Vice Admiral Tim Laurence has launched an Office of Government Commerce campaign to improve property asset management across the public sector.

Today, the OGC has announced that it wants to identify skills gaps and improve the skills of public sector property managers. This is so it can meet targets set out in the government’s Operational Efficiency Programme of reducing annual running costs of the central government property estate by up to £1.5bn by 2013.

As part of the campaign, the OGC has published guidance for organisations on its Property asset Management Capability assessment Model (PAMCAM). This is a self assessment tool that poses questions to identify where there are skills gaps and where improvements can be made.

Laurence, who is head of the asset management profession at OGC and chief executive of Defence Estates, said that it is important to ensure that the government estate is managed as efficiently as possible.

“Building a sense of a broad professional community is a key objective of this new profession,” he said. “The pan government campaign will help develop our identity and our role in managing government’s property assets to meet business objectives. I am delighted this work is now gathering pace, and that the foundations of the profession are being put in place.”

Louis Armstrong, chief executive of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors welcomed the campaign.

He said: “We are working closely with the OGC in this field, on best practice standards, guidance, training and qualifications. There is a real sense that the value of professionalism is increasingly being recognised by government, as we strive to use property more effectively to reduce cost and improve the delivery of public services.

“Strategic asset management by skilled professionals will be essential if we are to emerge from the recession with the public finances in better shape, and the government’s property holdings fit for the future.”

In February, Public Property UK held an exclusive interview with Laurence. To read the transcript, click here: Vice Admiral Tim Laurence interview

Public sector workers who want to join the Government’s PAM profession should contact the OGC’s Service Desk on 9 or email quoting “PAM”.

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