Public Procurement and Property

Launch of the refreshed Property Controls Guidance

February 19, 2025 by Emma Hall No Comments | Category Property, Scottish Procurement, video

We have launched new Property Controls Guidance that has been developed by the Single Scottish Estate (SSE). This guidance supports the SSE work for a more efficient approach to public sector property management, optimising costs and estate footprint. It also enables the delivery of excellent public services, providing staff with great places to work, while recognising the shifts in working culture since the pandemic.  

The SSE is supporting publicly funded bodies to work across organisational boundaries to co-locate, share on-site services wherever possible, and make best use of technology and changes in working practices while build on existing good practice. There is also opportunity to identify opportunities for short, medium and longer-term improvements, to help towards our collective duty to deliver Net Zero commitments.  

In the short video below, Ivan McKee MSP, Minister for Public Finance, outlines the key benefits and efficiencies the guidance aims to deliver. The full transcript of this video is available at the bottom of this page. 

The SSE aligns with the Resource Spending Review and with Public Services Reform, providing enabling levers and opportunities through co-location and the strategic estates strategy. This supports the transformation of public services for what is required now and in the future. 

Property Controls 

The Bodies in scope of Property Controls are those covered by the Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) for Leasehold and Property Acquisitions. Public bodies should engage with their Scottish Government (SG) sponsoring team (where applicable) and Scottish Government’s Property and Construction Team as early as possible, ideally a minimum of 2 years ahead of an expected event. 

The controls cover: 

• administrative accommodation, non-operational estate and anything ancillary to that function (including separate storage facilities) 

• mixed use administrative or operational buildings where office accommodation is the majority use (50.1% or greater) 

• public bodies in Scotland or Scottish public bodies working internationally 

Bodies will be supported by a SG surveyor throughout the process, which will include: 

• engagement with SG Sponsor Teams and the SG Property Controls Team 

• appraisal of public sector estate options  

• development of strategy – which may include the procurement of independent professional advice 

• business case development 

• preparation of the business case 

• implementation support 

We encourage relevant public bodies to read and embed the use of the new Property Controls Guidance. We are learning collaboratively and would welcome your feedback on the guidance and templates, as we continually strive for improvement.  

To send feedback and questions, please email the Property and Construction Team at PropertyandConstruction@gov.scot. 

If you are interested in hearing more about the Management Information Platform Scotland, please contact: procurementmidata@gov.scot. 

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For further information on public procurement in Scotland please visit www.gov.scot/procurement

Please email enquiries to scottishprocurement@gov.scot

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Single speaker transcript, Ivan McKee: 

I’m delighted to be launching the refreshed Property Controls Guidance, which has been developed by the Single Scottish Estate programme team.
We are supporting a more efficient approach to public sector property management, optimising costs, our estate footprint, and enabling the delivery of excellent public services, which builds on the ongoing improvement work.

Using strategic asset planning, we are working across the public sector to share space and maximise the efficient use of existing buildings.
The Property Controls Guidance brings together the principles of the Single Scottish Estate, business case best practice, and the factors considered by Ministers for property matters, into one single document.

This work recognises the shifts in working culture following the Covid pandemic, and will help to ensure our public sector estate is affordable whilst also providing civil servants with great places to work. It’s important that we continue to work collaboratively with public sector bodies as work progresses, to ensure the greatest benefits can be achieved, and these new Property Controls will support that.

The Scottish Government carried out a review of the public sector estates portfolio in early 2022, which focused on the Central Civil Estate, and a key action from that work was to clarify processes for stakeholders, including the business case process.

The new guidance enhances existing best practice to support and promote consistency among public bodies.
It’s been kept straightforward, and proportionate to the level of risk and investment, and aligns with our goal of adopting a more streamlined approach, while still ensuring the necessary consideration and scrutiny of public estate expenditure.

A key focus of the Single Scottish Estate is ensuring alignment with Public Service Reform. This includes supporting publicly funded bodies to work across organisational boundaries to co-locate, share on-site services, make best use of technology and changes in working practice to optimise the estate footprint. These new Property Controls assist in the delivery of this work.

As we navigate ongoing financial challenges, our commitment to Public Service Reform remains steadfast, ensuring that services are sustainable in the future and effectively improve people’s lives. These ensure engagement with all sectors of public service, including health, local authorities and central government bodies. They support public service transformation by offering clear guidance and a consistent methodology for leaseholds and property acquisitions.

The new business case templates have been developed to articulate what a succinct business case looks like. They also serve as checklists for essential components that must be addressed in alignment with the Property Controls, during reviews.

One significant challenge we face is the consistent capture of data and property statistics. We hope that the new templates will enhance our ability to track efficiencies and cost savings, allowing us to analyse the public estate improvements and inform our collective planning and decision making.

We anticipate that as those following the new process become more familiar it will become more streamlined, saving time and minimising potential delays through to decisions.

I would encourage everyone to read and embed use of the new Property Controls Guidance and can assure you that we are learning collaboratively and would welcome your feedback as we continually strive for improvement. 

Tags: property, property controls, public sector, Scottish public sector, Single Scottish Estate

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