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Government Property Unit
The Government Soft Landings Policy – September 2012
Executive Summary
The Government Construction Strategy of May 2011 identified the need to improve the value
offered by public sector construction and within this soft landings was identified as a way to improve
performance of buildings and to meet the requirements of those that use them.
Working under the remit of the Government Construction Board, these objectives have been
brought together to develop the Government Soft Landings (GSL) policy.
The ongoing maintenance and operational cost of a building during its lifecycle far outweighs the
original capital cost of construction, and GSL identifies the need for this to be recognised through
early engagement in the design process.
GSL has been developed during 2011/12, by the Government Property Unit, working with a Task
Group of industry specialists. The policy is supported by the GSL Implementation Guide which
provides structure and guidance on how to embed and deliver GSL into central government (see
Appendix A for GSL document hierarchy). The policy is aligned with the principles and stages
recommended by the BIM Task Group.
The recommendation is that this policy should apply to all new Central Government projects and
major refurbishments and should be implemented by central government departments during 2013
working towards a mandate in alignment with BIM in 2016.
Application of the policy will be the responsibility of the Central Government Departments and their
identified GSL Champion. A GSL Stewardship Group will be established to continue to develop and
refine the GSL Implementation Guide, taking on board feedback and lessons learnt from
Departments, wider public sector, industry and on-going trial projects.
Objective
As stated in the Government Construction Strategy, May 2011, Soft Landing objective:
Aligning the interests of those who design and construct an asset with those who subsequently use
it
Specific Action : Trial introduction of a period (say 3 to 5 years) of post completion proving of the
asset by constructors. Note connection with BIM and its potential to connect design and
construction information to asset management.
Outcome sought : Project designed and delivered to required operational standards; and to allow
asset to operate to the required standard for the whole of its life.
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Recommendations to Government Construction Board
1. Endorse GSL Policy and Implementation Guidance Documents
2. Agree move of GSL to BIM team for implementation of GSL and alignment of task groups,
ensuring that GSL maintains its identity.
3. Update GSL policy and Implementation Guidance Documents October 2013 and issue
updated version with feedback/lessons learnt from GSL trial projects
4. Identify standard forms of Post Occupancy Evaluation and performance measurement for
GSL
5. Support requirement for GSL Champion’s in each central government department and
ongoing membership of Stewardship group
6. Mandate GSL with BIM in 2016 for all Central Government Department projects.
Benefits of GSL
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Provides a building that meets the end users needs and required operational outcomes
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Enables end user involvement at early stages and throughout project
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Enables early challenge of design decisions that may impact ongoing maintenance and cost
of operations
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The majority of asset expenditure is during the lifecycle of the asset rather than the capital
expenditure – this ensures the impact on operational costs are considered early
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Provides fully populated asset data from COBie to CAFM, reducing the cost of data input to
FM Systems
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Ensures that full training, commissioning and handover provided at early stage and thus
reducing the cost of protracted handover and enabling building to reach earlier optimal
performance
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Provides clear measurements for building performance that are monitored up to 3 years
post completion with a mechanism for remedy from constructors/designers where
performance not met
Early feedback from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) an early adopter of GSL has identified
significant savings through the use of GSL on its new build and refurbishment projects, including
a seven figure sum saving on one major project. Improvements have been identified in future
design and operation of their facilities as a result of applying GSL. MoJ will now be
implementing GSL into all its future projects.
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Development of Government Soft Landings
GSL has been developed with assistance from the GSL industry task group consisting of members
from suppliers (construction and FM), designers, architects, academics, industry bodies, central
government departments and public sector representatives.
GSL is aligned to the BSRIA Soft Landings Framework (BSRIA BG4/2009).
The structure of the guidance documents is based around a series of Process Maps aligned to BIM
plan of work stages and COBie data drops. GSL has identified four focus areas where measurements,
key questions and outputs have been identified along the project timeline. These four areas are as
follows:
1. Functionality and Effectiveness:
Buildings designed to meet the needs of the Occupiers; effective, productive working
environments
2. Environmental:
Meet Government performance targets in energy efficiency, water usage and waste
production
3. Facilities Management:
A clear, cost efficient strategy for managing the operations of the building
4. Commissioning, Training and Handover:
Projects delivered, handed over and supported to meet the needs of the End Users
In addition, to reinforce the need to focus on End User requirements, a specific guide on how to
Design for Aftercare has been developed.
Inherent in the policy is the need to set performance targets, validated throughout the design stages
and evaluated post occupancy as the building comes into use. It is recommended that such
evaluation should be continued during the first 3 years of occupancy. The purpose is to ensure the
building is optimised to meet the needs of the end users, provide feedback to enable informed
design decisions on future projects and assess performance of the project team in delivering the
objectives of the brief
Fundamental to the concept of GSL is collaborative working and key stakeholder engagement at all
stages of the process. End user engagement is delivered through the role of the GSL Champion,
embedded into process.
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GSL Guiding Principles
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GSL will be a key element of the design and construction process maintaining the ‘golden
thread’ of the building purpose through to delivery and operation
Early engagement of end user and inclusion of GSL champion on project team during the
design/construction process
Commitment to aftercare post construction from design and construction team
Post occupancy evaluation and feedback to design/construction team and lessons learnt
captured for future projects
BIM will provide a fully populated asset data set to feed into CAFM systems and modelling
will enable planning modifications, this data will need to be maintained throughout the
building life cycle
Implementation
Financial value does not dictate how and to what intensity the process should be applied to each
specific project (there is no lower limit on financial value which triggers implementation).
The policy and implementation guidance documents are all designed around collaborative working.
They are governed through approval and sign off to all key decisions, aligned to the BIM Key
Decisions and Data Drops. Hence, there is no need to define capital value as to when to apply GSL,
or describe when or how each of the key focus areas are to be adopted specific to each project; that
decision making is built into the process – the stakeholders decide how to apply GSL specific to each
project
It is the responsibility of each Central Government Department to implement the policy. Successful
implementation will be through identification of GSL Champion(s) who will ensure that GSL is
applied to the department projects and become members of the GSL Stewardship Group. It is the
responsibility of departments Heads of Estate/Construction to ensure that GSL Champion(s) are
identified and put in place during 2013.
The GSL Champions will be identified from within existing departmental estate/FM/construction
roles with knowledge and experience of Facilities Management and building operations, they will
represent the needs of the end user within the project team. The department will ensure that each
project has a GSL champion on the project team.
Governance
GSL is governed by the Government Construction Board.
Ownership of GSL October 2012 onwards will move to the BIM Task Group led by Mark Bew. This is
to ensure that BIM and GSL are in total alignment and work towards the combined mandate in 2016.
Head of Facilities Management, Deborah Rowland from the Government Property Unit will continue
to be the key central government stakeholder and owner for FM and will remain as a member on the
BIM Steering Group as well as the Government Construction Board.
The GSL Stewardship group will become the legacy group for ongoing ownership of GSL.
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Alignment with best practice
GSL does not, and cannot, operate in isolation from other procedures, standards and statutory
guidelines. It is designed to be inclusive and add value to standard design processes:
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Implementation and stewardship will continue to be supported by the Government Soft
Landings Stewardship Group and BIM task group
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Industry best practice will be fed through the BIM4 groups and BIM Regional Hubs,
Construction Industry Council and FM Industry organisations.
The following documents, developed
understanding the origins, principles
concept:
The Soft Landings Framework
The Soft Landings Core Principles
by the Usable Buildings Trust and BSRIA, are useful for
and generic recommendations around the Soft Landings
– BSRIA BG 4/2009
– BSRIA BG38/2012
Ongoing GSL Development
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Develop GSL communications plan internal (departments) and external (FM/Construction
industry) – BIM is a tool for GSL – benefits to FM to be articulated - joined up approach with
industry bodies – BIM regional hubs and BIM4 groups to embrace GSL. GSL to maintain its
identity.
Identify standard Post Occupancy Evaluation methods and forms of measurement for GSL
Identify contractual method and measurements for tie back to design and construction–
explore extended defects liability (e.g. Procure21) – virtual trias with Willmott Dixon and
Laing O’Rourke with support from NEC.
Monitor and track benefits of GSL in trial projects and feedback lessons learnt to update
policy and guidance documents
Develop standard approach to input data from COBie to CAFM systems
GSL for infrastructure to be developed with support from ICE
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Appendix A - GSL Document Hierarchy
GSL Policy
GSL
Implementation
Guidance
Introduction
Functionality & Effectiveness
Process Maps
(BIM Stages)
Environmental
Facilities Management
Commissioning, Training &
Handover
GSL Champion
Outlinef
Design for Aftercare
Trial Projects
Feedback/Lessons
Learnt
TM22 Guidance
POE template
(under development)
Supporting
Information &
Refereneces
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