Audit Commission Success Factory

Service to Hampshire Schools Buying the SLA

1.

Well defined contractual arrangements with clarity about where responsibilities lie. The contractual arrangements are then specified in the service agreements.

Service Level Agreement (SLA) established in 2002 for a five year period. SLA specifies level of service including:

· building repairs and maintenance

· engineering servicing, breakdown repairs and maintenance

· architectural services

· support with vandalism

· health and safety advice

· new initiatives for health and safety management and fire safety auditing

· management partnership meetings

SLA defines split of responsibilities in accordance with agreed Cipfa rules.

2.

Clearly identified cost of service and mechanisms to ensure that they provide value for money.

SLA includes the cost of professional service that would have to be delegated under Fair Funding legislation. Regular Asset Management meetings with Headteacher Standing Committees to agree priorities and review quality of work and service provision. Benchmarking of projects and services to ensure value for money.

3.

Attracted sufficient numbers of high-quality staff who are able to deliver the range of tasks involved.

Dedicated teams of surveyors, engineers and property services managers delivering services to schools. Additional staff recruited to manage NDS workload. Individual staff have personal training and development programmes.

4.

Developed effective partnerships to bring together public and private sector skills.

Four major partnering contracts established for delivering term engineering services. Public private partnership award received for one of the contractors, another is part of an M4i demonstration project. Framework contract established for re-roofing works and preferred contractors established for delivering external redecoration works. Other major framework contracts established for major capital works.

5.

Developed good relationships with schools.

Publication of "Property Matters" a newspaper for schools. Regular Management Partnership meetings established with individual schools. Liaison meeting with Headteacher Standing Committees each term. Asset planning meeting with schools representative to agree policy and priorities. Customer Services Manager appointed and complaints/compliments register established.

6.

Establish effective arrangements for the management of contractors in a difficult market in many areas.

· New Approved list of Contractors established with links to health and safety performance.

· Pro-active health and safety site checks of contractors working practices.

· Fewer contractors with higher quality management arrangements now in place.

· Term engineering contracts reduced from 24 to 4 with `Principal' contractor arrangements.

· Health and safety project plans for all major schemes.

7.

Developed innovative arrangements for delivering better value for money in construction as part of the Rethinking Construction agenda.

· Framework contracts in place for major projects.

· Framework contracts in place for reproofing projects.

· Preferred contractors established.

· M4i demonstration projects established for new secondary school project and term engineering contracts.

· Contractors working to `open book' arrangements.

· Performance feedback links in place with customers and through site health and safety checks.

· Projects managed on time with fewer defects.