Hiring a project manager or administrator for a school-led property project
If you need a professional project manager for your school property project, you must follow our procurement process.
When to hire a professional project manager
You must hire a professional project manager for any project that requires building consent. We recommend hiring a professional project manager for all high value or complex projects.
If your project is small, you can use a non-professional project manager such as a school staff member or board member. But, if you’re paying for project management services, you must use the Property Programme and Project Management (PPPM) panel.
If the project doesn’t require a professional project manager, you can also get project administration services (on their own) from some panel members.
Procuring a professional project manager
The PPPM panel is the only panel from which NZSPA and schools must engage programme or project managers for their property projects.
Process for schools
Refer to our PPPM panel members list to see who’s available in your region, and make a shortlist – you’ll find it on our property suppliers panel page.
Request for property project management service form
Use the request for property project management service form to ask for quotes from your shortlisted suppliers. Make sure that you fill out the first 3 pages of the form to clarify your requirements and the skills needed, including cultural needs if appropriate, before sending it to each supplier.
We highly recommend you invite each shortlisted supplier for a school visit so you can meet in person. You should also check at least 2 recent references before evaluating their quotes.
Guidance on conducting reference checks and due diligence
You can use the evaluation summary template available on the second to last page of the request form to help when you’re reviewing quotes.
Once you’ve completed the entire form, send a copy to your property advisor so they can put it in your property file.
You can use your own discretion to award the contract to your preferred supplier – you don't need to get your property advisor’s endorsement to award the contract. However, you must notify us about who you’ve contracted for project management services by sharing your completed request for property project management service form.
You’ll find the contract templates for project management services in our property procurement section – see step 4 in particular.
When project managers can provide additional services
Schools may get the best value by allowing their appointed project manager to provide other professional services, such as design or quantity surveying.
The project manager can provide the additional service only if both the following criteria are met.
- They have no conflict of interest.
- The maximum possible value of the other professional service is less than $50,000 (excluding GST) over a 12-month period.
Project managers must be approved to provide an additional service. Procurement sponsors can apply for this approval from their school property advisor when submitting the project manager’s conflict of interest declaration to them.
The project manager cannot provide the additional service when either:
- they have a conflict of interest, or
- the maximum possible value of the other professional service is $50,000 or more over a 12-month period.
Paying for project management and setting fees
You need to pay for project management as part of the project budget.
You can negotiate either an hourly rate fee, or a fixed fee for the duration of the project.
- A fixed fee is often better for a project with a set scope and budget.
- Paying an hourly rate is generally beneficial for smaller projects or for longer-term contracts where there’s uncertainty on the exact requirements, and work is completed as needed.
Seeking competitive quotes will allow you to assess value for money in the current market.
If you need more help, contact us at sp.procurement@schoolproperty.govt.nz.
What your project manager needs
Your project manager needs to be familiar with everything at your school. They need access to:
- your 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP)
- information on delegations for the project
- your school’s property maintenance plan
- your school’s hazard register and asbestos management plans
- project forms.
They also need to be familiar with the following requirements.
Designing standards for New Zealand schools