Capital Management Plan Submission and Approval Process

This document should be read in conjunction with the CMP Flow Charts and the criteria for establishing the priority of Capital projects.

The Capital Management Plan (CMP) comprises two components: major capital works and backlog maintenance. Budget allocations are made to the two areas on an annual basis. This document deals will major capital works. There is a separate process for dealing with Minor Capital Works, which are funded by faculties, divisions, schools or sections.

Asset Management Services (AMS) is responsible for prioritising projects to be funded from the backlog maintenance component but University staff are encouraged to identify any work that appears to be required.

The CMP budget allows funding of refurbishments, compliance issues, infrastructure improvements and new construction activities. The bulk of requests for CMP funding arise from faculties and schools but staff in the Division of Finance and Administration have a role in identifying compliance and infrastructure projects.

Submission and approval process

All applications should be submitted to AMS using the Project Submission Template.

When AMS has received the submission the following processes will be followed.

Preliminary assessment

Undertaken in consultation with the project sponsor to

Clarify the requirements and project scope,
Determine the real need and assess if it can be met by a non-facility solution (eg timetabling) or by an alternative acquisition method (eg rental).
Establish if the proposed project would comply with the University Master Plan and if it fits in with accepted University strategic requirements.

The preliminary assessment will take into account the aims and objectives of the University Plan and will assess the proposal against other strategic information within the University. Projects that do not receive a favourable assessment will be unlikely to obtain eventual CMP funding.

Strategic Screening

On completion of the preliminary assessment projects that appear to meet strategic University initiatives will be forwarded to the Capital Management Plan Review Committee (CMPRC) for strategic screening and prioritising. Projects deemed to cost in excess of $500,000 or to have strategic or political significance to the University may be referred to the Built Environment Committee at this stage.

At the Strategic Screening stage projects could be

prioritised for feasibility study,
accepted as important but of insufficient priority to be recommended for feasibility study (in which case they are held on Table 3 of the CMP Cashflow), or
rejected.

Feasibility Study leading to endorsement by the Planning and Resources Committee

Generally a feasibility study will only be undertaken for high priority projects. The study will be managed by a project manager in AMS.

On completion of the study the CMPRC will receive and review the Feasibility Report and may refer the project to the Planning and Resources Committee to endorse.

Approval by Appropriate Delegate

Projects that will cost less than $500,000 could be approved by either the EDFA or VC but projects considered to be strategically or politically important and all projects expected to cost more than $500,000 will be referred to the Built Environment Committee. The BEC will be responsible for making a recommendation to the University Council.

In most instances project delivery will commence when funding approval is obtained but in some instances it will be necessary to delay commencement to comply with funding availability or other factors (for example, current occupants need to move out of space before it can be refurbished for new occupants).