Expectations for government office accommodation
Government office accommodation needs to become more agile, responsive, and resilient. A recent Government property mandate change, and the setting of new expectations, is re-focussing the way government office accommodation is organised and coordinated. The more organised and coordinated focus will support the drive to regional growth, the future of work, and a standardised approach to fit out and design.
This portfolio approach to government office accommodation will focus on delivery of the outcomes required.
The expectations for the future of government office accommodation are:
A citizen/community focus
- Government office accommodation focused on delivery of services to citizens in metro and regional areas. Aiming to provide simplified and streamlined access for people to interact with government agencies.
- Where possible, accommodation integration with local and regional agencies, in order to support regional growth initiatives and provide resilience.
More collaboration between agencies
- Public sector agencies working together better through co-location and joined up services. Agencies co-located based on functional and sector alignment.
- A fit-out and design style that provides consistency across all government agencies. New Zealand Government branded offices, with agency specific branding as appropriate to maintain cultural identity.
Providing workplaces that value people
- Contemporary workplaces that are safe, secure and that support a modern mobile workforce. Designed to integrate technology and modern management practices, and become great places to work.
- Building fit out and design measured for sustainability and energy efficiency.
- Physical security and safety needs considered.
Value for money
- Continue the drive for efficiency through reduction in space requirements, and through standardised fit-out, with a long term focus on reducing ongoing operating costs.
- Quality standards linked to delivery of services to the citizens and communities.
Leadership of the property portfolio
- The property mandate now places greater emphasis on close collaboration between agencies and the Government Property Group (GPG).
- It places a strong imperative on early engagement, and exploration of requirements in terms of location and colocation of accommodation opportunities.
- An office accommodation programme approach will have a forward looking view of requirements, and meet the anticipated need in a timely way. GPG will assess and approve transactions for office accommodation and public interface areas, in accordance with the expectations.
- If needed GPG will be able to acquire, obtain and hold future properties, either owned or leased, on behalf of the Crown.
Development of a Government Office Accommodation Programme
This will be a forward looking programme that will anticipate accommodation options and opportunities in advance.
We will be working alongside agencies to inform you of the mandate changes and new expectations and gather information to help inform the development of a Government Office Accommodation Programme. The framework and governance is still being developed. This is a journey to modernise government office accommodation and it will be undertaken over time.
The Cabinet paper on mandate changes for the delivery of the government office accommodation programme: