The Road to GEMZ: Part Three
The Power of Data: One Set, Many Uses
The Road to GEMZ (Great Estate Management Zero) is a four-part blog series highlighting the challenges academies face in achieving strategic oversight of their estates, often leading to misinformed decisions and poorly costed outcomes. Catch up on the first instalment here.
Data, when well-curated, is the gift that keeps on giving. But its value isn’t just in the numbers themselves, it’s in how that information is translated for different audiences. The level of detail required for an estates team making day-to-day operational decisions will differ significantly from the high-level dashboard that helps trustees or governors assess risk and make strategic choices.
This principle applies across the board. The data that underpins an estates strategy – aligned with the expectations of Good Estate Management for Schools (GEMS) – may well be drawn from the same source as that used in a decarbonisation funding bid, but it won’t be presented in the same way. The criteria, emphasis and messaging shift depending on the purpose. What’s needed is a system that can draw from a consistent evidence base and tailor outputs to suit a range of scenarios.
Baseline data and benchmarking figures, too, provide a useful point of reference. They help to build a narrative over time, allowing for transparent, auditable decision-making. This is particularly important in areas where decisions can otherwise appear subjective. The ability to clearly show your workings – to explain why a choice was made and what alternatives were considered – is increasingly important.
Indeed, under the new Procurement Act, schools and trusts are expected to demonstrate greater transparency in how decisions are made – especially those involving public money. This includes areas such as tendering, where a weighted scoring system or marking matrix can offer a clear and justifiable rationale behind an appointment. Structured options appraisals are no longer simply best practice, they’re a core expectation.
Of course, for this approach to work, the underlying system must be intuitive and accessible to all parties involved; clients, consultants, and supply chain partners alike. A good example of this is scenario planning for Capital Project Programmes (CPPs), where a trust might be weighing multiple priorities within a fixed budget. The best outcomes often emerge when capital investment decisions are cross-referenced with energy performance data, CAPEX and OPEX figures, and the long-term strategic goals of the estate.
Similarly, when preparing bids for capital funding or leases compliant with the Academy Trust Handbook, contemporary and accurate data becomes a critical success factor. It strengthens the case and supports return-on-investment arguments.
Given the volume and variety of data held within any school or trust, it’s vital that information can be efficiently retrieved, interrogated and repurposed. The more scalable and dynamic the system in place, the better the organisation can respond to changing needs.
And finally, this level of preparedness pays dividends when engaging in discussions with other schools, trusts, or dioceses around collaboration or potential merger. A strong handle on estate data – and a clear strategic direction – sends a powerful message.
The last instalment of The Road to Gemz is due in August – tune in for more and see where this road is leading…
