Appendix 1 Post Project Evaluation Document Project Name - Tower Street Authors - Jane Hotchkiss & Tracey Clark Document History Version Date Remarks Reviewers v.1 30.10.2012 Initial draft for discussion at project board meeting on 14 th November 2012 v.2 15.01.2013 Project Board Workshop 15 th January 2013 v.2 15.01.2013 Review by Project Officers and The Novium employees 24 th January 2013 Cllr M. Cullen Cllr J. Cherry Cllr J. Connor Cllr J. Duncton Cllr E. Lintill Cllr A. Scicluna Amanda Jobling Jane Hotchkiss Tracey Clark Ruth Wells Helen Belenger David Stewart John Ward Peter Legood Sarah Parker Cllr M. Cullen Cllr.J. Cherry Cllr.J.Connor Cllr J. Duncton Cllr E. Lintill Cllr A. Scicluna Cllr P. Dignum Cllr M. Woolley Amanda Jobling Jane Hotchkiss Tracey Clark Ruth Wells Eileen Lintill Jane Hotchkiss Tracey Clark Ruth Wells Annooskha Rawden Helen Wassell Catherine Scott Amy Roberts Roberta Leigh Emma Stubbington [Type text]
V3 26.02.2013 Review by CMT 27 th March 2013 Diane Shepherd Amanda Jobling Paul Over Steve Carvell Jane Hotchkiss NOTE: The completion of this document is required for projects over 50,000 in value or which involve significant resources from other sections. The document should be completed no later than twelve months after the completion of the project.
1.0 Project Background 1.1 Project Scope and Objectives From the original PID February 2006 Development of design brief for the whole site. Procurement of professional services, including project manager, for the development of the District Museum and with the possible addition of these services for the rest of the site. Procurement/ partnerships including the consideration of design routes. Construction of building for new museum ( or developer arrangement) Fit out of new building including design and installation of new displays Disposal of property assets. Original timescale on PID: March 2006 approval of PID fit out to be completed August 2009. It must be noted that the project evolved from the original PID completed in 2006 to the finished project today. The PID document referred to the investigation of the remaining car park area to be office accommodation and for the whole site to be developed by CDC. It was later resolved that there was not the demand for office accommodation and the housing proposal was developed. Feasibilities were also investigated around the inclusion of a café facility and the TIC however these were not included at the time due to constraints on the size of the building and the location of the TIC not being on one of the main streets. The project had already started construction and the foundations and drainage had been completed when the TIC service was reviewed again and added to the project. Internal walls had to be reconfigured to accommodate the TIC service and museum storage area was decreased. 1.2 Project objectives: February 2006 1. To provide a new District Museum as well as ascertain the most appropriate use of the residual site, that takes account of the long term needs of the Council and will meet the needs of a modern and flexible property asset. 2. The Museum building shall inter alia include the following requirements; Complies with the Disability Discrimination Act. Meets community needs through displays, public services, storage of nonarchaeological collections Give access to a significant part of the remains of the Roman Baths. 3. To use the Council s assets and resources (including staff) efficiently and effectively, for the museum collections in accordance with the Council s objectives and also the Asset Management Plan. 4. To increase visitor numbers and hence income from the visitors. 5. To produce a building or buildings that enhances the architecture and built environment of the City of Chichester.
6. To achieve the best price obtainable for the disposal of the existing museum and the remaining site at Tower Street in either capital or revenue income. 2.0 Success Criteria 2.1 Original business case and achievements No. Description 1. Capital cost of the overall project 2. Revenue Expenditure Measurement from original PID The cost must remain within the allocated budget, any variation to be approval by Executive Board (Cabinet). Estimated in January 2006 as 4.5m Revised budget agreed in December 2009 6,905m, the increase was due to inflation, duration fee claims and increase in the quality of the specification. The future operation of the museum will require an increase in revenue costs estimated at 132,000 in January 2006 Achievement Achieved within budget. The revised budget has been well managed throughout the project. Difficult discussions were held with the key members of the design team regarding claims for additional fees which were managed within the budget. This has resulted in the project being completed within the revised budget of 6,905m. With 80,000 remaining in budget. The figure listed under measurement does not include revenue costs associated with the tourism services which have also been incorporated at The Novium. The TIC and museum costs in 2008/09, excluding trading accounts, totalled 594,643. (last full trading year to base comparison). The budgets for the first financial year of operation (July 2012 to March 2013) are being monitored closely and will be reviewed at the end of the year. The estimated outturn is 590,700 this includes the additional increase in NNDR this financial year of 41,000 The estimated outturn is 4,000 less than the figure in 2008/2009. The total estimated visitor numbers to end of the year is 30,000, the net cost per visit/enquiry is estimated at 19.69 The Novium costs ( TIC and Museum) for 2013/14 are estimated at 692,000 this includes the additional NNDR costs as stated above and 93,000 increase in capital charges. If the total capital charges were to be removed then the
3. Revenue income 4. Achievement of property values 5. Quality Visitor Satisfaction Increased areas for retailing activity and for additional events will lead to an increase in income and spend per head. In March 2006 valuations indicated that the existing museum in Little London and the residual site in Tower street would provide a capital receipt of 2m A visitor satisfaction survey should be undertaken within the first year of opening- a target of 95% of responses should be satisfied or above. operational cost would be 599,000 including support costs. This budgeted figure is 97,357 more than the 2008/2009 base year and is 34,643 under the original growth estimate in the PID. The introduction of admission charges for the museum has seen an increase in the generation of income for the service. The income from admission ticket sales for the financial year is estimated at 50,000. The target was 55,000 for the first nine months of trading based on the target visitor numbers. The average spend per head from opening to end of December totalled 0.58 net. This is more than four times higher than the average spend per head at the old museum for the base year of 2007-8, when spend per head totalled 0.13 net. The introduction of charging also had an impact on secondary spend. Estates services have indicated that the disposal of the sites should reach the target capital receipt. A survey is currently being organised and prepared by the museum and corporate information teams. The survey will commence from May 2013 and run for a period of six weeks. This will ensure a wide range of general visitors have the opportunity to participate in the survey and that all aspects of the service can be reviewed. This will include museum and tourism enquirers, participants in events and group visits (such as school groups attending learning sessions). The survey will be available on a standpoint machine in the reception area at The Novium, in hard copy from reception and downloadable from The
6. Residential satisfaction 7. Numbers of visitors to the museum A satisfaction survey of the occupiers of the residential apartments The research consultants in 2006 predicted 63,000 visitors. This figure was based on free admission, TIC services and a café.. Novium website. This is no longer applicable as the residential units were not delivered as part of the project. Current residents living in Tower Street received regular communication from the client team and main contractors throughout the construction of The Novium. This ensured that any concerns were dealt with immediately and that good relations were maintained. The prediction of 63,000 visitors in 2006 was based on a joint museum and tourism service and therefore amalgamated the two visitor targets. Consultants, Colliers International, were appointed in 2012 to review and revise the 2006 visitor forecast. Colliers revised target for museum visitors was 32,000 (revised in April 2012 prior to admission charges being set). Museum visitors for the first eight months trading totalled 12053. The museum and tourism visitor figures combined for the same period totalled 27,918 The last year of opening of the old museum 2010 /11 had 4,231 visitors. The museum was open four days a week during this period and then reduced to three days at the end of the year. The previous year 2009/ 10 had 7,021 visitors and was five days a week for 10 months and then 4 days a week for two months A recent review of the visitor forecast by Colliers resulted in the visitor prediction being reduced further to 15,463 per annum. The reasons stated for the reduction was the economic climate and a reduction nationally in visits to museums and tourism attractions. They also stated that the marketing budget
8. Design issues 9. Usage of the museum. The quality of the museum, measured by compliance to brief, press reviews and nominations for awards. Performance indicator - a 50% increase in usage from the base year taken in 2007-08 should be increased and consideration given to a marketing officer post. It was agreed by Project Board that the original target of 32,000 museum visitors was to be retained for the first year. A review will follow once actuals have been obtained for the first year. For the launch of The Novium in July 2012 there was large press coverage in local, national and trade specific publications, websites and visitor blogs. A review was also undertaken by the Museums Association and reported in the Museums Journal, an international museum publication. The Novium has won two civic trust awards and applications have been submitted for a RIBA award and RICS award. An application for the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards is also due to be submitted in April 2013. Current achievements show that a 50% increase in usage against the 07/08 figures (19,380) as attendance has not yet been achieved. However there has been more than a 50% increase on the last trading year of the old museum. This performance indicator was originally based on the new museum being free admission. Therefore the admission fee is likely to have affected the ability to reach such an increase. Usage of the museum services, including school visits, has remained similar to the base year figures when the museum was free admission. The museum is currently free for students attending a teacher-led visit. A fee only applies if a learning session is booked with the Learning and Participation Officer. The number of visitors is recorded from these visits but there is no associated admission income, only a learning session income.
10. Revenue income form office space 48,000 of revenue income from offices There will be opportunities for the museum to apply for potential grants and funding, including the Curry Fund and through Arts Council England. Staff will review such opportunities as they arise. A marketing consultant has been appointed to revisit the marketing strategy and to investigate the feasibility of a café facility and income generation. This work is due to be completed by June 2013. The staff will also continue to work with the PR team to identify marketing and sponsorship opportunities. No longer applicable office accommodation was removed from the project. 2.2 Community Impact The Novium has made an impact on the District community and offers an improved museum service and access to collections. It has also provided a fully accessible space for the community to enjoy, something that was severely restricted at the old museum. Details of specific ways in which The Novium has had impact: A new museum for Chichester District and the South-East has been provided A purpose designed building of architectural interest that attracts many architectural students Unique view of in-situ Roman bath remains the most significant Roman remains in the city Improved access to the museum s geology, archaeology and social history collections. Many more objects on display in galleries, a view into the collections store and accessible library. There is also scope for travelling/temporary exhibitions and loans from national museums Improved and broader education opportunities with a developing learning service Better opportunities for partnership working and projects Improved online communications via website and social media sites Improved use of technology within the museum and exhibitions with multi-media, AV displays and touchscreen computers with increased level of detail of museum collections Increased access to collections and resources for research, including a secure research room in which to study A building fully compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act providing better access for those with physical and learning disabilities.
It should also be noted that: During the design stage the proposed improvements to the museum service were widely welcomed by the community. The scheme was on site from April 2010 to September 2011 and very few complaints were received from neighbours and other local residents during this time. The main contractor fostered very good relationships with neighbours during the construction phase. During the build-up to the opening we ran a Golden Ticket competition for members of the public to be the first to enter the museum. This was met with great enthusiasm and many people entered for the chance via social media, local press and radio. This initiative was further supported by a strong media campaign leading up to the launch to the public. A week of visits was also hosted for media, trade press and trade specialists. Since its launch, the design of the building has stimulated much discussion within the community. The response to the design has been mixed from local people with very positive feedback from professional organisations (RIBA) and tourists. 2.3 Community benefits The Novium has also had positive cultural, social, environmental and economic benefits for the local community by providing: Enriched opportunities to experience and engage with the archaeology, collections and multi-media interactives Inclusive events and projects which allow more opportunities for the community to interact with the museum services, objects and each other Thematic displays with objects dating from 500,000 years ago to the modern day which encourages intergenerational discussions and communication A sustainable building. The building achieved a rating of BREEAM very good and utilises renewable technology, namely a biomass boiler to provide heating to the building. A state of the art building energy management system is also installed to control the environmental aspects of the building. A shop which aims to work with local suppliers, craftsmen and artists to provide a selection of quality products An increased level of access and more expansive displays which have resulted in a more extensive service being offered to the local community There is also a successful partnership with the local college and university. Students are welcomed into The Novium to be inspired by museum objects and use this to produce coursework that can be displayed and shared in the museum for the interest of visitors. 3.0 Project Management Process The project management for new Tower Street project involved a Project Board, consisting of six council members. Reporting to the Board on a regular basis were the Director of Homes and Community, Assistant Director for Leisure and Wellbeing and Council Officers representing the Museum, Finance, Estates and Legal. A project manager was appointed (Robinson Low Francis) for the construction phase and a construction manager appointed (Appleyards) for the fit-out phase of the project. Throughout the project the architect, Keith Williams, and exhibition designers, Event Communications, were invited to attend Project Board to present design updates.
Overall the project management process for the Tower Street project worked well and, although delayed, the project was managed within budget. However, it is believed that a number of lessons could be learned from this project. 3.1 Project Board Overall it is considered that Project Board worked well for the Tower Street project and it was considered important to have the support of a number of members who received regular progress reports. All the members of Project Board were fully engaged with the project and recommended decisions to take to Cabinet. Although Project Board met at regular intervals actions requiring decisions or approvals tended to be slower due the process and were difficult to manage in a commercial environment linked to contractual issues, on occasion decisions were not forthcoming as additional research and information was requested or a consensus could not be reached within the Board. Such occasions resulted in actions having to be undertaken and achieved in very tight timescales by the Officers. Although Board approval was required for many decisions throughout the project it is suggested that greater delegated authority be used in when there is a commercial reason to act quickly and these actions then reported back. It is also suggested that each project is taken on its own individual merits regarding the need for a project board. 3.2 Internal Departments The level of contract management needed for the Tower Street project was extremely high due to the number of contractors involved and some issues that arose. Challenges to the contracts over issues, claims and fees resulted in long and tedious negotiations. Although the fee increases submitted by the design team and contractors were contained the discussions were extremely difficult and relied heavily on the knowledge and skills of the officers. Some of these negotiations required an increased level of legal advice and support and resources became stretched. Prior to the move from the old museum at 29 Little London there was a staff restructure to reflect and deliver the services from the new museum. This process took a long time to work through the structure and key staff left during this time, It is believed that if this had happened earlier than the new staff would have more prepared to take on the install and the resourcing of internal partners need to be committed to the project. 3.3 External designers and contractors Although there were negotiations and issues overall it was felt that the main contractor (Vinci) performed well and members were pleased with the building end result. Throughout the project the client team built up good working relationships with the majority of designers and contractors. This relationship enabled issues and problems to be dealt with in an amicable manner. A few issues arose with the external exhibition design team as work commenced with the designers and then was put on hold for a number of weeks when the construction stage of the project was delayed. When the exhibition work did recommence the majority of both the museum team and the design team had changed personnel which resulted in all the original ideas and designs having to be revisited. It was felt that the designer s did not allocate enough resources at the later stage of the project and this put pressure onto the museum team.
3.4 Communications During the exhibition fit out stage a number of the procurement packages came in over the estimated budget provision and had to be revisited, this put additional work load onto the team and the designers. The construction Manager worked through the procurement process but the museum team felt that decisions needed to be taken which impacted on the initial exhibition layouts. Some of the decisions from the fit out phase have led to later issues and are now requiring further reviewing so actions can be taken to resolve them. It is believed that some of this could have been avoided if decisions had been taken in a more timely manner however this would have impacted on the opening date which had been widely advertised. There was good communication between the client team and contractors regarding the development of the majority of the fit-out designs for the galleries but it appeared that some of these designs were signed off too early in the process. With early sign off it then resulted in agreed designs having to be changed at a later date. The level of communication within the officer working group was consistent. Communication, both formal and informal, occurred on a daily basis and review meetings held once a week, all work was achieved sometimes in a very tight timescale. Although working under pressure, attitudes remained positive within the team and dedication and determination continued throughout the process. 3.5 Timescales As the exhibition install process came at the end of the project and with contractors overrunning in the construction phase it significantly reduced the amount of time allocated for the install. This put a great deal of pressure on both the fit out contractors and officers. It also resulted in contractors and staff having to work around each other in the same gallery spaces which is not recommended when installing objects for display due to the risks involved. The timescale became squeezed at the end of the project and it is suggested that the use of soft opening be considered for other major capital projects. 3.6 Finance and visitor figures The initial business plan was produced for The Novium in readiness for opening in July 2012. However, much of this plan was based on calculated estimates as no actuals were available with The Novium being a new service the old museum could not be used as a direct comparison. As the seasonality percentages are calculated and actuals obtained the business plan will be reviewed and adjusted as necessary. Prior to producing the initial business plan an external consultant, Colliers International, was appointed to produce a visitor forecast for The Novium. A visitor target of 32,500 was suggested for museum visitors to The Novium. Such a target has currently not been realised and Colliers were asked to revisit the forecast to take into account the current climate with cultural venues and as the visitor breakdown suggested was not proving to be accurate. In their revised forecast Colliers suggested a visitor target of 15,463. This new figure is considered to be too low and the original target is currently being retained whilst actual figures are obtained. With the visitor figures being altered so dramatically there is a lack of confidence in the research.
The total museum and tourism visitors for the first eight months is 27,918 of which 12,053 is museum visitors and 15,865 is Tourist information visitors. The target for museum visitors for a 12 month period is 32,000; no target was set for tourism. 3.7 The Building The building has achieved BREEAM very good standard and the BEMS system is currently delivering a comfortable and consistent environment for both visitors and the collections. In addition a Renewable Heat Incentive grant has been agreed and will be received towards the cost of energy for the biomass boiler. The building has recently won two awards from the Civic Trust and has been entered into both the RIBA and RICS Awards and is also due to be entered into the Sussex Heritage Trust Awards. 4.0 Further action arising from this project An action plan appendix two for reviewing the services and galleries at The Novium has been developed as part of this evaluation and considers the timescale required for each action to be considered and completed. The Novium has been designed to be an ever changing museum, with flexible exhibition spaces, a wide range of services and a large collection. This means the services will constantly develop and change to ensure that we meet the needs of our visitors and users and provide accessibility for all.