PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Harvey H. Kaiser Associates, Inc. (HHK) is a consulting firm providing services in architecture, urban planning, and facilities management. The firm's mission is to provide facilities advisory services to define public and private organization's short- and long-term strategies to manage facilities assets, linking strategic planning and master plans and financial capacity. Established in 1995, HHK is a continuation of professional consulting services provided by Dr. Kaiser since 1970. Home office activities are conducted in Syracuse, New York.

HHK conducts its activities through consulting engagements, research, and publications. HHK maintains a small core consulting staff and augments that staff with experts from a network of consulting associates or forms teams with partner firms. Thus, the firm engages in various roles for consulting assignments as a 1) prime contractor, 2) member of joint venture or associated firms, and 3) as a subcontractor. This approach allows HHK to assemble teams with skills that uniquely suit each project and to charge clients hourly professional fees that are unburdened by the overhead costs of maintaining a large staff.

HHK consulting engagements, research, and publications are designed to guide sound physical asset management decisions. Typically, services are engaged for unique and challenging issues, requiring creative solutions to complement the client's programmatic and financial objectives. The following are areas of facilities advisory services:

STRATEGIC FACILITIES PLANNING

Strategic facilities planning provide a context for effective facility decision-making. The strategic facilities plan links organizational programmatic goals and mission with a realistic and credible long range development plan. In simple terms, the Strategic Facilities Plan answers the question, "in what direction should our facilities management organization be directed to best support our operational and financial objectives?" The strategic facilities plan ensures that the most appropriate facilities are available to support the mission, goals, and objectives of an organization.

CAPITAL PLANNING

Capital planning for facilities improvements links an organization's strategic facilities plan with available financial resources providing prioritized project descriptions, including budgets, timetables for implementation, and possible funding sources. An HHK hallmark in capital planning is the comprehensive integration of relevant factors to portray all necessary capital improvements for 10-year period. HHK services are committed to a consensus-based capital planning process. A core team of specialized consultants is incorporated into the process, as appropriate. A five-phase process model guides the process.

MASTER PLANNING

Preparation by HHK of a master plan for the highest and best use of land holdings provides skills in integrating strategic plans with a comprehensive facilities development program for new construction, capital reinvestment, renovations, acquisition and/or disposal of property. HHK's client-based approach integrates strategic plans with physical planning to create a connection between an organization's processes for overall strategic and physical planning. Data collection and analysis, supported by extensive interviews, results in a set of planning principles to guide the preparation of a concept plan. HHK is frequently engaged as a master plan team member for specialized skills in translating strategic and academic plans into facility requirements.

SPACE PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT

HHK space planning and management services, typically, answer: How much space do we have? How can we improve space utilization? What is the condition? How much space do we need? HHK services provide a client with a space inventory, a space utilization assessment, projections of space needs, and standards planning standards and utilization guidelines for the future evaluation space utilization and design of new or renovated facilities. An overall plan for the optimization of existing use is designed to improve the productivity of capital assets.

FACILITIES CONDITION ASSESSMENTS

An HHK facilities condition assessments produces and evaluates a comprehensive analysis of 1) physical conditions, 2) functionality, 3) special purpose needs, and 4) infrastructure and general campus development needs. The analysis integrates findings into a list of prioritized capital projects. HHK can direct the data collection process by an owner's staff or provide complete services for fieldwork, analyses, and presentation of findings. HHK is often called on to reevaluate assessment program and support presentations to governing boards, coordinating agencies, and legislative bodies.

BUILDING FEASIBILITY AND PROGRAMMING

HHK building programming and feasibility services provide a Program Study that presents alternative solutions for the development of a new or renovated facility. Factors considered are the essential elements of an owner's needs through interviews, and examination of site considerations, and viable alternatives to meet program, schedule, and budget requirements. HHK frequently assembles a team of qualified experts in their fields to ensure that a cost-effective solution is recommended that meets an owner needs, on schedule and within budget.

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATION EVALUATION

HHK has extensive experience in conducting reviews of facilities management organizations. Drawing upon prior experience to improve effectiveness and efficiency, realize potential cost savings, and improved facilities management department credibility, HHK utilizes special tools of analysis in facilities management evaluations in a five-phase process guided by Maintenance Management Audit (H. H. Kaiser & Applied Management Engineering, R.S. Means, 1992).

OUTSOURCING/PRIVATIZATION EVALUATIONS

HHK assists organization in evaluations of the potential for alternative deliveries of facilities management services. HHK outsourcing services concludes with a recommendation for the most efficient and cost-effective delivery of services. Consultation with administrative, financial, and legal counsel throughout the process ensures that a recommended solution fulfills goals and objectives consistent with an organization's traditions and management practices.

FACILITIES RENEWAL FORECASTING

HHK facilities renewal forecasting is an estimating technique determining the funds necessary for allocation in the annual operating budget for capital reinvestment. A model is used to forecast an annual renewal allowance for needs that could occur and a pool of funds is defined to be accessed for projects as required. The forecasting method is part of a suite of decision support tools to address backlogs of deferred maintenance and capital reinvestment.

DEFERRED MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT

HHK deferred maintenance management services concentrates on identifying existing conditions, structuring a capital program, and presenting findings. Two principle recommendations emerge from studies of deferred maintenance: budgeting must be structured to adequately fund capital renewal and reduce the maintenance backlog; and formal facilities condition assessment programs should be implemented as an effective step in facilities management. Deferred maintenance management services follows the process described in Harvey H. Kaiser's The Facilities Audit Workbook (APPA, 1992).