Asset Management Planning – School Upgrades

3. Project control group terms of reference

The purpose and role

The purpose of the project control group (PCG) is to provide high level leadership to manage the delivery of capital projects and large planned maintenance projects.

In this arrangement it is the PCG's responsibility to ensure appropriate representation of all views is considered during the asset management plan development and early planning phases.

The membership

The PCG generally includes representatives from the Victorian School Building Authority (VSBA), regional office and the school. For new schools, a new school principal being appointed during the project lifecycle will become a member of the PCG. At a minimum, the membership will be as follows:

• school principal
• project officer
• regional representative.

The PCG has authority to make recommendations on any matter regarding the planning, design or delivery of a capital works project.

The project officer is the chairperson of the PCG. In addition to the PCG membership, other people can be invited to attend and/or report to the PCG meetings as required. These may include:

• capital program assurance service manager
• department program managers
• project manager
• principal design consultant
• departmental executives/unit manager(s)
• school business managers
• specialist experts or consultants, for example, quantity surveyor, environmentally sustainable design or probity advisors
• other departmental representatives
• VSBA technical leadership coaches
• other stakeholders as relevant.

Governance framework

The governance framework for the planning and development of department facilities generally represents the joint interests of the department and participating schools. The framework ensures projects undertaken are built to a standard to meet contemporary educational requirements and remain within the approved scope, budget and timeframe.

The governance body for all capital works projects is the PCG, with the operation of the PCG varying depending on the size and type of project.

The PCG focus is to manage specific capital investment and maintenance projects from initiation to financial completion of the construction or maintenance contracts. Capital investment projects include major and minor works associated with establishing and upgrading building and construction as well as infrastructure.

Maintenance projects include works designed to maintain the building at an efficient operational level, which may include minor functionality alterations that do not increase the asset base. Both capital investment and maintenance projects include design and procurement as well as administration of consultants and builders.

The department’s financial delegates are the manager, project delivery/major projects for all contracts valued at up to $10 million and the director project delivery/major projects for all contracts between $10 million and $20 million. The governance arrangement will need to address government and department policies including obtaining benefits and value from investment, ensuring probity is maintained and compliance with statutory requirements.

PCG responsibilities

Responsibilities for the PCG are:

• oversee detailed development of the project scope in accordance with the project boundaries and budget announcement letter
• ensure only those functional, cost and program matters contained in the approved brief are implemented and all changes to the scope and budget are sufficiently reported to the VSBA so as to permit review and approval of such changes
• evaluate and make recommendations at major steps as required
• apply/interpret policy, planning objectives and operational recommendations
• assist to identify issues, analyse and report risks in the project
• review the asset management plan as and when required.

It is the PCG's responsibility to make sure all views are considered during the asset management plan development and early planning phases. The structure is flexible to meet the needs of the stakeholders.

The standard approach based on value is:

• capital projects greater than $5 million will be driven through monthly meetings throughout design and construction until project completion.
• capital projects less than $5 million will be monitored through onsite meetings during construction and the PCG milestones meetings during design
• planned maintenance projects greater than $200,000 will be managed through email and teleconferences, following a Maintenance AMP process. Onsite meetings will occur as required.
• projects less than $200,000 will be managed and updated monthly.

The term

The PCG and this terms of reference for any project will start upon project initiation and cease at final completion of the project.

Issue resolution

If there is a disagreement on any of the above PCGs, the obligation to make the final decision for the department will by default fall upon the financial delegate of the project.