Government Office Accommodation

GUIDELINE: HOW TO COMPLETE A STATEMENT OF NEED FORM

The Statement of Need (SoN) form is used by the Department of Finance and government agencies to managerequests for office accommodation and identify the specific needs of the requesting agency.

The completed SoNform should be consistent with the:

  • Government Office Accommodation Policy (Policy)
  • Government Office Accommodation Standards (Standards).

It must be completed and signed by agencies needing:

  • new office accommodation, or
  • the renewal,variation or extension of an existing lease.

The SoN form must be approved by the officer with the appropriate delegated authority to commit the agency to the full funding needed for the request. Agencies are encouraged to liaise with aDepartment of Financelease procurement manager before completing the SoN form so the form can be reviewed before it is signed off by an agency’sdelegated authority.

Please note that the SoN form may be returned if more information is needed before it can be processed fully.

INSTRUCTIONS

Part 1 (must be completed)

Provide the agency name and contact details of an agency representative who will be the agency's contact person.

Part 2 (must be completed)

a)Choose request type:

  • new lease - for new premises
  • new lease -for existing premises where new lease terms and conditions are required
  • lease renewal -for existing premises, where there are no options to extend, however the intention is to continue to lease under the terms and conditions of the existing lease
  • lease extension and variation – for existing premises, where there is an option to extend the lease but the agency is seeking to vary some of the essential terms and conditions
  • other - where the request does not match any of the above.

b)Provide the details of the office accommodation request, background and justification for the request, including consideration of the following:

  • what the premises will predominantly be used for (for example the performance of administrative functions, storage, the provision of clinical services to the community)?
  • whetherthe request aligns with long-term Government plans, objectives and directions?
  • how the request will meet the agency’s service delivery needs?
  • whether the agency intends to consolidate its functions (i.e. from small, scattered offices to a larger central building)?
  • if the request is associated with an across-agency or whole-of-government strategy led by the Department of Finance?
  • whetherthe request addressesfuture agency growth?
  • does the request result from an issue with the current office accommodation?
  • are the existing premises overcrowded or no longer suitable for a particular reason?

c)The Strategic Asset Management Framework requires all general government agencies to submit an annual ten-year Strategic Office Accommodation Plan (SOAP) to the Department of Finance. Please contact the Department of Finance () for more information on the SOAP process.

In this section, if the request has not been captured in the agency’s current SOAP please provide additional information explaining why. For example, the request may be part of a newly funded project or business unit that had not been identified at the time of completing the SOAP.

d)Vacant space within existing government owned or leased accommodation will be used to accommodate agencies in preference to acquiring additional office accommodation, where the vacant space meets operational requirements.Agencies not wanting to occupy existing vacant space will need to show why it does not meet their operational requirements and have the rejection of available vacant space approved by the Department of Finance, as required by the Government Office Accommodation Policy Application Guidelines.

e)Agencies are required to liaise with the Department of Finance to check whether there is any space on the Department of Finance vacant space register that would meet their requirements. Please provide the name of the Department of Finance officer with whomthe issue of vacant space was discussed.

Part 3(provide the details aboutcurrent premises, if any)

a)Enter the address of the current premises of the relevant business unit/s.

If the current premises is owned or leased by another agency, please select ‘other’ and specify the agency that owns or leases the premises.

Enter the current number of car bays for government vehicles, including fleet vehicles and government vehicles provided to staff through the Government Vehicle Scheme and Senior Officer Vehicle Scheme as per the State Fleet Policy.

If an agency is relocating from a number of premises, please ask the Department of Finance for a modified SoN form to suit these specific requirements. Where there are no current premises, please put ‘Not Applicable’ and move to Part 4.

b)Enter the number of staff (i.e. Headcount (HC)) that are accommodated in the current premises. If the head count figure differs significantly from the figure(s)recently provided by your agency to the Public Sector Commission as part of the Human Resource Minimum Obligatory Information Requirement (HR MOIR) please provide an explanation.

c)Enter the workpoint information for the current premises. If relocating from a number of premises, please notify the Department of Finance to obtain a modified SoNform to suit these specific requirements.

d)Select either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ checkbox.

e)Enter the vacant area (sqm) and number of workpoints.

f)Wherethe procurement of additional office accommodation will result in vacant space in existing premises, the vacating agency remains responsible for all costs associated with that lease until the lease expires, or it is occupied by an alternative tenant. The Department of Finance does not guarantee that an alternate tenant can be identified and relocated butwill work to achieve this outcome, where possible.

Part 4 (must be completed)

a)Enter the proposed lease or occupancy start and end dates, including any options required.

b)Enter the minimum number of car parking bays required in each category:

  • Fleet vehicles
  • GVS/ SVOS - refers to government vehicles provided to staff through the Government Vehicle Scheme and Senior OfficerVehicle Scheme (SOVS)
  • Visitor

Subject to the availabilityof car bays and funding, the agency CEO may make car bays available for other vehicles and surplus car bays may be allocated in accordance with individual agency policy.

c)Provide the required area for:

  • general office space. This should meet the 13 square metres per workpoint density target and includes open plan and enclosed workspace (includes enclosed offices and quiet rooms) as well as support spaces such as reception, meetingrooms, kitchens and breakout spaces, etc.
  • special operational requirement areas that will accommodate and support an agency-specific operational requirement (SOR) – such as public counters, client waiting areas and receptions where they support public counters and direct service delivery, training rooms (if the training is part of the agency’s service delivery to the community or external parties within the public sector),storage areas required by legislation, laboratories, media rooms, public galleries, or interview rooms.

d)Select which criteria are important when comparing properties, and describe the agency’s priorities – for example car bays to meet visitor demand.

e)Select ‘yes’ or ‘no’ based on whether a fitout or refurbishment will be required at the proposed premises. Wherea fit-out or refurbishment will be needed the Department of Finance will follow up and ensure that a Fit-out and Refurbishment Request Formiscompleted and submitted to meet occupancy deadlines. The Fit-out and Refurbishment Request Form is available on the Department of Finance website and can be emailed to .

Part 5 (must be completed)

a)Provide the total number of workpoints for:

  • general open plan office space which includes workstations, pods, desks, hot desks and reception areas
  • all enclosed offices and quiet rooms
  • special operational requirement areas.

When asking for enclosed offices, agencies are required to attach supporting information with the SoN form, including the position title, level and function. If a number of enclosed offices are required, the information should be presented using the formatbelow.

Number of enclosed offices / Position title / Position level / Position function/ justification
1 / Manager / L5 / Position manages a client database that requires database to be in a secure area so as not to breach the licence software agreement, eg. Crimtrack requirements

The number of workpoints must be able to accommodate staff for the duration of the proposed lease term, includinganticipated growth.

b)Provide details of the special operational requirement (SOR) areas, including the function or type of use, size and quantity, etc.Please liaise with the Department of Finance to receive confirmation that proposed areas are acceptable SOR areas.

c)Provide the number of full-time, part-time and casual staff that will occupy these premises, including any staff or external parties that may use hot desks or touch down points (such as auditors or mobile workers who intermittently use the office space).Please explain any difference between the number of staff in the current and proposed premises.

d)Calculate the proposed workspace density. Workspace density is the average floor space per workpoint and is calculated using the formula below:

Workspace density = / total general office space – total special operational requirement area
total workpoints – special operational requirement area workpoints

Part 6 (must be completed)

Before submitting a signed SoN form, a draft should be submitted to the Department of Finance for feedback to prevent agencieshavingto re-submitthe form to the delegated authority to obtain approval and signature.

Once the Department of Finance has advised that the SoN is able to be fully assessed and should be submitted, agencies need to confirm and approve that sufficient funding and the funding source is available to cover all costs, including:

a)Funding allocation

  • consultancy fees (e.g. market search, new lease/ lease renewal negotiations, feasibility study, legal fees)
  • any costs needed to make good the existing premises as required under the existing lease
  • recurrent lease costs (e.g. rent, outgoings, car parking, cleaning, relocation) including any periods of double rent
  • capital funding (e.g. fit-out project for new fit-out, refurbishment of existing fit-out)

b)Funding source

  • Consolidated Account
  • Self-funded- provide the percentage that is self-funded and details of self-funded revenue e.g. fees and charges, sponsorships, royalties for regions
  • CommonwealthGovernment – provide details of Commonwealth Government funding source and the funding expiry date
  • Allocated through specific project or initiative - provide funding expiry date and specify the project or initiative
  • Other - if funding type is ‘Other’, provide details.

Note: More than one funding source maybe selected. If the funding source is not the Consolidated Account, please provide details on the terms, conditions and expiry date of the funding and any other additional information.

Part 7 (to be competed by BMW)

When an agency submits the draft word version of the SoN form to the Department of Finance for feedback and review, the Department of Financelease procurement manager will complete the ‘name’ and ‘title’ fields in Part 7.

Upon receiving the agency’s Word and signed PDF versions, the Department of Financelease procurement manager will date and sign the form.This will then be assessed for compliance with the Government Office Accommodation Policy and supporting standards before being submitted to the Department of Finance’s delegated authority for approval.

Version: 4 April 2018

Part 1 / Agency Contact Details
Agency name
Agency contact name
Position
Phone
Email
Department of Finance staff contact name
Part 2 / Request Details
a)Type of request /
b)Details and rationale ofrequest
c)Was this requirement included in your 10-year Strategic Office Accommodation Plan? /
If no, please provide an explanation below.
d)Is there any space on the Department of Finance’s vacant space register that would meet your agency’s requirements? /
If no, please provide an explanation below as to why the available space is unsuitable.
e)Who did you speak to regarding space on the Department of Finance’s vacant space register? / Name of Department of Finance officer spoken to:
Part 3 / CurrentPremises
a)Premises details / Street
Suburb/town
Building Owner /

If other, please specify below:
Total net lettable area[1] / sqm / Total special operational area / sqm
Lease Expiry Date / Proposed vacated date
Annual rental cost / $ / Annual variable outgoing cost / $
Fleet car bays / GVS / SVOS carbays[2]
b)Number of staff accommodated in the current premises[3] / Open plan area and enclosed workspace / Headcount
Special operational requirement area / Headcount
If the figures provided above differ significantly from the FTE and head count figures that your agency has provided to the Public Sector Commission’s Human Resources Minimum Obligatory Information Requirement[4] (HR MOIR), please provide additional information to explain these differences.
c)Workpoint details[5] / Number of workpoints in open planarea
(including hot desks and reception, but not workpoints in special operational requirement areas)
Number of workpoints in enclosed workspace / enclosed offices[6]
quiet rooms[7]
Number of workpoints in special operational requirement area
d)Will the existing premises still be required? / / Will the request result in vacant space or workpoints that will need to be backfilled[8]? /
e)What is to be vacated? / Area / sqm / Number of workpoints
f)Do you require the Department of Finance’s assistance in backfilling your existing premises? /
Part 4 / Market Search Criteria
a)When is office space required? / Start date / End date
Options / @
b)Minimum car bays / Fleet cars / GVS / SVOS cars[9]
Visitor
c)Area required / Total net lettable area[10] / square metres
d)Describe the specific requirements that are essential to your agency’s service delivery.
This information will inform the market search and be used to evaluate alternative accommodation options received from the market. /
(e.g. town, suburb, near hospital / agency / courts)

(e.g. requires a loading dock, basement storage, shared reception)
e)Will the proposed premises need fit-out or refurbishment works? / / If fit-out or refurbishment works will be required at the proposed premises please answer yes.
The Department of Finance will follow up to ensure a Fit-out and Refurbishment Request Form is completed as required. This form is available from the Department of Finance website and can be submitted by email to:
Please liaise with the relevant Department of Finance Lease Procurement Manager if assistance is required.
Part 5 / GOA Policy Compliance
a)Workpoints / Total number of workpoints in open planarea[11]
(including hot desks and reception, but not workpoints in special operational requirement areas)
Number of workpoints in enclosed workspace / Enclosed offices[12]
Quiet rooms[13]
Number of workpoints in special operational requirement areas
Will the above workpoints meet the anticipated growth for the term of the lease? /
b)Details of the special operational areas that are required within the premises (Include detail of use, size and quantity)
Total special operational requirement areas / sqm
c)Number of staff to be accommodated in these premises[14](Includes permanent, contract and temporary staff and any external parties) / General office space / Special operational requirement area
Headcount / Headcount
If the number of staff differs from the number of staff in the current premises, please provide an explanation below.
d)Workspace density / sqm/workpoint
Part 6 / Agency Approvals
a) Agency has funding for: / Consultant fees /
Recurrent lease costs /
Make good costs /
Capital costs e.g. fit-out project /
If no or N/A, please provide an explanation below as to why:
b) Funding is from:
(You can select more than one funding source) /
%

Funding expiry date(dd/mm/yyyy):

Name of project/ initiative:
Funding expiry date (dd/mm/yyyy):

Where the funding is not from the Consolidated Account, please provide details on the source, terms, conditions and any other additional information to explain the funding arrangement(s).
I understand that my agency is responsible for any make good or other costs associated with vacating existing premises in accordance with the lease and approve the information outlined in this Statement of Need form.
I also understand that the Department of Finance will report any change in lease costs to the Department of Treasury and Expenditure Review Committee, allowing budget adjustments to occur and identified savings (if applicable) to be returned to the Consolidated Account.
Approved by
Agency delegated authority / Name: / Signature:
Position Title: / Date:
Part 7 / Department of Finance - BMW (Office Use Only)
Lease Procurement Manager / Name:
Signature: / Date:
Lease Procurement
Assistant Director / Name:
Signature: / Date:
Approved by
Department of Finance delegated authority / Name: / Signature:
Position Title: / Date:

Version: 4 April 2018

[1] A tenant occupying a single tenanted building, the net lettable area (sum of the floor lettable areas of a building) will be used.Total net lettable area refers to the sum of all floor lettable areas that a tenant occupies in a multi-tenanted building, and may include shared and storage areas, etc as negotiated. The lettable area includes total special operational area.

[2]Refers to the number of car bays for government vehicles that are provided to staff through the Government Vehicle Scheme and Senior Officer Vehicle Scheme as per the State Fleet Policy.

[3] The number of staff includes permanent, contract and temporary staff and any external parties).

[4]As required by the Public Sector Commissioner’s Instruction No. 6 ‘Workforce data reporting obligations.

[5] A workpoint includes a desk, enclosed office or counter where it would be reasonable to expect a person to carry out office work on an ongoing basis, irrespective of whether it is shared, used on a part-time basis or used as a hot desk.