1.3 Operating principles and environment
1.3.1 Operating principles
The 4 key operating principles underpinning the Office Accommodation Management Framework, approved by Cabinet and administered by the Queensland Government Accommodation Office (QGAO) on behalf of the Department of Energy and Public Works (EPW) are as follows:
- Directors-General and Chief Executive Officers are responsible and accountable for their agencies' utilisation of office accommodation and office accommodation services
- office accommodation and services are to be provided and utilised on a commercial, market-comparable and user-pays basis
- whole-of-government needs take precedence over a single agency's needs when significant benefits to government are to be realised or when significant cost savings can be achieved. Accordingly, office accommodation in government-owned buildings must be used in preference to leasing additional accommodation from the private sector
- agencies are to be represented in office accommodation matters by 1 authority, the Department of Energy and Public Works (EPW), and must not compete in the marketplace. EPW is the managing authority for all government office accommodation (both owned and leased from the private sector) including office accommodation leased between other agencies.
1.3.2 Environment
The environment within which the OAMF operates incorporates:
- legal and regulatory components which include common and statutory law, and compliance with regulations, codes and by-laws
- physical, economic, technological and social aspects.
The OAMF also operates within the government's policy environment and operates subject to government policy and Cabinet decisions. The OAMF is consistent with Cabinet Decision Number 04040 of 12 September 1994 which approved the management and occupancy arrangements for government office accommodation. The approved arrangements are included as the supporting reference Policy and guidelines for the use of owned and private sector leased government office accommodation .
The Deputy Directors-General Accommodation Group and Queensland Government Accommodation Office (QGAO) have critical roles related to office accommodation strategy and planning for the Government’s office building assets.
Design aspects need to consider changing technology and how it impacts workspace design and will need to comply with government information technology standards.
Social aspects concern the employees and the community's expectations and include recognising new patterns of work (working from distributing work centres (DWC/ home/telecommuting, job sharing, etc.), and ecological sustainability.
The OAMF's operating environment also recognises and supports government-endorsed regional development strategies and local authorities' development control plans.