Collaborative Property Services - ACES survey

The scope of the research

The Scottish government has asked realestateworks Ltd (Brian Thompson) to research the current and potential market for shared property services across the public sector.

ACES has agreed to use its network to support the research. In return, the findings and conclusions will be shared with the ACES community.

Terminology

For the purposes of the research project, the term ‘shared property services’ covers arrangements such as:

· Two organisations sharing a single property team (together with other shared support resources)
· Two organisations formally collaborating on several fronts, but each property team is employed by each distinct organisation
· One public sector organisation makes available certain specialist property resources to other organisations under formal or informal arrangements

It does not therefore encompass commercial outsourcing arrangements with service providers that have ‘spun out’ of the public sector e.g. Norse or Concertus originated within local government and Essentia originated within Guy’s and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust.

CONFIDENTIALITY - please note that the results of the survey are confidential and the identities of respondents are not recorded.

Question Title

* 1. Are you aware of shared property services arrangements in operation to day or historically?

Yes

If you answered 'Yes', can you please provide brief details

Question Title

* 2. Have you participated in a shared property services arrangement?

Yes

If you answered 'Yes', please provide brief details

Question Title

* 3. Do you have challenges recruiting and retaining staff with property expertise?

Significant challenge

Minor challenge

No challenge

Only for very specific resources / skillsets

Question Title

* 4. If you face challenges, which particular areas of expertise do they relate to in order of significance?

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

Question Title

* 5. Could the sharing of property resources deliver the following benefits?

	Highly likely	Likely	Unlikely
Better value for money	Better value for money Highly likely	Better value for money Likely	Better value for money Unlikely
Broader and deeper experience for property professionals	Broader and deeper experience for property professionals Highly likely	Broader and deeper experience for property professionals Likely	Broader and deeper experience for property professionals Unlikely
Improved ability to recruit and retain	Improved ability to recruit and retain Highly likely	Improved ability to recruit and retain Likely	Improved ability to recruit and retain Unlikely
A more responsive service	A more responsive service Highly likely	A more responsive service Likely	A more responsive service Unlikely
Developments of property service centres of expertise	Developments of property service centres of expertise Highly likely	Developments of property service centres of expertise Likely	Developments of property service centres of expertise Unlikely

Please add any further comments you wish to make on potential benefits

Question Title

* 6. In principle, do you believe scope exists for public sector bodies to share property resources (assuming surplus capacity exists and suitable commercial arrangements can be put in place)?

Yes

Don't know

Please add any further comments on scope for sharing in principle

Question Title

* 7. Do you think certain services lend themselves particularly to sharing? If you answer 'Yes - specific property services', please add comments below

Yes - specific property services

Yes - all property services

Don't know

Comments

Question Title

* 8. Do the following present challenges to sharing property services?

	Major challenge	Challenge	Not a constraint
Unwillingness to share resources with other public sector organisation	Unwillingness to share resources with other public sector organisation Major challenge	Unwillingness to share resources with other public sector organisation Challenge	Unwillingness to share resources with other public sector organisation Not a constraint
Financial complexities	Financial complexities Major challenge	Financial complexities Challenge	Financial complexities Not a constraint
Insufficient resources	Insufficient resources Major challenge	Insufficient resources Challenge	Insufficient resources Not a constraint
Lack of awareness of resource pool across the public sector	Lack of awareness of resource pool across the public sector Major challenge	Lack of awareness of resource pool across the public sector Challenge	Lack of awareness of resource pool across the public sector Not a constraint

Please add any further comments on challenges or barriers

Question Title

* 9. Do opportunities exist for sharing property resources via the following mechanisms?

	Yes	No	Maybe
Arms' length business allied to one or more public sector organisations	Arms' length business allied to one or more public sector organisations Yes	Arms' length business allied to one or more public sector organisations No	Arms' length business allied to one or more public sector organisations Maybe
Informal sharing of resources between 'neighbouring' or related public sector organisations on an ad hoc basis	Informal sharing of resources between 'neighbouring' or related public sector organisations on an ad hoc basis Yes	Informal sharing of resources between 'neighbouring' or related public sector organisations on an ad hoc basis No	Informal sharing of resources between 'neighbouring' or related public sector organisations on an ad hoc basis Maybe
Creation of a pool of expertise within Combined Authorities to be drawn down as and when required	Creation of a pool of expertise within Combined Authorities to be drawn down as and when required Yes	Creation of a pool of expertise within Combined Authorities to be drawn down as and when required No	Creation of a pool of expertise within Combined Authorities to be drawn down as and when required Maybe
Formal sharing of a single pool of resources across neighbouring or related public sector bodies, perhaps as part of a wider shared service operation - potentially extending to HR, finance etc	Formal sharing of a single pool of resources across neighbouring or related public sector bodies, perhaps as part of a wider shared service operation - potentially extending to HR, finance etc Yes	Formal sharing of a single pool of resources across neighbouring or related public sector bodies, perhaps as part of a wider shared service operation - potentially extending to HR, finance etc No	Formal sharing of a single pool of resources across neighbouring or related public sector bodies, perhaps as part of a wider shared service operation - potentially extending to HR, finance etc Maybe

Please add any further comments on potential arrangements for sharing

Collaborative Property Services - ACES survey

Question Title

* 1. Are you aware of shared property services arrangements in operation to day or historically?

Question Title

* 2. Have you participated in a shared property services arrangement?

Question Title

* 3. Do you have challenges recruiting and retaining staff with property expertise?

Question Title

* 4. If you face challenges, which particular areas of expertise do they relate to in order of significance?

Question Title

* 5. Could the sharing of property resources deliver the following benefits?

Question Title

* 6. In principle, do you believe scope exists for public sector bodies to share property resources (assuming surplus capacity exists and suitable commercial arrangements can be put in place)?

Question Title

* 7. Do you think certain services lend themselves particularly to sharing? If you answer 'Yes - specific property services', please add comments below

Question Title

* 8. Do the following present challenges to sharing property services?

Question Title

* 9. Do opportunities exist for sharing property resources via the following mechanisms?

Question Title

* 10. If you have other comments to make, please add them below