AUDE Estate Strategy Good Practice Guidance 2013

AUDE has published an aide memoire to the preparation of an Estates Strategy for members.

It has been well documented that a university’s expenditure on its estate is second only to institutional expenditure on staffing. It is imperative therefore that Directors of Estates and Facilities have an appropriate development strategy in place for the efficient and well planned running of their estates.

It is incumbent upon Directors of Estates and Facilities to provide assurances to Vice Chancellors and Governance Boards that the university has an estates strategy which will ensure that their estate is fit for purpose; well planned; affordable; cost effective; responsive to the university Corporate and Strategic Plan; integrated with other university strategies and meets the needs of these plans over an agreed timeframe.

As timeframes are generally five to ten years in estate planning terms, the Estate Strategy should be regularly reviewed and updated to meet changing economic conditions, student, academic and research needs.

This document aims to lead Directors of Estates and Facilities through the estate strategy development process with reference to sample documentation and other sources of guidance.