CASE STUDY: Feasibility study for a national government property database in Norway
WHAT: Advisory support to assess the need and define the requirements for a centralised property database for the Norwegian Government
WHY: To enable cost savings and efficient property management through a comprehensive overview of all state-occupied premises
Understanding the property landscape
Statsbygg, the Norwegian Government’s buildings agency, faced a widespread challenge: it lacked a complete picture of the properties occupied by the central government. While Statsbygg managed around 35% of these properties, the remainder were either owned by other state entities or leased from the private sector.
“There is no central database of all the premises the state occupies,” explained Øyvind Foldal of Statsbygg. “For coordination and cost-savings purposes, there’s a clear need to collect information from all sources, so we can get an overview of all state-occupied property. It’s a precondition for efficient management.”
This ambition was first proposed in a 2012 government White Paper, which referenced the UK Government’s central property database as a successful precedent. The concept gained formal momentum when Statsbygg’s 2013 Steering Document tasked the agency with evaluating the need for a national property database and delivering a preliminary framework for its creation.
Drawing on international expertise
Recognising the need for specialist knowledge, Statsbygg enlisted the support of Remit Consulting. Bridget Hardy, who had played a key role in creating the UK Government’s property database, was brought in to lead the project. She was joined by Remit Partner Melita Thomas, whose experience in public sector ICT projects brought valuable insights, and Assistant Consultant Jamie Henderson.
“When we started the work on the sketch, we were delighted to get the assistance from Bridget Hardy,” said Foldal. “We knew she had extensive knowledge on the subject matter and had worked first-hand on the British database.”
A collaborative and responsive approach
The project launched in January 2013, with a tight April deadline. The Remit team began by visiting Oslo to gather information and conduct stakeholder interviews. These were carried out in English, with translation support from Foldal. Their objective was to understand the current property data landscape and identify barriers to integration.
The work was divided into two main areas:
1. Recommending the best approach for establishing a central database, including key success factors and potential risks
2. Analysing existing data sources to determine what could realistically be incorporated
To meet the compressed timeline, Remit provided regular interim reports. Jamie Henderson delivered weekly updates, outlining completed tasks and next steps. This agile reporting structure enabled close alignment with Statsbygg’s evolving requirements.
“We didn’t want any surprises at the end,” Foldal remarked.
Addressing Norwegian policy priorities
While the project drew on the UK’s experience, key differences emerged. For example, Norway places greater political emphasis on universal access and environmental performance, which influenced the selection of performance indicators and data priorities.
Working with the fragmented and inconsistent data sources was another significant challenge. Foldal acknowledged this: “The information is not well centralised—there are many different databases, categorised in less than ideal ways for integration into a central database. However, this wasn’t a problem. It just strengthened the business case for creating one.”
Laying the groundwork for transformation
Remit Consulting’s team presented their final findings in Oslo in mid-April 2013. The presentation, attended by representatives from Statsbygg and the supervising Ministry, concluded that a central government property database in Norway was both feasible and highly beneficial.
However, the team cautioned that implementation would be complex. Their recommendation was to begin with a pilot involving motivated Ministries, providing a controlled environment to test and refine the approach.
“Yes, it won’t be a simple project,” Foldal agreed. “But now we know what needs to be done, how we can do it, and have a clear picture of the huge benefits we could gain.”
For further information, please contact Andrew Waller.