Case studies

Llandrillo College, North Wales

Client: Coleg Llandrillo Cymru

Service provided: management consultancy

pcm, in association with Bentley Jennison, were to prepare an estate strategy for the development of the college over a 10 year period. We also had to carry out demographic analysis, development of appraisal options and building condition analysis.

Programme:

Feasibility – research, analysis, time scheduling and reporting:

1. Condition surveys were undertaken of the existing estate.
2. Gap analysis was undertaken to identify deficiencies in the estate for current users as well as potential future use.
3. Consultations were carried out with the Estates Manager, the Principal and the Estates Committee.
4. Of the options established, the range of scale was from base case (minimum maintenance) to the building of a new college campus.
5. In the middle of the scale were options combining combinations of refurbishment and new buildings.
6. Option appraisals were then undertaken giving an outcome of:
   
   
   • Group A which were weighted with a factor of 3
   • Group B which were weighted with a factor of 2
   • Group C which were weighted with a factor of 1
     
     The quantitative analysis was undertaken in line with the capital investment appraisal methodology as defined by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. Timings for the projects within each option were assumed with the associated costs attributed to the middle point of construction/refurbishment. The appraisals assumed that funding for projects would be from Public sources and therefore the Treasury discount rate of 6% was used.
   
   
7. The analysis then plotted out all future costs and revenues for the base case option and all future costs and revenues for the remaining options were plotted on a separate sheet.
8. The best option was then chosen by combining qualitative and quantitative scores, identifying time periods and costs per time period for the College to ascertain funding.

Findings of the study were brought together in a comprehensive report, which following approval of the Corporation Board, will be used for funding from the various bodies within government. The principal funder identified is the Welsh Assembly Government who had recently taken over from ELWA, Education and Learning for Wales. Due to the scale and the diverse nature of the project, timing was vital. pcm instigated a vigorous process to manage the interface between project analysis, keeping the team involved at early stages via contact reporting and regular meetings/interviewing processes.

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