APPENDIX 2 Value for money improvements made over the original PRIME contract

 

Issue

PRIME position

PRIME expansion position

Benefit

Payment of LST overheads in Facilities Unit Price (FUP) adjustment for contract changes

Additional 23% added to cost of change to cover LST overheads and margin

Reduced to 7% for service changes and 12.5% for new properties

The Department estimates that this will save £9m a year by completion of the Jobcentre Plus rollout

Payment of Landlord's service charges

Service charges pass through cost with complex reconciliation mechanism

Risk transfer for service charges i.e. included in the Facilities Unit Price at buildings identified as having service changes This only applies to the PRIME expansion estate, agreement to be reached on the PRIME estate

This reduces contract management time and improves cost certainty

Business Rates Savings Sharing Mechanism

Mechanism for CILOR

  Share reduction in Rateable Value

  Year 1, 50% share, Years 2-5, 10% share

  Plus reasonable costs (fees for rating surveyors)

Mechanism for Business Rates

  Share of reduction in Business Rates payable

  20 % share

  Inclusive of reasonable costs

This is an Incentive for LST to reduce the Department's Business Rates as it is updated and aligned to market norms

Timescale for supply of temporary accommodation

6 month timescale

If LST cannot supply temporary accommodation in 20 days the Department can use alternative suppliers

This is an incentive for LST to supply needs rapidly

Third party income schemes, e.g. mobile phone masts on buildings

LST had complete freedom to implement third party income schemes

LST now requires the Department's agreement to such schemes and will have to share income 50:50 with the Department

The Department has control over schemes that could cause staff issues or political concerns

Business Driven Capital Works

Fee rates specified, but few other provisions as anticipated volumes were expected to be low

Fee rates reduced and provisions added for management of process

  Separate provisions for Jobcentre Plus and large programmes

  Performance measures enhanced

  Opportunity to use another supplier if performance is poor

  Reporting system introduced based on customer feedback

  Compensation for loss for time overruns

  Abortive fee percentages agreed

  Contributions from LST's maintenance budget formalised and extended

The Department benefits from reduced fees and improved process for managing projects

Life Cycle Maintenance Regime

Complex reconciliation mechanism to ensure LST's budget is spent and share savings

Simplified reconciliation mechanism with greater transparency

  Based on 3 year rolling plans

  Reconciliation of budget to actual spend

  £200,000 a year reduction in LST's price to reflect simplified management processes. The Department's potential liability for sharing in overspends capped at the lower of 25% or total savings for the previous two reconciliation periods

The Department benefits from ease of management, and transparency increases the incentive for LST to spend budget

Response Times

Specific response times e.g. for light bulb replacement

Priority response times driven by business need

Public areas will receive high priority response

Health and Safety

Extensive Health and Safety requirements, but some gaps

Addition of obligations:

  LST to train managers in their responsibilities

  LST to keep training records

  Schedule of rates agreed for off-site risk assessments e.g. Department for Work and Pensions staff working in other organisation's premises

This supports the Department's Health and Safety strategy

Cleaning and Security

The specification did not provide for specific Jobcentre Plus requirements

Specification updated to include:

  Cleaning of job points

  Customer Care Officer (CCO) role included

Supports Jobcentre Plus implementation

Change Mechanism

Cost of Department's changes agreed on a case by case basis

Formulas agreed for changes to

  Working/opening hours

  Change to CCO role for Jobcentre Plus

This reduces contract management time to agree changes

Work order management

Customers are responsible for managing outcome of calls to the Customer Service Centre

LST Building Services managers now have explicit responsibility for managing the outcome of calls to the Customer Service Centre

This improves LST's management of reactive work

Accommodation Standards

Standard defined for ex DSS accommodation

Review showed that overall standards support Jobcentre Plus. Contract drafting to remove reference to old style accommodation

Updated RAS in line with Jobcentre Plus and expanded PRIME requirements