Summary

In 2008, the Commission of Audit conducted a performance audit on the relocation of the Environment Council, examining whether the relocation planning and the interior works design were thoroughly prepared and thought over or there were aspects which might have been better done. The audit aimed at the establishment of references for public departments regarding construction of office buildings, office relocations and interior works and also urging the competent supervising entities to lay down guidelines and control mechanisms regulating office building, office relocations and interior works, with the ultimate goal of making the application of public money more reasonable.

1.1. Audit findings and opinions

1.1.1. Preliminary considerations and planning of the office relocation were not thorough and prudent

1.1.1.1 The relocation of the Environment Council was rather precipitate as it was carried out without knowing when it was going to be reorganized into a bureau level department and from a rent free to a rent paying place with triple area, measuring 26 000 square feet, for the same staff of circa 24 and with the same institutional functions.

1.1.1.2 The choice of the new premises was not careful enough, since they didn’t offer the necessary conditions to store chemical products nor to set up a chemistry laboratory, which impeded the Environment Council to fully discharge its duties.

1.1.1.3 The organization of the spaces didn’t follow any criteria and was ineffective. The usage rate of the multipurpose room for conferences and exhibitions was low — only some 10 events were staged in it, occupying merely 42 days within a period of two and a half years.

1.1.2 Insufficient heed dedicated to the relocation and the user wasn’t active in the control

1.1.2.1 The follow up of the relocation was negligent, since it was not noted that the real estate agent was not empowered by the owner to handled the renting of the car parking slots, which caused additional administrative works and delays in the process as well as the need to rent 2 parking places.

1.1.2.2 The preparation of the design was not effective, since it took more than 10 months.

1.1.2.3 The control of the works was lax. There were no clear standards for the environmental friendly materials to be applied and the Environment Council was not acquainted with documentation used in the public tender nor with the bill of quantities, which caused delays and frequent alterations of the works and the impossibility to comply with ecological principles.

1.2 Comments and recommendations of the Commission of Audit

1.2.1 The audit conducted by the Commission of Audit concluded that because there were no official guidelines on construction of office buildings, office relocations and interior works, the Environment Council acted subjectively in the procedure for choosing the premises, in the design of the interior works and in the selection of construction materials, causing risks in squandering public money. Renting spaces in commercial buildings to seat its operations, the Environment Council exposed itself to variables of the market that influence the rents the Council wasn’t exempted from. The society, in general, is becoming more and more sensible to environment protection and the Environment Council, being the department in charge of protecting the environment, should have laid down standards for the interiors works and have also exercised a supervision and control in terms through which it could present itself as an example to be followed in the field of environmental protection.

1.2.2 Based on the case of the Environment Council, the Commission of Audit suggests that objective norms should be defined to regulate the remodelations, relocation and building of offices for the Public Administration as well as guidelines and control mechanisms to set offices floor areas, per capita area, specifications for interior works and parking places. The competent department should assess the allocation of office spaces in an integrate perspective, striking a balance between rented spaces and owned spaces, so as to protect itself from the market fluctuations and avoiding the inherent losses. In the remodelation works, a posture of prudence and functionality should be adopted towards the spatial and functional organization. Guidelines for an environmental friendly construction should also be defined and supported by adequate controls.