Academy sites - Delivery of capital projects

Revised date January 2020

 

Works in design development prior to conversion

Where a project is within design development the project manager must, as an integral part of the Gateway Review, check the status of any school via the database held by the Council

http://schools.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cms/node/112

Where it is likely that a school may convert to academy status prior to the award of a contract the service provider (SP) must liaise with the councils academy team as soon as practicably possible after the issue of the academy order. This is necessary in order for the academy team to liaise with the academy to determine whether the works will be let directly by the academy through a funding agreement.

Where it is known that the works will be on an academy site the feasibility study shall:

  • Demonstrate that the brief can be delivered
  • Establish the delivery programme taking account of the need for the academy to directly procure design and construction
  • Establish the reasonable budget provision that will be necessary to deliver the project taking account of:
    • The design and construction costs
    • The costs to OCC in employing agents to meet the funders role set out within the funding agreement
    • The costs to the academy in employing agents to support their client function
    • Reasonable project contingency’s

Upon governance approval the SP shall liaise with OCC legal and the academy to agree the funding agreement to deliver the project. With the exception of smaller works the funding agreement will release funding in two tranches; firstly to enable the design and procurement of the project; secondly to release funds to enable the academy to contract the works.

The SP can offer full design and construction services to the academy through direct contractual arrangements but clearly this is the choice of the academy. The council will rely upon the academy to ensure best value and compliance with its own own procurement policies.

Should this design and construction service using members of the OCC partnership but directly contracted by the Academy be selected the SP must ensure that the interests of the county council are properly managed to avoid any potential conflict of interest.

 Key documents