How do I....?

How do I initiate a capital project?

New building projects must be discussed with the Division and Estates Services (projects@admin.ox.ac.uk) to ensure the work complies with divisional strategy and is technically viable. If this is the case, Estates Services will appoint a Project Manager to guide you.

No building works that may alter the fabric of a building in the functional estate or its services may begin without the approval of the Director of Estates Services acting on behalf of BESC. This includes works to be carried out by or for units.

For further information, please see the Capital Projects Initiation diagram.

Where can I find more information about capital projects?

All capital projects are developed according to the Estates Standing Orders.

The Guide to Capital Building Projects is intended primarily for the departments and the divisions of the University on whose behalf projects are executed, but it is hoped that it will be helpful also to others concerned with projects.

The Guide to Capital Projects (142kb) is a technical document that provides guidance to project managers on how to deliver building projects according to University standards.

How do I apply to the University for project funding?

Please see Guide to Capital Building Projects sections 2.3 – Funding and 2.4 – Consideration of Proposals.

What are my responsibilities as member of a Project Sponsor Group?

Please see Estates Standing Orders Section 4.1.4. (Capital Projects Management.)

How do I know when my project needs Estates Services input?

No building works that may alter the fabric of a building in the functional estate or its services may begin without the approval of the Director of Estates Services. This is a University Regulation approved by Council.

How do I register my project with Estates Services?

Contact the Capital Projects Administrator by emailing projects@admin.ox.ac.uk

How are Estates Services involved in my project?

All new building or refurbishment projects must be discussed with the division and Estates Services to ensure the works comply with divisional strategy, estates strategy, and is technically viable.

Estates Services will appoint a project manager to guide you through the necessary University procedures and ensure that the project is appropriately managed throughout delivery of the works.

The project manager will ensure that all necessary approvals and authorisations are in place before committing the University to any financial expenditure and will ensure compliance with necessary University Regulations, Standing Orders or other approved policies.

How do I obtain discounted bus and train travel?

Purchase your season ticket via the University Bus Pass and Train Pass Schemes.

How do I set up a videoconference meeting?

Ask your departmental administrator for local details and facilities. Find out more at departmental administrator for local details and facilities. OUCS have an information page about videoconferencing.

How do I join a car share team?

Register with the University Journeyshare scheme.

How do I find out about the University's waste policy and targets?

Refer to the Waste Minimisation pages.

How do I get help on waste management issues?

Email sustainability@admin.ox.ac.uk

How do I get help on hazardous waste issues?

Contact the The Safety Office on (2) 70811.

How do I find out the energy performance of my building?

Contact the Alan Wood (tel. 78780), alan.wood@admin.ox.ac.uk.

How do I find ways of saving energy and water in my building?

• Energy pages
• Water pages

Contact Alan Wood (tel. 78780), alan.wood@admin.ox.ac.uk.

How do I pay for energy and water saving measures?

Energy Saving - Further Help and Resources.

Contact Alan Wood (tel. 78780), alan.wood@admin.ox.ac.uk.

What is facilities management?

Facilities management covers all services required to operate and maintain a building, from repairs and maintenance to porterage and cleaning. Estates Services are responsible for repairs and maintenance. Departments are responsible for services such as cleaning, waste disposal, and porterage. Full details on responsibilities can be found in the Estates Standing Orders.

Who is responsible for facilities management within The University of Oxford?

Estates Services are responsible for repairs and maintenance. Departments are responsible for services such as cleaning, waste disposal, and porterage. Full details on responsibilities can be found in the Estates Standing Orders.

How can I get advice on facilities management?

Contact the Estates Services Strategic Facilities Manager or email fm@admin.ox.ac.uk.

See also: Facilities Management

What do I do if I am unsure who to contact?

Email your query to fm@admin.ox.ac.uk.

How should I report an emergency fault?

In the event of an emergency:

• Monday to Wednesday between 0800 - 1630hrs: phone the Helpdesk on 70877.
• Thursday and Friday between 0800 - 1600hrs: phone the Helpdesk on 70877.
• Out of working hours: phone the Security Services 24 hour manned control room on 72944. Security will then contact the on-call DLO staff or contractor to deal with the problem.

How do I access FacilityNet?

To access FacilityNet, you will need a username and password which can be obtained from the System Administrator. Please complete the FacilityNet application form (20kb) and send to:

Tracey Iles, System Administrator, Estates Services, University of Oxford, The Malthouse, Tidmarsh Lane, Oxford OX1 1NQ.

How do I find out what work is being done on my building?

All repair and maintenance work is logged on Planon and can be viewed through Planon FacilityNet.

The work is designated as:

• current work: work requests made by your department
• reactive work: small scale repair works identified by Estates Services
• planned work: larger scale refurbishment or replacement work and also routine maintenance such as lift inspections.

The progress of the work and the person responsible for the work and their contact details can be viewed on the system.

How do I find out who is working on my repairs?

Estates Services will endeavour to give departments advance notice of any work to be carried out on their building, including information on who will be undertaking the work. For planned and preventative work such as lift maintenance this will be 7 days advance notice of works. For work being carried out by the Direct Labour Organisation, logged work will carry a service level timing within which the work should be carried out. For work within the following 3 weeks, DLO staff will report to reception when they come to do the work. For work on a longer timescale or where requested, DLO staff will contact the department in advance.

All external contractors have their insurance and Health and Safety Documentation checked on an annual basis. Any concerns about contractors' performance or behaviour in departments should be notified to the responsible person in Estates Services.

What service level agreements are in place?

When a problem or request is reported it is assigned a priority. These priorities reflect the urgency of the fault or request and our commitment to respond within a certain timescale. These are:

• Immediate: an incident likely to endanger life or cause structural damage to property.
• Within 8 hours: an incident causing serious disruption to building users or causing damage to property
• Within 48 hours: an incident causing some inconvenience to building users
• Within 1 week: an incident requiring minor repair/maintenance and causing very minor inconvenience to building users
• By arrangement: an incident causing no inconvenience to building users, usually an improvement, minor alteration work or superficial repair

Service level targets are reported to BESC on a termly basis and can also be viewed on the Estates Services website.

How can I report feedback or log a query with Estates Services?

When a job is completed, you will automatically be sent a feedback form.

How do Estates monitor customer satisfaction?

Responses from the feedback forms are reported to BESC on a termly basis. In addition an annual questionnaire is sent to its customers. The responses are analysed and an action plan developed to improve service. See the results and Estates response to the most recent survey. 

Where do I find the Standing Orders?

This has been replaced by the Estates Standing Orders.

How do I apply for a new air conditioning system in my building?

Please fill in the Air Conditioning Approval Form (12kb)

How do I get more space for my department?

See the Space and Building Information page on requesting additional space.

How do I correct the space information for the building I occupy?

See the Space and Building Information page on modifying space data.

What do I do on receiving notice of a planning application for a neighbouring building?

All information received about planning applications must be sent to the Information Management Team.

What do I do if I am contacted about business rates?

See the Space and Building Information page on business rates.

How do I obtain plans of my building(s)?

The Information Management team can arrange access to the necessary building drawings.

How do I find out about University standards relating to the amount of space provided for staff?

See the Space Standards document provided by the Information Management Team.

How do I find out how much space my department occupies?

See the Space and Building Information page on space data.

How do I find out what I am being charged for space?

See the Space and Building Information page on space charging.

I am thinking of doing work in my building – do I need University approval?

All building work on the University functional estate requires approval. Please contact the Estates Services.

How do I find out if there is asbestos in a building my department occupies?

Asbestos reports are recorded in the Asbestos Register. For further information about asbestos please contact the Asbestos Co-ordinator.

How do I change the name of the building my department occupies?

Changing the name of building must be done via the Information Management Team. Some guidelines for naming buildings are available on the Building Numbers and Space References page.