Facilities are often one of the largest and most valuable investments of any K-12 institution. But as those who manage, maintain and operate these schools know, connecting technical and programmatic demands is a more difficult job than ever before.
At the recent ASBO Annual Meeting & Expo, Gordian co-presented with the Houston Independent School District (HISD). The talk was well received, so we thought it would be helpful to recap a few of the presentation’s highlights and tips.
Presenters
Richard Gay, Procurement Officer, HISD
Byron Jones, Business Development, Gordian
Start by establishing an overview of the current situation of your facilities assessing both practice and need for space, capital and operations.
Some questions to ask in seeking understanding can be:
- How old is the facility or group of facilities?
- How does staffing align with service or condition needs?
- How does the community perceive the service they are getting?
Create a project inventory – an inventory must take into account the facility and asset conditions through a conditions assessment.
Tools that can help prioritization:
- Accurate and up-to-date cost estimating data will help in crafting and validating reliable budgets and assessing long term financial needs.
- Life Cycle Costing helps those who work in facilities to maintain a good understanding of capital, operating and maintenance budgets over extended periods of time, even decades into the future.
- A streamlined construction procurement process enables work to begin quickly on repair or alteration work, so more resources can be committed to other, larger initiatives. Transparent price proposals allow for precise budgeting.
HISD has found success in streamlining the construction procurement process through Job Order Contracting (JOC).
With Job Order Contracting, instead of bidding each project separately, the contract is competitively awarded for an indefinite number of projects up front. This allows contractors to respond quickly and construction to begin sooner.
Job Order Contracting is ideal for renovation work, responding to emergencies, addressing a backlog of deferred repairs and straightforward new construction.
For instance, Houston ISD needed to bring 30 facilities up to code in order to prevent shutdowns. The scope of work included projects like:
- Ramp modifications to meet ADA compliance regulations
- Updating fire alarm detection systems
- Implementing mechanical/exhaust fans in restrooms
The work needed to be completed quickly and there was no time for solicitation. HISD utilized JOC to expedite the projects and control costs.
Click here to view the full presentation.
For more information on this topic, check out our eBook “Making the Connection: Aligning Facility Investment with Organizational Mission.”
