1. Asset management planning guidance
Most schools that receive capital building works funding are required to develop an asset management plan (AMP) in partnership with their department regional office and the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA)
AMPs have 2 distinct stages:
- AMP – phase 1 outlines the school’s educational directions, educational specification, and a basic facilities analysis (which considers functionality, condition and spatial analysis) to ensure alignment between the school’s educational vision, direction and aspirations.
- AMP – phase 2 involves developing a more detailed master plan/spatial analysis in addition to broader site and project requirements that best support the desired outcomes.
Schools can access more information about AMP roles and responsibilities, key considerations and steps in Everything you need to know about a school building project (also in the Resources tab).
Need to know before starting an AMP
Project boundaries
By the time AMP has started, the school will have received specific information about the scope and boundaries of the capital works project.
School Facility Area (staff login required), the school’s condition, the project budget and announced scope are all used to determine and set the ‘project boundaries’ for the capital works project of the school. The VSBA is responsible for the establishment of the boundaries for capital works projects, in collaboration with regional staff. Boundaries that are established for all projects include:
- Project budget
- Project Enrolment Number
- School Facility Area Schedules
- Excess space
Any deviations from the approved AMP boundaries will be resolved via the VSBA’s established issue resolution process. For further information refer to: Everything you need to know about a school building project .
Project budget
As stated in the Policy tab, capital works funding covers all costs associated with the school’s building project, including professional fees, all building-related (including asbestos removal) costs and a project contingency.
Here is the typical budget breakdown (approximately):
- 65 to 70% – construction, including site-specific costs, external services and landscaping
- 18% – architects and specialist consultants
- 5% – VSBA project management and communications
- 5 to 10% – project contingency
- 2% – furniture, equipment and ICT.
Project enrolment number
The VSBA looks at both the number of current enrolments of the funded school and the 5-year projected enrolment figure to determine a planning figure, called the project enrolment number (PEN). Where necessary, the VSBA may also consider other factors that influence a school’s projected enrolments with a general view on improved enrolment distribution.
If a school is in a VSBA defined growth area, the 10-year Demographic Demand Forecast (DDF) will also inform this decision making.
The current built capacity is the number of enrolments that can be accommodated before completion of the capital works for which the school is being funded.
For the purposes of the capital project the PEN may differ from current capacity.
School Facility Area Schedules
To ensure equity across schools, the School Facility Area (staff login required) indicate the spaces required for a school to deliver the curriculum for a certain number of enrolments.
The schedules set out the number and type of learning spaces and/or square metres of space that are required for a school of a certain size and type. At each enrolment band, the schedules detail the mix of relocatable and permanent of facilities that can be considered as part of a funded project.
At each enrolment band, schools are allocated a combination of permanent buildings and relocatable buildings as per the schedules.
Once a school reaches the threshold for permanent buildings (475 students for primary and 1,100 for secondary) the standard approach is for additional enrolments to be managed through the provision of relocatable buildings.
The scope of the building project must align with the School Facility Area Schedules for the enrolment unless an alternative scope has been announced.
Excess space
The area allocation, actual space and proposed excess space, based on the School Facility Area Schedules, are provided in the funding notification letter sent to schools. Schools with excess space are required to develop an excess space strategy in AMP Phase 1 with the support of the regional provision and planning officer (PPO) or provision planning manager (PPM).
If the school’s capacity figure is higher than the PEN provided, the VSBA will work with the school during the AMP process to address identified excess space and capacity at the school.
Reducing excess space and capacity will enable the school to better utilise School Resource Package (SRP) and maintenance funding.
If the school receives a ‘negative’ excess space figure, this indicates that the school’s current space is less than the allocated area in the Facility Area Schedules for the PEN outlined in the project boundaries.
School condition
If the project has not been allocated a specific scope of works, buildings identified in poor condition during the master planning phase of the project will be prioritised to be addressed with the allocated funding.
The condition of school facilities is assessed through the Rolling Facilities Evaluation (RFE), which conducts 5 yearly assessments of the condition of school buildings and other infrastructure such as car parks, footpaths and fencing at all Victorian government schools. These findings will be detailed by the VSBA in a Condition Assessment Report.
For further details about the RFE, refer to the School Maintenance Plans and Rolling Facilities Evaluations policy. A school’s condition assessment report can be accessed through the Facilities Management module on the Asset Information Management System (staff login required).
Issue resolution
Schools that wish to change their project boundaries (for example, their PEN) must contact their regional provision and planning manager as the first step in the issue resolution process. This is a formal process and is outlined in the reference guide Everything you need to know about a school building project .
The regional provision and planning manager deals with matters including discrepancy in enrolment, space allocation or other data or information supplied to them
Bricks and Mortar AMP briefing
The Bricks and Mortar AMP briefing provides information for principals and school leaders involved in the capital works program.
It covers the process schools should follow to successfully manage their project, including:
- introduction to the key contacts to the school
- timelines of the AMP process
- development of the planning phase 1 template
- description of the architect appointment phase
- describing connection between teaching and learning, and AMP development
- milestones for AMP phase 1 and phase 2.
Schools that receive capital funding will be contacted by the VSBA regarding attendance at a Bricks and Mortar AMP briefing which will be held shortly after notification of funding. Technical leadership coaches from the VSBA will be available along with regional staff to provide advice and support to complete AMP phase 1 documentation.
AMP phase 1
The purpose of the AMP phase 1 is to describe the school’s future educational directions in the context of its functionality, space allocation and condition.
The AMP phase 1 outlines the specific characteristics of the school, its learning, teaching and curriculum models and the programs and organizational structures that will take the school into the future. The AMP phase 1 is developed by the school in collaboration with the school community. School community engagement is critical to the AMP process as this will ensure educational direction in regard to teaching and learning reflects local community’s aspirations.
Aligned with the school’s educational directions and informed by department policy, the school’s AMP phase 1 informs the master planning process and ensures current capital works projects and longer-term asset management strategies can be achieved.
In AMP phase 1 schools allocated capital works funding are required to complete a functionality assessment as part of the AMP template that will be explained in the Bricks and Mortar (AMP) briefing.
Further guidance on school functionality is available in the Guidance tab.
The audience for the AMP phase 1 is the school community, the VSBA and the project architect.
The VSBA’s Technical Leadership Coach will guide the school through the first phase of the AMP process with support from regional staff, and in consultation with the school community.
Once completed, AMP 1 must be endorsed by the school council president and principal before submission to the department regional office for review and endorsement. Once endorsed by region, the VSBA will approve the AMP phase 1 and the school will receive a letter from the VSBA advising of the approval of AMP phase 1.
AMP phase 2
In AMP phase 2, more detailed master planning/spatial analysis is undertaken by the architect in conjunction with the project control group (PCG). The PCG governs a project from the beginning of AMP phase 2 (master planning/spatial analysis) until the completion of works. PCGs typically comprise the VSBA project officer, a regional provision and planning representative and the school principal or nominee.
Further information about the PCG is available at Project control group terms of reference.
AMP phase 2 results in a program of work that may include building new spaces and refurbishing, modernising or demolishing existing ones. It may also specify work to maintain, replace or upgrade site infrastructure and critical building elements that are in the poorest condition. Condition data collected through the RFE is considered as part of the condition analysis where available.
Once complete, AMP phase 2 must be endorsed by the school council president and principal before submission to the Project Review and Evaluation Panel (PREP).
A PREP consists of a milestone review meeting between the school principal or delegate, a regional provision and planning representative and a VSBA representative. The PREP meets to check progress of the project, discuss risks, budget and current or future operational impacts on the school.
The purpose of the PREP is for the VSBA to formally endorse the project at key milestone stages throughout the project. Depending on the complexity of the project, there may be up to three stages at which the PREP gives endorsement.
Implementation
Once AMP phase 2 is approved, the funded works scoped within the AMP are delivered in accordance with the VSBA’s Project Management Framework (PMF) (staff login required).
The implementation phases cover detailed designs, tendering and builder appointment, and then construction.
For more information, refer to: Capital Building Projects in Schools.
Asset management plan support – where to get help
Refer to ‘Contacts’ section in the Policy tab.
Additional information
For further information, contact:
AMP Coordinator, VSBA: amp.coordinator@education.vic.gov.au
Reviewed 01 August 2024