For the last 18 months the University has been in the process of looking for a new partner to deliver our campus Facilities Management (FM) services. These services are responsible for how the campus is maintained and looked after day-to-day, and how improvements are made over time, with services focused on the management of our estate and grounds, transport, security, and cleaning services – to name but a few. Our current partnership with Mitie for Facilities Management services comes to an end at the end of June.
Over the past few months, colleagues representing a cross-section of the University community have been hard at work examining bids from potential new suppliers. Input has been provided by academic and student representatives to ensure that the whole University has had a chance to inform the process.
The decision-making process is almost complete and the successful supplier is expected to be announced in the Spring.
It’s been a long journey so far, so let’s take a look at how the campus community has been at the heart of the process...
Responding to the needs of our campus community
The views and needs of our campus community have been a key driver for this work. In spring 2023 over 2000 members of our campus community, an equal split between students and staff, took part in a survey seeking their views on FM services on campus.
Several themes emerged from the survey which have helped guide what we are looking for from the new supplier. Respondents rated the expertise and professionalism of SEF staff very highly. However, there was a general desire for greater communication, particularly in terms of updates around maintenance and cleaning requests.
SEF staff were also invited to complete a survey, which demonstrated a similar desire for improved communication with the University. SEF staff felt proud to be working with Sussex, and were keen to explore ways to reduce bureaucracy and promote the sense of being part of one team.
Feedback from focus groups
Following the survey, focus group sessions were held with University staff and students from a wide range of backgrounds to better understand the issues raised.
The most common suggestion was for a closer integration of FM services into university life. Sussex staff suggested that bringing some services in-house would lead to greater cohesion between University and SEF, as well as promoting a shared sense of commitment and understanding. Academic staff members drew particular attention to the need for flexibility, and for our FM services to adapt to research-specific needs and the demands of the academic calendar.
Introducing a hybrid model
This feedback, along with detailed analysis of our current services, showed that the University would benefit from a ‘hybrid FM model’ where certain services and roles are brought in-house when it makes operational and financial sense to do so.
The process of introducing this hybrid model has now begun, and will form the basis of how we work with our new FM supplier. According to current timelines, the new supplier will be announced by early April and then a handover period will begin to ensure a seamless transition from Mitie when the new contract begins at the start of July.
For more information about the FM changes taking place, visit the FM procurement project page or subscribe to the Transforming Sussex newsletter for a monthly email updates on all major change projects taking place at the University.