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Estates Strategies

All the funding councils encourage institutions to produce estates strategies, but not necessarily information strategies. Their production enables the institution regularly to 'take stock' both of how it is using existing physical resources, and how the estate needs to develop to implement future institutional mission. The CUC study on the use of KPIs suggests three key sets of strategic questions for governors which should underpin an estates strategy and any analysis of the physical infrastructure:

Is our infrastructure fit for purpose and suitable to enable us to deliver our mission and strategies?
Are we investing enough to maintain its productive capacity and our position in the market?
Are we using it effectively enough to generate an adequate return?

Some helpful good practice on the preparation of estates strategies is usefully summarised in a HEFCE publication (00/04) much of which also applies outside England.

It is fundamental that an estates strategy must have rigour and be evidence based.
Although the role of the estates director will be central to developing the strategy, he or she should not do it alone.
Widespread consultation within an HEI on estates strategy development is usually desirable. Some aspects may be controversial, and if difficulties are to be overcome it is important that staff and students can make their views known at an early stage.
The board must ensure that the estates strategy is integrated with other strategies, in particular the corporate plan and finance strategy but consistency with the learning and teaching strategy is also crucial.

More information [PDF, 66kb]

welshflag HEFCW has published a Circular and Guidance on the development of the estates strategy, one of the key themes being the importance of the linkage to the strategic planning process

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