSScotland and local authorities)
In addition the project has been discussed with a number of Local Authorities who have expressed interest in the system. A meeting is scheduled to take place in August 2005 and the following Local Authorities have been invited to discuss the potential for partnering in the bid; South Lanarkshire Council, East Lothian Council, Dumfries & Galloway Council, Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and Moray Council. A list of committed partners would be firmed up at Stage 2 of the bid process. |
Names of other organisations with whom the project has been discussed (to assist the introductions process) | Initial contact has been made with the following: - Dumfries and Galloway Council
- South Lanarkshire Council
- East Lothian Council
- Aberdeen City Council
- Aberdeenshire Council
- Moray Council
- Borders Council
- NHS Estates (England)
- Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Northern Ireland
- Welsh Health Estates
- Glasgow Caledonian University
- European Union Health Property Network
- Department of Human Services (Capital Management Branch), Australia
- European Investment Bank
- Durham University
- Open Scotland - Definitive National Address ( DNA)
- Information and Statistics Division ( ISD), National Services Scotland ( NHSNSS)
- National Audit Office ( NAO)
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Evidence that suggested approach has been deployed successfully elsewhere | - Piloting has proved its viability in identifying properties that are under utilised, functionally unsuitable and has assisted with the options development and appraisal process of healthcare planning.
- Our world leading environmental management system has been implemented nationally. The SPS is based on a similar methodology.
- Various commercial software packages are in use e.g. 'Estateman,' ' MICAD,' ' EPIMS' and a number of large property holding organisations have developed in-house systems e.g. Defence Estates and Network Rail. However, these systems are limited to asset management and do not consider core business activities and facilitate comprehensive strategy development.
- NHS Grampian have been using SPS in conjunction with Desktop GIS and have realised the benefits of a joined up strategic platform.
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Are there any restrictions to potential for enlargement of the project (i.e. technology, number of partners etc) | No. NHSScotland Property and Environment Forum are committed to ensuring the SPS is applicable to all public sector organisations and partners. Desktop GIS implementation is only restricted financially i.e. licensing and associated costs. |
Benefits projected from the project | The SPS is a service led initiative, the principal is to provide a comprehensive management framework to produce local, regional and national property strategies based on healthcare strategy. The SPS is a vehicle: - For the collection of data for strategic planning
- For property and planning professionals to integrate property strategy with healthcare strategy
- For the production of regionally integrated property strategies
- For the strategic management of the healthcare property portfolio recently valued at approx £4billion
The system is risk and benefit based acknowledging reality of funding and providing an audit trail and rationale for decision-making. |
Estimated financial projections | Total | 2005/6 | 2006/7 | 2007/8 | 2008/9 |
Overall project cost* | £6.4m | £1.9m | £1.3m | £923k | £916k |
* Please refer to Excel Spreadsheets (7 tab sheets) in Appendix 1 - 7 for cost breakdown and summary. |
Estimated projected benefits | Total | 2006/7 | 2007/8 | 2008/9 | 2009/10 |
Overall benefits* | £73.5m | £5.73m | £9.54m | £18.8m | £39.4m |
* Please refer to Excel Spreadsheets (7 tab sheets) in Appendix 1 - 7 for projected benefits breakdown and summary. |
Is a pilot required - see guidance notes | No. The SPS has been piloted and proven to work identifying under utilised, functionally unsuitable or in some cases physically obsolete property. NHS Grampian has also done significant work on the benefits of GIS for strategic planning. |
Additionally: why is EG funding required | While NHSScotland is committed to the development of the SPS, EG funding will: - Accelerate development and implementation leading to efficiency on Minister for Health, Andy Kerr's recently announced £2.1billion capital spend over the next three years.
- Allow opportunity to scope, design and develop modules that are suitable for local authority departments and the wider public sector.
- Accelerate development to match the demand generated by the pilot.
- Standardise and speed up decisions and business case development ensuring prompt allocation of resources with services being provided sooner as a result.
- Provide NHSScotland and the wider public sector with an opportunity to identify and dispose of redundant sites, properties and land sooner.
- Strategic planning with a combined Strategic Property Planning System and desktop based Geographical Information System will greatly assist with public & staff engagement.
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Is this project complementary in anyway to other EG work | Yes. There is a relationship to other bids being submitted. The bids submitted are (1) National Public Sector Geographical Information 'Datashare' System which will complement strategic community planning and (2) Mr Cameron Easton's Scottish Executive Geographical Information System bid. In addition the Definitive National Address ( DNA) bid has already been successful through Modernising Government however does not currently apply to NHSScotland. It is the intention to collect address data within the Strategic Planning System fully in accordance with DNA and BS7666. |
Is "stage 2 development funding" requested? | Yes. The aim is to identify the extent of work to develop the system for use in local authorities and the wider public sector, and to more fully understand the benefits available to these organisations. This will primarily involve a scoping study of local authorities to establish current property strategy procedures and an analysis of how the Strategic Planning System could take account of the core business and services provided by the local authorities, in lieu of the current clinical service modules. Also, it will be necessary to undertake a study into Desktop GIS and the most effective systems and integration methods available. Stage 2 funding of £65k is therefore requested. |
Part 2: Narrative bid
The introduction of a combined Strategic Planning System ( SPS) and Desktop Geographical Information System ( GIS) in NHSScotland with scope for Local Authority and wider public sector involvement
NHSScotland Property and Environment Forum submitted a bid in January 2005 for Efficient Government Funding to allow further development of the Strategic Planning System. This bid was initially unsuccessful due largely due to the lack of public sector partners outwith the NHS. NHSScotland Property and Environment Forum have since made contact with a wide range of Local Authorities and other public sector organisations. While these are not yet fully committed to being a partner for the purposes of the EGF bid, significant work is being undertaken to build relationships and gain support. A meeting is taking place in August 2005 to discuss this further.
In addition, NHSScotland Property and Environment Forum has taken the decision to include the addition of desktop GIS within the SPS bid. This will provide NHSScotland and the wider public sector with a fully integrated strategic planning platform with powerful geographical analysis ability, which will further improve joint working and regional planning.
The Strategic Planning System will provide a comprehensive framework for collection and analysis of data; option development and appraisal, investment decision-making & business case processes and management audit & review procedures, including post occupancy evaluation ( POE) and post project evaluation ( PPE). The system will also ensure that redundant sites, properties and land will be identified and sold or disposed of more quickly. In addition the use of an integrated desktop GIS system will allow joint strategic planning between different public sector organisations and will ensure more efficient use of resources.
The SPS is based on the principles of the international standard ISO 14001. Although ISO 14001 is a standard for environmental management systems, it is widely recognised that it offers an ideal vehicle for the management of change generally. Furthermore, this standard has already been adopted for the Forum's world leading environmental management system, corporate GREENCODE.
The SPS is a vehicle:
- for the collection of data for strategic planning;
- for Property and Planning professionals to integrate property strategy with healthcare strategy;
- for the production of area wide integrated property strategies;
- for the strategic management of the healthcare property portfolio.
The theme, which is common throughout the whole system, is an assessment of risk and benefit for each element. This acknowledges the reality of funding within the Health Service whilst providing an audit trail for decision making and a rationale for each decision.
At the information gathering stage the SPS sets out clear definitions for the collection and analysis of property and service data, allowing fair comparisons to be made nationally.
The result is a totally integrated Strategic Planning System for Acute, Primary and Community Care etc providing Property Strategies based on Healthcare Strategy.
These strategic benefits are applicable to all public sector organisations. However many have already realised that the traditional means of considering planning change by reams of data from a database is slow to gather, can be complex to interpret and on occasion incomplete. Desktop GIS is a system that can take complex information and show this in a simple, graphical and transparent manner, which can be shared between organisations and importantly with other public sector agencies. This can be used in conjunction with the Strategic Planning System to ensure that all options and opportunities are developed and appraised.
SPS integrates the following elements;
- Local Policy
- National SEHD Policy
- Strategic Issues
- Public & Staff Engagement
- Key Strategic Statements
- Property
- Clinical Service
- Demography
- Risk Assessment
- Benefit Assessment
- Option Development & Appraisal
- Management Review & Audit
The system will accommodate a variety of optional procurement routes for effective capital planning and will be flexible enough to incorporate innovative procurement and hybrid procurement strategies.
The SPS is NOT an asset management system. The benefits of the SPS are by far in excess of the benefits provided by any asset management system. The asset management features provided by SPS are an incidental added benefit that ensures a one-stop shop approach to estates and capital planning. The coordinated works management module links into property strategy and allows effective prioritisation of works lists within a significantly limited budget recognising that backlog maintenance works is an important feature of property strategy.
The system will encourage joined up thinking and working and ensure that all decisions provide value for money and a robust audit trail. This will also provide a structured format and auditable process for the production of a business case. SPS will aid and accelerate development of community health partnerships in line with Scottish Executive policy relieving pressure on staff and facilities of District General Hospitals.
The Health Minister for Scotland, Andy Kerr, recently announced a proposed capital spend of £2.1billion over the next three financial years. The decision-making processes and option development & appraisal exercises which determine how efficiently this spend is allocated are required NOW. Without EG funding the opportunity and leverage to impact, influence and direct this spend through effective property strategy will be drastically reduced.
The projected time scale for the completion and roll out of the SPS based on the current programme and level of funding is at least 3 years. EG funding will provide necessary cash injection, which will allow the project to be effectively and efficiently resourced.
The system will ensure NHSScotland as a whole has a common approach to strategy development and ensures that public and staff engagement is an essential part of the strategy process.
The system will enable monitoring of performance and benchmarking based on individualised criteria and weighted strategic issues and will ensure SEHD policy is fully incorporated into operational estates and capital planning departments. The SPS facilitates continual improvement on a local basis through annual surveys and reports and ensures production of an audit trail. This promotes learning from experience.
Recent Benchmarking exercises undertaken by Scottish Executive Health Department and NHSScotland Property and Environment Forum have identified that surplus estate is an area for potential efficiency savings however this area has not been fully exploited. Use of SPS in conjunction with desktop GIS will assist in the identification of non essential and surplus estate.
SPS will facilitate effective prioritisation of capital and revenue work by risk, benefit and cost.
Effective strategic planning will be achieved through focusing on the likely demand for service based on demography and the impact of strategic issues.
Based on real life examples used in NHSGrampian, if the Strategic Planning System is used in conjunction with a Desktop GIS system, this will revolutionise how NHSScotland healthcare planners work, accelerate decisions and potentially reduce waste from operational inefficiencies.
The projected benefits of integrating SPS and Desktop GIS will be to ensure that NHSScotland and the wider public sector holds only minimum assets and that these are geographically located in the right place. The resultant effect turns into a financial benefit as each public sector organisation using the systems disposes of surplus assets and new capital facilities are located to meet demand. The projected financial benefits of this to the wider public sector will be more fully explored at Stage 2.
The system will provide a user-friendly approach to option development and appraisal including being fully in accordance with the HM Treasury Green Book process. The stages of the system are in alignment with the 6 stages of the OGC Gateway process and is also fully compliant with the Scottish Executive Key Stage Review utilising the same performance criteria as the Performance Assessment Framework ( PAF).
The current level of resource funding limits development and application to the NHS only however the system has been future proofed by incorporating a modular format which enables greater flexibility at a later stage. EG funding will therefore provide an opportunity to scope, design and develop modules that are suitable for application within local authority departments and the wider public sector.
Currently some of the NHSScotland Boards active in the SPS pilot have committed significant expenditure and resources and are moving through the system at an increasingly fast rate. It is inevitable that without EG funding the Boards will very soon wish to move on to modules of the Strategic Planning System which have yet to be developed.
Governance of the project and project management will be undertaken by NHSScotland Property and Environment Forum who are the lead partner and have a track record in managing other software projects, and reporting structures.
Discussions have taken place with several interested Local Authorities and other Public Sector agencies who have been invited to meet again in August 2005. NHSScotland Property and Environment Forum fully intend to make every effort to ensure that as many public sector bodies as possible benefit from the project.
Simply put, SPS in conjunction with Desktop GIS is an 'Invest to Save' proposal that will provide significant and measurable savings to all partners and the project is also structured such that these benefits can be realised downstream by other public sector organisations.
Stage 1 applications should be submitted electronically to: David.Baker@scotland.gsi.gov.uk