2016-11-14 General Committee Agenda

SERVICES & ORGANISATION COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA                                     8 NOVEMBER 2016



6                        DESIGN SERVICES TEAM RESOURCING ARRANGEMENTS
DOCUMENT INFORM AT ION




Author                           Design Coordinator, Craig Eldridge
                                 Planning & Infrastructure Department

Index                            ECM/ Subject/ Staff Management/ Organisational Structures
                                 ECM/ Branch Management/ Planning & Infrastructure

Attachments                      Nil


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Not applicable.

RECOMMENDATION
That Council note the report by the Design Services Coordinator to the Services & Organisation
Committee Meeting dated 8 November 2016 and endorse changes to Council’s organisational
structure that includes an increase of two fulltime equivalent (FTE) staff, one a permanent FTE and
one a three year fixed term position in the Infrastructure Planning & Design Branch.


REPORT
The capacity of the Design Services section is currently not managing to keep pace and deliver
designs for the current capital works programme, which is impacting on its ability to deliver the
current capital works programme and to provide ‘shovel ready’ designed plans in a timely manner
for future years.

With the ongoing development of Council’s 10 year capital programme and asset management
plans, the demand for additional design resources continues to increase. The resourcing of the
Design Services section to deliver on this programme is critical to the delivery of identified and
emerging projects in the capital programme.

Currently, Design Services are delivered through a combination of three in-house designers,
supplemented by the use of external design consultants. Under the current delivery model, a large
volume of design work is outsourced to consultants, however, this approach to delivery comes at
a cost due to the need to still require management and checking to ensure that Noosa’s quality
and design standards are being met.

Following an assessment of current workloads, and considering the future demands on the team,
it has been identified that additional resources will be required to provide support in delivering
Council’s ongoing Capital works programmes.

The Design Services review considered how resources can be employed to assist with the delivery
of designs for the current programme and to meet delivery targets for future years. It concluded
that two Project Coordinators would be required, as a minimum, to assist with delivering designs
and create greater in-house expertise and flexibility.

These additional technical positions would be allocated to the Infrastructure Planning & Design
Branch in order to increase the volume of outsourced design work and to project manage external
design consultants. It is considered that of the two fulltime equivalent (2 FTE), one would be a
permanent fulltime position, with one being a three year fixed term position to assist with creating
a build-up of ‘shovel ready’ design projects ahead of the capital works programme.

                                                                                         Page 39 of 111