Facilities Planning
Chapter 7830
Revised June 24, 2003; August 3, 2017
Table of Contents
.010 Campus Planning and Project Management
.020 Definitions
.030 Small/Medium Projects - Project Decision Process and Implementation
.040 Large Capital Projects - Project Decision Process and Implementation
.050 Exterior Campus Improvement Projects
.060 Campus Planning and Project Management Internal Fee Schedule
.070 Questions
Related Material
.080 Capital Project Process Flow Chart (pdf)
.010 Campus Planning and Project Management
Campus Planning, Design and Construction (PDC) is the campus conduit for all professional planning, design and construction services at Kansas State University. The department is led by the Assistant Vice President for PDC and is composed of six broad and overarching areas of service.
- Small/medium projects: small projects under $250,000 and medium projects under $1,500,000
- Large capital projects: projects $1,500,000 or more
- Building code, ADA/universal accessibility and fire and life safety compliance
- Campus space management, space inventory and project archives (see PPM Chapter 7850)
- Campus master plan implementation and overall campus project integration
- Exterior campus improvement projects
Primarily focused on project planning and management tasks, the department is composed of a broad range of professional experts including architects, engineers, interior designers, space management specialists, draftspersons, construction coordinators and archivists. Projects at Kansas State University are facilitated through the process of project delivery most often utilizing outside professional architects, engineers, technical consultants, construction managers and contractors according to the requirements of the University, Kansas Board of Regents and the State of Kansas.
The Associate Vice President for Facilities and University Architect has a statutory responsibility to serve as the agency representative in all planning, design and construction contractual procedures and is responsible for coordinating with the Kansas Board of Regents and State Department of Administration the administration of all minor and major renovation, alteration, remodeling or new construction projects. This is inclusive of all University projects throughout the state. The Assistant Vice President of PDC is appointed as the building codes enforcement official for all capital projects.
Capital improvement request (5-year capital project list)
All large capital improvement projects constructed on state-owned property or in state-owned facilities, regardless of funding source, including agency and gift funds, must be included in the Kansas State University capital improvement project request (5-year capital projects list) submitted to Kansas Board of Regents and State of Kansas Division of Budget annually. This includes all projects on each K-State campus and University property at any location.
The Associate Vice President for Facilities and University Architect/Asst. VP PDC are responsible for compiling the information for the University capital improvement project request. In conjunction with the Vice President for Administration & Finance, the Associate Vice President for Facilities is responsible for approval and submits the request to the Kansas Board of Regents by March 1. Projects not submitted during the regular budget cycle may be submitted through the Vice President Administration & Finance to request Regents' approval to amend the capital improvement project list.
Pursuit of large capital projects, regardless of funding, require the approval of President’s Cabinet, the President, the Kansas Board of Regents, the Department of Administration and the State of Kansas Joint Committee on State Building Construction.
All medium projects, regardless of funding, require review by the Department of Administration and the Kansas Board of Regents Director of Facilities and all small projects, regardless of funding, may require review by the Department of Administration.
.020 Definitions
State Funded Projects
State funded projects are projects totally or partially funded from state general fund, tuition, restricted fees or other university revenue and private gift funds. For state-funded projects, the University is statutorily required to procure architectural/engineering planning and design services through Department of Administration negotiating procedures. Construction services for large capital projects can be procured either through a competitive bidding procedure through the State Office of Procurement and Contracts or through the Construction Manager at Risk procedure through the Department of Administration. Construction services for small/medium capital projects can be procured through the Division of Facilities PDC, University on-call contractor or through a competitive bidding procedure through the State Office of Procurement and Contracts.
Large state funded projects are required to follow the seven-step process outlined in PPM Chapter 7830.040. Small/medium state funded projects are required to follow the five-step process outlined in PPM Chapter 7830.30.
Foundation Funded Projects
Foundation funded projects are projects totally funded with private funds and/or gifts. If projects include any funding source in addition to private funds and/or gifts, such as restricted fees, tuition, or grants, projects are considered state funded projects and the processes for state funded projects apply.
Large capital Foundation funded projects, whether new construction or renovation, to be constructed on state-owned land or in state-owned facilities require President and President's Cabinet approval, Kansas Board of Regents approval and the prior advised consultation with the State of Kansas Joint Committee on State Building Construction. Large capital Foundation funded projects are required to follow the seven-step process outlined in PPM Chapter 7830.040.
Small/medium Foundation funded projects, whether new construction or renovation/remodeling, to be constructed on state-owned land or in state-owned facilities may require Kansas Board of Regents director’s approval (projects between $250,000 and less than $1.5 million) but do not require consultation with the State of Kansas Joint Committee on State Building Construction. Small/medium Foundation funded projects are required to follow the five-step process outlined in PPM Chapter 7830.30.
State statute authorizes the KSU Foundation, for projects 100% funded with private funds and/or gifts, to procure and execute architectural or engineering agreements and construction contracts, after review and approval by the University Architect/Asst. VP PDC and Vice President for Administration & Finance. The Foundation is not obligated to follow the architectural and engineering selection or competitive bidding process as directed by the Department of Administration. However, at the request of the Foundation, the University Architect/Asst. VP PDC will assist in facilitating a jointly collaborative and openly transparent request for proposals for both professional architectural and engineering services selection and construction delivery. All design, construction documentation and execution of the work must meet university and state standards, as determined by the University Architect/Asst. VP PDC, the Office of CPPM and Department of Administration.
Alteration is changing the internal arrangement or other physical characteristic of an existing facility so that it may be effectively used for a current or new purpose. In many instances, approval to proceed is needed from various state authorities. Renovations/alterations are funded through a variety of funding sources including, but not limited to, university general use funds, the Repair and Rehabilitation allocation, departmental cash balances, gifts and in-kind contributions.
Capital (improvement) project relates to new construction or major renovation or alteration of a facility or grounds. Large capital (improvement) projects are projects that cover a whole or large part of a building or area and include construction costs at $1,500,000 or more, regardless of funding source, including new buildings, remodeling or alterations, annual maintenance and utility projects. Small projects are construction projects with construction costs less than $250,000 and medium projects are construction projects with construction costs less than $1 million.
New construction is the construction of a new facility or the addition, expansion or extension of an existing facility that adds to the building's overall external dimensions. These projects obligate the University for increased utility, operating and maintenance costs and add physical space to the campus.
Renovation/remodeling is the total or partial upgrading of a facility or grounds that results in a change to the existing building (structure) or uses in the building to higher standards of quality, efficiency or compliance with the latest building codes as per Kansas statutes than originally existed.
.030 Small/Medium Capital Projects - Project Decision Process and Implementation
Step 1. Concept scope – request for estimate
The requestor (with endorsement from a vice president, dean, unit leader) submits a general concept and proposed scope of work in the form of an Estimate Request to the Facilities Service Desk (see PPM Chapter 7810.050).
Step 2. Needs assessment/opinion of probable cost
Project is assigned to a project manager within the PDC department. Project manager meets with the requestor to complete a full project scope assessment based on the requestor’s concept scope and assists in the development of preliminary concept plans and general scoping notes for the project as needed to produce a high level budgetary opinion of probable cost. The project is also evaluated for feasibility and compatibility with the building structure, mechanical and electrical systems, the overall campus plan and applicable codes/regulations. It should be noted that this step is not intended to produce instruments of service suitable for bidding and construction. Some project scopes will require the assistance of an on-call architect/engineer to aid in the completion of feasibility and compatibility with the existing building structure, mechanical, electrical, plumbing or life safety systems. If an on-call architect/engineer is required, the costs of their services will be the responsibility of the requesting department. The requesting department will be required to provide funding source information prior to procurement of on-call architect/engineer services. This step is typically completed within 30 calendar days.
Step 3. Estimate returned to requestor (stakeholder) for review and approval.
Once an estimate is completed, the PDC project manager will discuss the scope and opinion of probable cost with the requestor. The scope and opinion of probable cost are the two elements used to establish the project budget. If the requestor wants to move implementation of a project into a full design and construction project delivery process, the following steps need to be completed:
- The requestor obtains the necessary approval from department head, dean or vice president/provost on the Estimated Project Budget form.
- Funding source (FIS project) is identified, and written authorization is provided to the CPPM project manager.
Step 4. Design
For projects with a total project budget greater than $250,000, PDC will prepare and forward the Kansas Board of Regents director’s approval request. Projects are reviewed for compliance by the University Architect/Asst. VP PDC prior to submission to the Vice President for Administration & Finance for Kansas Board of Regents approval. PDC, as applicable to each project, will request and have construction accounts established and will establish communication and follow processes required by Department of Administration.
PDC will coordinate the procurement of architectural/engineering services with Kansas State University on-call architect/engineer contracts for the design and production of instruments of service (plans and specifications) suitable for bidding and construction. On-call architect/engineering services shall be through the University Architect/Asst. VP PDC. Establishment of on-call architect/engineer services is the responsibility of the University Architect/Asst. VP PDC through State Department of Administration procedures.
All on-call architect/engineer services shall comply with State Department of Administration and Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) requirements for submission and approval by those jurisdictions. All code footprints and temporary egress plans shall be reviewed by PDC prior to submission to OSFM. PDC will submit code footprints and temporary egress plans to representatives of OSFM for review of compliance and acceptance.
Plans and specifications prepared for bidding and construction shall be reviewed by PDC and the Facilities department prior to submission to the State Department of Administration. Upon review completion, PDC will coordinate submission of plans and specifications to State Department of Administration for their code compliance review and building permit issuance.
Step 5. Construction
The requesting department has three options to complete the project.
- Facilities construction team: Based on current construction team project schedule and desired stakeholder timeline, the work may proceed on a "time and materials cost" basis. The requesting department shall submit a Work Order Request including the FIS project to cover related costs based on the agreed to scope and estimate established in Step 4. The department will receive a monthly billing during the progress of the work.
- On-call contractor: PDC project manager initiates construction services procurement through university on-call contractor contracts and the University Purchasing Office. Use of Facilities on-call contractor contracts are to be coordinated through University Architect/Asst. VP PDC and project managers.
- Advertise and bid the project: State Department of Administration will manage the bidding processes and will award the construction contracts based upon the University recommendation.
.040 Large Capital Projects - Project Decision Process and Implementation
This process ensures review and approval by the University President and President's Cabinet for conformity with University physical plans including the 2025 NextGen Campus Master Plan University strategic plan. All projects costing $1,500,000 or greater shall follow seven steps:
Step 1. Concept inception by university division, department or functional unit
A stakeholder, typically in the form of faculty, staff, department chair or dean, identifies current university facilities as inadequate to satisfy current and/or anticipated program requirements. New or renovated facilities appear to provide a viable remedy. If the dean or director of the college or unit determines the potential large capital project concept viable, it shall be submitted to their respective provost and senior vice president, vice president or President’s Cabinet member for discussion. If the unit head supports the project as consistent with university priorities and the University strategic plan, the project shall be forwarded to PDC for an early opinion of probable cost.
Step 2. Early opinion of probable cost
All opinions of probable project cost reference total project cost. There are typically three key areas PDC evaluates when developing an opinion of probable project cost.
- General project scope: Assessment of high-level area needs and building type of what is proposed to build or renovate plus building systems and support infrastructure not already in place. General scoping notes are produced and, if a renovation, the project is preliminarily evaluated for potential feasibility and compatibility with the building structure, mechanical and electrical systems and potential applicable codes/regulations.
- Market value of the given scope: Most often defined by dollars per gross square foot of comparable projects.
- Project time frame: Used to forecast bid market, inflation and construction planning.
Working through the University Architect/Asst. VP PDC, a project manager is assigned to lead the process of arriving at an early opinion of total project cost. Working with the originators of the project concept, the PDC project manager will ascertain a high level project scope with a targeted gross square foot, a target project cost/gross square foot based on current market value and a high level total project opinion of cost. In addition, a timed schedule of cost based on projected inflationary information into future years will be developed. Once complete, the information is provided to the originators of the concept and their respective unit head. The provost and senior vice president, vice president or President’s Cabinet member determines if the large capital project concepts moves forward.
Step 3. Needs assessment
Provost and senior vice president, vice presidents and President's Cabinet members are responsible for presenting large capital project concepts to the President’s Cabinet. The President’s Cabinet shall assess the project concept and probable cost to evaluate overall need and consistency with campus strategic plan documents and feasibility of funding. If Cabinet members and the president support the concept and determine it is in agreement with the campus strategic and master plans, the concept shall be forwarded to the Campus Planning and Development Advisory Committee (CPDAC) for review and conformance with the appropriate campus master plan. If private funding is recommended to support the project, the concept shall be forwarded to the KSU Foundation for a project feasibility plan to be completed. The CPDAC will report their findings and recommendations to the Vice President for Administration & Finance who will relay the information to Cabinet. The Provost and Senior Vice President will report to cabinet the outcome of the KSU Foundation project feasibility plan. President’s Cabinet will determine the capital improvement projects that are submitted on the capital improvement project request and those concepts that move forward for programming.
Step 4. Programming
PDC shall provide leadership and professional assistance to the stakeholder in preparation of large capital project program statements and budgets in a format consistent with Kansas Board of Regents capital improvement requests and Department of Administration procedures. All program statements completed for submission to the Kansas Board of Regents shall contain the following minimum elements:
- Introduction
- Project budget and funding sources
- Project schedule
- Space projections
- Space summaries
- Space descriptions
- Discussion of the impact the additional space will have on overall campus space inventory and master plan
- Yearly reoccurring utilities, operational and maintenance costs
- Clearly identified source of funding for such operation costs (or a state that such will not be required)
Large capital projects or specialty projects beyond the expertise of PDC may require outside professional consulting services to fully prepare the documentation for submission to the Kansas Board of Regents and the department will be responsible for the programming cost. Once an appropriate funding source (FIS project) is identified, the PDC Office and University Architect/Asst. VP PDC will assist in the procurement of professional consulting services.
Outside program consultants hired to prepare program statements shall be selected by one of the following methods:
- Foundation funds: Selection by RFP and interview process conducted jointly by University Architect/Asst. VP PDC and KSU Foundation staff. If the project is anticipated to include funding sources other than Foundation funds, the procurement of the outside services must be coordinated through PDC and may not be directly procured through Foundation.
- State funds: Selection of architect/engineer or on-call programming consultant through the Department of Administration
Note: For projects through the Department of Administration selection process, an option may be included in the state program statement advertisement allowing a continuation of the same design team into full design delivery upon written approval and availability of project funding.
In addition, the program consultants may be hired to prepare fundraising or other promotional materials at the request and direction of the stakeholder and/or KSU Foundation partners in parallel with the production of a formal program statement. This work may be included in the scope of services requested for an additional cost.
Step 5. Program statement approval
Once the program statement is completed, the responsible cabinet member will present the program statement to the President and President’s Cabinet for approval.
Large capital projects shall be presented to the University Budget Advisory Committee for review and input, and consideration of funding for the project and on-going maintenance operation costs.
Once approved by President's Cabinet and the President, the Chief Financial Officer and Director of Budget Planning will submit the program statement to the Kansas Board of Regents and amend the capital improvement request to include the project in the current fiscal year.
Step 6. Design
Any new campus buildings approved to proceed into design requires the PDC project manager to request a new building number, the establishment of construction accounts from the Administrative Support Center and the establishment of communication and processes required by the Department of Administration. For both funding options, a PDC project manager will provide leadership and coordinate reviews and required campus and state approvals.
State Funds
Procure architectural/engineering planning and design services through the Department of Administration (see note in Step 4 regarding A/E continuation option). Development of plans to follow Department of Administration policies and procedures for review and approval. Additionally, submittal and approval by the Kansas Board of Regents architect at design development is required prior to preparation of final plans.
Foundation Funds (if any funds other than Foundation funds, follow state fund option)
Selection through RFP and interview process conducted jointly by University Architect and University Foundation representative.
After approval of preliminary design, the architect/engineer prepares final plans and specifications. Note: submittal and approval by Kansas Board of Regents architect at design development is required prior to preparation of final plans.
Final plans and related documents shall comply with State Department of Administration and Office of State Fire Marshal requirements for submission and approval by those jurisdictions. All code footprints and temporary egress plans shall be reviewed by PDC and University Fire Marshal prior to submission to OSFM. PDC will submit code footprints and temporary egress plans to representatives of OSFM.
Plans and specifications prepared for bidding and construction shall be reviewed by PDC and the Facilities department prior to submission to the State Department of Administration. Upon review completion, CPPM will submit plans and specifications to the State Department of Administration for compliance review, building permit issuance and release for bidding.
Step 7. Construction
The assigned PDC project manager is responsible for construction delivery and maintaining schedules, coordination of contractors with departmental leadership staff and project budget management with support from Facilities teams and leadership from the University Architect/Asst. VP PDC. If the project scope of budget increases more than 10 percent, the Associate Vice President for Facilities will be immediately notified so the revised project scope and budget may be presented to the President’s Cabinet and Kansas Board of Regents for additional approval.
Construction of large capital projects are statutorily procured as follows:
State Funds
State of Kansas statutory preference for project delivery is through traditional design, bid, build construction delivery methodology as noted in Department of Administration policy and procedures. Major construction delivery milestones per this method:
- Department of Administration (OFPM and Office of Procurement and Contracts) coordinates the statutory competitive bidding procedure.
- Department of Administration prepares construction contracts at the recommendation of the University.
- Inspections by Department of Administration and OSFM occur on a regular interval during construction.
- Construction is completed.
Alternative construction delivery methods (Construction Manager at Risk and Design Build) may be requested by the Associate Vice President for Facilities and/or University Architect/Asst. VP PDC for approval by SBAC per Department of Administration policy and procedures. These alternative delivery methods should be identified during the programming stage and process implementation should occur early in the design process.
Foundation Funds (if any funds other than Foundation funds, follow state fund option)
At the request of the Foundation, the University Architect and University Architect/Asst. VP PDC will assist in facilitating a jointly collaborative and openly transparent RFP for construction delivery. Inspections by Department of Administration and OSFM occur on a regular interval through construction.
Building commissioning and one year warranty period is led by Facilities operations team.
.050 Exterior Campus Improvement Projects
All landscaping projects, including projects from volunteer groups desiring to contribute to the aesthetic appearance of the university campus, shall obtain project approval from the Associate Vice President for Facilities and the projects shall be coordinated through the Director of Facilities Services.
.060 Campus Planning and Project Management Internal Fee Schedule
Facilities PDC is responsible for providing professional assistance in the development of plans for the repair, renovation or new construction of physical facilities at Kansas State University. Included in these responsibilities are architecture, engineering, landscape architecture and planning services. The basic parameters of these responsibilities are defined by Kansas Statutory Laws, Kansas Administrative Regulations and the Policy and Procedures Manual of the Department of Administration.
In addition to providing routine general information on physical facilities, PDC provides varied levels of more detailed and specialized professional planning, design and/or construction services:
- Assistance for preparation of project documentation, including program texts with scope definition and preliminary budgets may be provided by the PDC office at no charge. Certain types of project programming may require outside consulting services for which there may be a fee.
- Capital project program statements and budgets, in a format consistent with Board of Regents Capital Improvement Requests, may be prepared by the PDC office at no charge. Certain types of consulting services may be required to fully prepare the documentation for submission to the Regents or Legislature for which there may be a fee.
- Presentation materials will be provided at no charge.
Effective Date: [07/01/2024]
Purpose: To establish a standardized fee structure for managing construction projects at Kansas State University. This policy ensures transparency and aligns charges with key project milestones, while also incorporating a sustainability fee to support university Capital Renewal needs.
Scope: This policy applies to all construction projects managed by the Planning, Design & Construction department at Kansas State University.
Kansas State University Project Fees
| Total Project Cost | Project Mgmt. Fee* | Sustainability** | Total |
| $0 - $5M | 7% | 2% | 9% |
| $5M - $20M | 5% | 2% | 7% |
| $20M+ | 2% | 2% | 4% |
* Project Management fees will not be applied to projects with Federal funding sources.
** Sustainability, as defined within, will not be applied to projects with Federal or philanthropic funding sources. Philanthropically funded projects remain subject to the KSU Foundation policy for Sustainability.
Fee disbursement: Will be distributed across project milestones as follows:
- Design Contract Award: 25% of the total fee dispersed.
- Construction Contract Award: 50% of the total fee dispersed.
- Project Completion: 25% of the total fee dispersed.
Policy Details:
- Design Contract Award:
- Upon awarding the design contract, 25% of the total project management fee will be charged. This fee covers initial project planning, design coordination, and early-stage management activities.
- Construction Contract Award:
- Upon awarding the construction contract, 50% of the total project management fee will be charged. This fee covers construction oversight, coordination with contractors, and ongoing project management tasks.
- Project Completion:
- Upon project completion, the remaining 25% of the total project management fee will be charged. This fee covers final inspections, project closeout activities, and post-construction management.
- Sustainability Fee:
- An additional 2% sustainability fee will be applied to the total project cost. This fee is dedicated to addressing university Capital Renewal needs, including sustainability initiatives and long-term maintenance of university facilities.
- State of Kansas review:
- Please note that an additional administrative fee may be charged by the Kansas Division of Administration on any project based on complexity of project, type of construction and level of service required by the Department of Administration.
Implementation Timeline: The fee structure will be phased in over a three-year period to allow for full maturation. The timeline is as follows:
Year 1: FY25 - Implement the fee structure at 33% of the full rate.
Year 2: FY26 - Increase the fee structure to 66% of the full rate.
Year 3: FY27 & beyond -Implement the full fee structure as outlined above.
Implementation of Rates over (3) Fiscal Years
FY25
| Total Project Cost | Project Fee | Sustainability | Total |
| $0 - $5M | 2.3% | 0.67% | 3.00% |
| $5 - $20M | 1.7% | 0.67% | 2.33% |
| $20M+ | 0.7% | 0.67% | 1.33% |
FY26
| Total Project Cost | Project Fee | Sustainability | Total |
| $0 - $5M | 4.7% | 1.3% | 6.0% |
| $5 - $20M | 3.3% | 1.3% | 4.7% |
| $20M+ | 1.3% | 1.3% | 2.7% |
FY27
| Total Project Cost | Project Fee | Sustainability | Total |
| $0 - $5M | 7.0% | 2.0% | 9.0% |
| $5 - $20M | 5.0% | 2.0% | 7.0% |
| $20M+ | 2.0% | 2.0% | 4.0% |
Responsibilities:
- The Planning, Design & Construction department is responsible for implementing and managing the fee structure as outlined in this policy.
- Project managers are responsible for ensuring that fees are charged according to the established milestones and tracking fee payments and ensuring funds are allocated appropriately.
Review and Revisions: This policy will be reviewed annually and updated as necessary to ensure alignment with university goals and financial requirements.
Approval: This policy has been approved by the Vice President for Administration & Finance, 07/01/2024.c
.070 Questions
Questions may be referred to the Office of Facilities Planning, Design & Construction at 532-6389 or faccampusplanning@ksu.edu.
