Asset management
Direction and guidance for staff managing school assets. Supports planning, management and decision-making for school assets.
Audience
All staff employed by the NSW Department of Education, including all contractors, consultants, volunteers and committee members.
| Version | Date | Description of changes | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| V02.0.0 | 13/05/2024 | Under the 2023 Policy and procedure review program, this policy is consolidated with the Joint Funding of Capital Works in Schools and Demountable Accommodation for Schools policies. The Development Application Notifications for Neighbouring Developments (responding to) policy now sits alongside this policy. Policy converted into the new template and updated content to:
|
Secretary, NSW Department of Education |
Document history
2022 Oct 17 - updated policy statement to include information about requirements for playground equipment. All schools and departmental staff must refer to the Educational Facilities Standards and Guidelines website for all standards and processes relating to school assets.
2021 Oct 06 - new policy.
- Policy statement
- Students' learning and wellbeing needs are central to all asset management decision-making.
- The department manages an Asset Management Framework (the framework) that is appropriately resourced, continually improved and consistently aligned with the international standard ISO 55001 – Asset Management.
- The framework effectively supports staff to manage all department assets, maximise the value of public assets and ensure compliance with the NSW Treasury policy for asset management (TPP19-07).
- The department is committed to asset management proficiency and supports planning and decision-making throughout the school assets’ lifecycle.
- The department’s decisions about school assets, must:
- prioritise providing a learning environment that is safe, healthy and inclusive to support learning and teaching
- meet the needs of current and future school populations
- ensure that asset management planning considers the whole-of-lifecycle costs, age, sustainability and maintenance requirements of existing schools to optimise service delivery
- assess the resilience and vulnerability of assets to the impacts of climate change and manage those impacts
- be approved by School Infrastructure so that appropriate governance, health, safety and viability checks are undertaken before any asset-related works commence.
- The department continually improves and optimises the delivery of maintenance and renewal programs based on balancing risk, cost and performance elements.
- The department’s decisions about school assets, must:
- It is mandatory to obtain all necessary approvals before any work related to assets on department-owned property commences. All works must comply with applicable legislation, planning controls and department policies to ensure the health and safety of the school community.
- All new buildings and upgrade works must comply with the Australian Standards, National Construction Code, relevant legislation and supporting guidelines, and disability regulations at the date of delivery, as well as the requirements set out in the department’s Educational Facilities Standards and Guidelines.
- All staff are responsible for providing strong stewardship of department-owned assets, with some staff having specific responsibilities and accountabilities.
- School Infrastructure Regional Office staff must support schools and principals to comply with this policy and related procedures.
- As site managers, principals must:
- liaise with the School Infrastructure Regional Office to ensure that any asset-related matters are communicated and managed in a timely and appropriate manner
- seek approval from School Infrastructure before starting or endorsing any asset-related work, including work commissioned through another directorate, such as the Information Technology Directorate (ITD), and must ensure instructions provided by School Infrastructure Asset Management are adhered to
- seek approval from School Infrastructure for reclassifying any permanent or demountable spaces
- ensure compliance with work health and safety legislative obligations and/or duties and respond to unexpected events impacting assets.
- Executive Directors with responsibility for department-owned assets must:
- ensure compliance with the policy and their business area's Asset Management Framework through the annual attestation process to NSW Treasury
- lead and monitor asset management activities for their business areas.
- The Executive Director, Business Enablement in School Infrastructure oversees the Asset Management Framework.
- The Deputy Secretary, School Infrastructure:
- is responsible and accountable for asset management within the department, attesting to NSW Treasury in relation to the requirements of TPP 19-07 Asset Management policy
- approves the department's Asset Management policy and the Asset Management Framework.
- All staff must identify and manage risk and exposure to injury, liability, climate change dynamics and asset failure. This should be done through appropriate planning, procedures, risk management, condition and performance assessment.
- School Infrastructure has responsibility for:
- maintaining school facilities
- managing and/or providing instruction for all asset-related works on school sites
- ensuring the Deputy Secretary, School Infrastructure approves the reclassification of any permanent or demountable spaces
- delivering government-funded works
- ensuring that modifications, additions or alterations to built assets are delivered to the required standard and codes
- supporting principals and school staff to comply with the Asset Management policy statement and related procedures.
- Context
- Asset management is the coordinated activity of an organisation to realise value from its assets.
- The definition of assets includes an item with potential or actual value to an organisation. Department assets include facilities such as buildings, property including land and leases, plant and equipment, ICT and fleet.
- Asset management governance encompasses strong leadership, control, direction and accountability.
- The department must have an appropriate Asset Management Framework per NSW Treasury Policy TPP 19-07. The framework must be established and maintained, and align with this policy's requirements. This includes preparing necessary documents and the relevant international standards (ISO 55000:2014).
- This policy is one component of the framework, which also includes a strategic asset management plan, asset management plans and asset management objectives.
- Asset management objectives align with the Infrastructure NSW State Infrastructure Strategy and the Department of Education’s strategic plan.
- The following procedures support this policy:
- Other procedures available:
- Asset management is the coordinated activity of an organisation to realise value from its assets.
- Policy contact
School Infrastructure Inquiry Hotline
1300 482 651
schoolinfrastructure@det.nsw.edu.au - Monitoring the policy
The Executive Director, Business Enablement monitors the implementation of this policy, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.