An evaluation of how VfM can be achieved from a government’s perspective in relation to school building projects in Ireland

Children of primary school age in Ireland are expected to increase in number by at least 10 per cent, and possibly even higher, by 2025. This means that new schools will have to be built rapidly to keep up with the demand for school places. The Department of Education and Skills (DoE) has decided to use a generic repeat design (GRD) and design and build (D&B) procurement route for school building projects where appropriate to satisfy this rapid need for new schools. This GRD option aim is for the DoE to produce standard designs which design consultants, then use to design and construct a school building. The D&B option involves bundling a number of schools together and bringing a contractor in to design and manage the project. As the design and the cost limits are set by the DoE this means that other areas need to be investigated to ensure VfM is achieved. These areas include the construction and post occupancy stage of each of these procurement options. In order to achieve this a review of the literature is presented which begins with a definition of what value means and goes on to investigate how VfM can be achieved at the construction stage and post occupancy stage of a school project. This is followed by the constraints and procedures that need to be adhered to in the delivery of school accommodation which has been set out by the DoE. The fieldwork involved undertaking semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders at both stages on GRD projects and D&B projects to explore whether a more holistic interpretation of VfM can be achieved. From this the emerging themes are identified at construction stage, which include the area of stakeholder satisfaction and sustainability. At the post occupancy stage the themes that have emerged following the literature review and the data collection and analysis include the design, user requirements and any additional issues. The overarching finding implies that it is crucial to consult all stakeholders at the construction and post occupancy stage to ensure that VfM is achieved