City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: NOVEMBER 23, 2016
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Update on Strategic Facility Planning Process.
BODY
ISSUE: How to strategically plan for future investments in City facilities.
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council receive this report.
BACKGROUND: This purpose of this memorandum is to provide an update on scope for the development of the City’s Strategic Facility Plan. City Council directed staff to develop a strategic approach for municipal facility planning and spending to guide future decision making. As a result, $250,000 was budgeted in FY 2017 to support the development of a Strategic Facility Plan (SFP) to aid in decision making for future City facility investments. The City’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) budget for FY 2017 to FY 2026 includes $442 million in identified specific projects directed towards investment in current and future City ($168 million) and Alexandria City Public Schools ($274 million) facilities. This does not include additional $242 million in additional facility funding needs identified by the School Superintendent or for additional City facilities projects to be identified in the forthcoming FY 2008 to FY 2027 CIP ($TBD).
Strategic Facility Plan best practice, according to the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), is “to identify the type, quantity and location of spaces required to fully support the organization’s business initiatives and should be framed within the organization’s vision.” The Strategic Facility Plan will include the following components:
• Existing condition analysis
• Organizational needs mapping
• Gap analysis
• Site-Suitability Criteria Development
• Recommendations for implementation, including:
• Recommendations for new spaces/buildings
• Facility cost projections/life cycle cost analysis
• Capacity analysis and use recommendations
The Strategic Facility Plan is the first of three components of the entire facility planning process, which also includes the Master Plan and the Annual Facility Plan (often referred to as an approved budget or generically as a tactical plan).
While both the Strategic Facility Plan and the Master Plan address the same issue of what buildings and space are needed to support the organization’s strategic goals, it is important to distinguish between the two to avoid confusion. The Strategic Facility Plan primarily focuses on the macro level, which holistically addresses the organization’s needs and identifies the gaps that need to be filled in order to further the overall mission. The Master Plan (otherwise known as the facility master plan or campus master plan) provides a framework for the physical environment or site specific issues that incorporate the buildings like the infrastructure, function and aesthetics but still considers scenarios on how the project location influences and fits the community needs identified in the Strategic Facility Plan. Attached is a chart titled “Comparison Table for Master Plan, SFP and Tactical Plan” (Attachment 2) that illustrates the differences between the three components of facility planning.
The first step in developing the Strategic Facility Plan is to understand and map the current geographic distribution of City leased/owned assets by use. Next, the project will identify and map facilities needs based on projects funded in the CIP as well as those identified in current department and Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) plans. In addition, staff will catalog and map programs and services across the City to show spatial distribution, identify gaps, and assess opportunities to cluster services into “campuses” in strategic locations. Finally, the goal is to optimize the City’s investment in municipal facilities by establishing criteria for prioritization, site suitability, and co-location. How can we as a City be smarter about how we manage, invest and plan our facilities currently and in the future? This effort aims to develop a process, plan, and methodology that will guide the City in making facilities based decisions that can maximize the return on investment.
Project Approach
The development of the Strategic Facility Plan is a collaborative effort between the Department of General Services, the Department of Planning and Zoning and the GIS Division of ITS. The work will be conducted in five phases, with initial recommendations focused on strategic guidance timed to feed into FY 2018 budget deliberations in the fall of 2016. It is anticipated that Phases 1 and 2 (Attachment 3) will be completed by City staff. Technical assistance will be provided in Phases 3 and 4 by experts specializing in this type of work. In regards to civic engagement, a Strategic Facilities Plan project webpage will be created to share information about the process and work products. In the spring of 2017, opportunity to comment on the progress will be provided through public meeting(s), and AlexEngage, the City’s online civic engagement tool.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: City Facilities Maps and Tables by Ownership and by Use
Attachment 2: Comparison Table for Master Plan, SFP and Tactical Plan
Attachment 3: Schedule and Deliverables
STAFF:
Laura Triggs, Deputy City Manager
Jeremy McPike, Director of General Services