Utilization Rate Policies - nationalacademies.org

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Utilization Rate Policies A comparison across federal agencies Ryan K. Doerfler Senior Workplace Strategist PBS Total Workplace Program Management Office Updated : January 22, 2020

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Context

This document summarizes federal agency approaches for tracking the space utilization rate of a specific project, organization, or location. While every effort has been made to ensure it accurately reflects current federal policies, direct consultation with the agency is recommended in order to verify the utilization rate calculation method and goals presented here are current. For more information about this presentation, please contact Ryan K. Doerfler, Senior Workplace Strategist, at [email protected].

mailto:[email protected]

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Utilization Rate Approaches

The following utilization rate (UR) approaches are currently used by federal agencies and are illustrated further in the following pages:

All-In UR Total Usable Area

Total Headcount

Administrative Office UR (Total Usable Area – Special Spaces Usable Area)

Total Headcount

Headcount Reduction Variation

(Total Usable Area – Special Spaces Usable Area)

(% of Total Headcount)

Track Workspaces Variation (Total Usable Area – Special Spaces Usable Area)

Quantity of Workspaces

Total Office UR ((Total Usable Area – Special Spaces Usable Area)*.78)

Total Headcount

Individual Workspace UR (Track Workspaces Variation)

Individual Workspaces Usable Area

Quantity of Workspaces

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Individual Workspaces

3,465 usf (51% of Total Area)

Enclosed Meeting Rooms


Open Collaboration Areas

694 usf (10% of Total Area)

Other Standard Support


Special Support Spaces


Other Circulation


Total Area : 6,828 usf

49 ppl

No Desk Sharing

An Example Workplace This hypothetical scenario is used to illustrate the various utilization rate approaches.

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Method #1 : “All-In” UR (Total USF / Headcount)











Other Circulation


Example Total Area : 6,828 usf

Example Evaluated Area : 6,828 usf

Example Utilization Rate

139 usf/person PRO: Straight forward calculation. Data relatively easy

to obtain. Allows comparison between agencies within the same discipline (e.g. law enforcement).

CON: Inclusion of special spaces prevents comparison across multiple disciplines (e.g., law enforcement agencies vs. land resource agencies).

49 ppl

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Method #1 : “All-In” UR (Total USF / Headcount)

Currently Being Used By

Education (150 - 180 usf)

EPA (suggested 225 usf)

Transportation/FAA

(170 usf) 2

GSA (136 usf)

HUD (175 usf)

Justice (550 usf) 2

SBA (250 usf)

SSA Non-Public Facing (200 usf) 1,2

1 utilizes a unique method of measurement or calculation. Verify calculation methodology with agency. 2 applies to only certain organizations, locations, or sizes of space.

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Other Circulation



134 usf/person PRO: Straight forward calculation. Overall data

relatively easy to obtain. Allows for comparison across all federal agencies ,regardless of discipline.

CON: Requires measurement of Special Spaces so it may be excluded from the calculation.

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Method #2 : Administrative Office UR ((Total USF – Special Spaces USF) / Headcount)



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Agriculture (150 usf)

Commerce (170 usf)

DOD (130 – 210 usf) 1

DHS (150 usf) 1

Energy (180 usf)

HHS (170 usf) 2

Interior (150-180 usf)

Treasury / IRS General Office

(100-170 usf) 1,2

Labor (150 usf) 1

SSA Public Facing

(200 usf) 1,2

State (180 usf)

VA (200 usf)

USAID (160 usf)


Method #2 : Administrative Office UR ((Total USF – Special Spaces USF) / Headcount)

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Other Circulation





149 usf/person PRO: Appropriate when significant fluctuations in

headcount occur, such as with seasonal personnel.

CON: Data is needed over time to determine headcount levels. Can also be misinterpreted as a high UR if approach is not understood. Mathematically simpler approach is to reduce the UR goal instead.

90%

Method #2 Variation 1 : Headcount Reduction Same original formula, except use only a portion of the total headcount in the denominator

of headcount

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Transportation (150 usf - 190 usf / person;

90% of headcount)

% of headcount

Method #2 Variation 1 : Headcount Reduction Same original formula, except use only a portion of the total headcount in the denominator

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Other Circulation



134 usf/workspace PRO: Mirrors approach to developing space

requirements. Specified in OMB RTF Policy.

CON: Does not reflect workplace efficiency as used by the population. The UR will not change with changes in headcount, such as when desk sharing is introduced.

49 workspaces

Method #2 Variation 2 : Track Workspaces Same original formula, except replace headcount denominator with workspace quantity



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IRS Campus & Call Centers (170 usf / workspace) 1,2

NASA (180 usf / workspace) 1



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Other Circulation



105 usf/person PRO: Straight forward calculation. Overall data

relatively easy to obtain.

CON: Reduction of 22% is not based on actual space use. Open work environments will end up with an artificially high UR. Does not consider appropriateness of support spaces.

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Method #3 : Total Office (TTO) UR (((Total USF – Special Spaces USF)*.78) / Headcount)



- 22%

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Justice (100-130 usf) 1

OPM (135 usf)

1 applies to only certain organizations, locations, or sizes of space.

Method #3 : Total Office (TTO) UR (((Total USF – Special Spaces USF)*.78) / Headcount)

- 22%

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Other Circulation



71 usf/person PRO: An accurate method for monitoring workstation

and office sizes. Focuses on the same evaluated spaces as Total Office (TTO) UR.

CON: Detailed data is often difficult to obtain. Does not consider appropriateness of support spaces given the workplace needs.

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Method #4 : Individual Workspace UR (Individual Workspace USF / Headcount)



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No Agencies

Method #4 : Individual Workspace UR (Individual Workspace USF / Headcount)

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71 usf/workspace PRO: Mirrors approach to developing space

requirements. Specified in OMB RTF Policy.

CON: Does not reflect workplace efficiency as used by the population. The UR will not change with changes in headcount, such as when desk sharing is introduced.

49 workspaces












Other Circulation




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No Agencies


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Summary of Methods

Total Usable Area / Personnel

Administrative Office / Personnel

Total Office / Personnel

Education (150 - 180 usf) Agriculture (150 usf) Commerce (170 usf) Justice (100-130 usf) 2

EPA (suggested 225 usf) DOD (130 - 162 usf) 1 Energy (180 usf) OPM (135 usf)

Transportation / FAA (170 usf)

HHS (170 usf) 2 DHS (150 usf) 1

GSA (136 usf) Interior (150-180 usf) Labor (150 usf) 1

HUD (175 usf) SSA Public (200 usf) 1,2 State (180 usf)

Justice (550 usf) 2 Treasury / IRS General

Office (100-170 usf) 1,2 USAID (160 usf)

SBA (250 usf) VA (200 usf)

SSA Non-Public (200 usf) 1,2


-22%

= agency uses two methodologies

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Summary of Methods

Administrative Office / % of Personnel

Administrative Office / Workspaces

Transportation (150 usf - 190 usf / person)

Treasury / IRS Campus & Call Center

(180 usf / workspace) 1

NASA (180 usf / workspace) 1

90%


= agency uses two methodologies

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Considerations

• always make sure the most recent policies are being referenced; some are being revised now

• don’t take policy terms and formulas at face value; always walk through the definition and assumptions

• in addition to All-In and Total Office (TTO) UR calculations, try to calculate the Administrative Office UR using headcount (Method #2 above). This allows for the accurate comparison of workplace projects, regardless of agency.

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Source Documents

Agency Reference Document Pages Release Date

Agriculture AGPMR Advisory 16-01 Space UR Policy All Feb 2016

Commerce DAO 217-21, Space Allowance and Management Program 2 & 3 Aug 2013

Defense (Air Force) AFMAN 32-1084, Chapter 6 225 Feb 2016

Defense (Army) Army Regulation 405-70, Real Estate Utilization of Real Property (2006) and 2017 Update Army Memo

8, 14 March 2017

Defense (Navy) UFC 2-000-05N, Facility Planning Criteria for Navy/Marine Corps Shore Installations

1 Sep 2014

Education Departmental Directive OM: 4-103 2 & 6 Aug 2015

Energy DOE Memorandum, "Implementation Guidance for the Revised Office Space Standard"

1 Aug 2018

EPA EPA Facilities Manual, Space Acquisition and Planning Guidelines 11 Jul 2004

GSA OAS P7005.1, Internal Space Allocation, Design, and Management Policy 4 & 5 Apr 2014

HHS HHS Facilities Program Manual (Volume II), HHS Section 2-4 1 – 3 Oct 2011

Homeland Security DHS Instruction 119-02-003, DHS Workspace Standard cover memo & 2 Sep 2014

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HUD HUD Space Design Standards 6 Mar 2016

Interior Office Space Utilization Design Standard 2 Dec 2015

Justice DOJ Memorandum, "Real Property Design Standards“ & DOJ flow chart, "OA SF-81 Review for UR Procedures"

All Mar 2016 &

Undated

Labor DOL DLMS 2, Chapter 400, “DOL Space Management” 14 April 2017

NASA NID 8000-014, NASA Interim Directive (NID) for Acquisition of Administrative Office Space

2 & 3 Feb 2016

OPM Office Space Design Standard 3 Mar 2016

SBA SOP00154, Space Management Program 8 May 2006

SSA SSA Space Allocation Standard 7 June 2019

State Domestic Space Allocation Standards 1 Feb 2016

Transportation Order 4330.3, Department of Transportation Office Space Design Standard Policy

3 & 4 May 2016

Transportation (FAA)

FAA Order 4665.4a, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrative and Technical Space Standards

2 May 2016

Source Documents

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Treasury/IRS National Workspace Standards 1-1 & 1-2 May 2014

USAID ADS Chapter 517, Washington Real Property Acquisition and Management 8 & 16 Mar 2016

VA Memorandum, VA-Wide Administrative Office Space Standards 1 Sep 2013

Source Documents