Audit Scotland logo

Good practice guide

Asset management in local government

A checklist for elected members:

  • Is asset management a clear component of the council’s overall strategy determined by the council?
  • Does executive leadership of corporate asset management clearly reside with the chief executive, supported by the corporate management team?
  • Does the council have an asset management strategy and published plans which support the council’s corporate objectives?
  • Is property seen as a corporate resource?
  • Are elected members engaged with property asset management and is asset performance regularly reviewed by members?
  • Are property management responsibilities clearly set out at a corporate and service level?
  • Are there adequate resources at a corporate level, to review property assets and running costs?
  • Does the property management service have adequate information systems to support property maintenance?
  • Are the information systems used to support asset management linked to other relevant systems, for example geographical information systems?
  • Has the council conducted an options appraisal for ensuring that the property maintenance backlog is being managed effectively?
  • Does the asset management plan ensure that all planned work reflects the results of a systematic option appraisal?
  • Is the work of the property management service planned to minimise long-term costs?
  • Are senior managers aware of the property costs of the buildings services occupy?
  • Is there a programme of property reviews?
  • Is information on running costs and environmental impact available to the review team?
  • Is there a corporate approach to options appraisal and the prioritisation of capital projects, in line with corporate objectives?
  • Are decisions on capital projects based on a clear business case, including options appraisal and whole-life costing?
  • Does property maintenance have the resources to meet its policy objectives and is adequate priority given to routine maintenance within the budget setting process?
  • Is funding for maintenance linked to the condition of assets?
  • Does the council work with its community planning partners to achieve economies of scale in asset management?
  • Are unit costs benchmarked against other councils and the private sector?
  • Does the asset management service maintain an effective performance management framework, to continuously review and improve its performance?
  • Are there annual performance plans, agreed by council members, setting out targets for improvement?
  • Does the council include this information in public performance reporting?

Back to top