22 October 2004
More informed decision-making and greater consultation with teachers should be incorporated into the commissioning of Private Finance Initiative school buildings, the Northern Ireland Audit Office has recommended.
In a report examining the first six 'pathfinder' contracts in the province, the NIAO concluded that not enough thought was given at the design stage to environmental factors.
In two PFI schools, insufficient consideration was given to long-term pupil enrolment numbers, with one school now operating at just 58% of planned pupil numbers. Given projected further falls of 30,000, the NIAO recommended that future PFI school schemes adopt more effective methods of predicting pupil rolls.
Early lessons from the pathfinder projects have been taken on board by the Department of Education and the Department for Employment and Learning, said the NIAO. Procurement is now conducted through clusters of schools and greater resources allocated to project management and scheme planning.
Overall, the quality of PFI schools in Northern Ireland is comparable to that in England and Wales and, in some instances, better, the report says. While PFI took longer than traditional procurement, construction was faster.
Although further improvements in PFI procurement are possible, the schools and colleges examined should last for 50 years or longer.
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