Incorporating an integrated payment mechanism to manage exceptional performance
Port Phillip Prison in Australia is Victoria’s largest maximum security prison, accommodating up to 1137
male prisoners and has been operated under a publicprivate partnership (PPP) contract between the State and G4S Correctional Services since 1997.
G4S manages all services within the facility including security, catering, health services, maintenance and
educational programs from literacy and numeracy to university degree courses. The prison population is
diverse, including youth offenders (18 – 25), the cognitive impaired, those with psychiatric needs, and prisoners requiring acute medical care. G4S takes responsibility for the wellbeing of each one.
Working to achieve wellbeing
Over 600 staff are employed to help manage Port Phillip Prison, either inhouse or outsourced to experts in their field to ensure a continuation of high quality services. Jack Stapleton, Business Performance and Projects Manager at G4S, feels confident in the standards achieved. “We have our own community and ecosystem here. Everything’s managed internally and a lot of work is put into creating an environment where the prisoners can feel settled.”
Following the end of the initial 20 year term, the Victorian Government awarded the PPP contract to G4S for another 20 years. The extended contract was built upon the existing payment mechanism and included a complex monthly and quarterly payment calculation along with an abatement regime. For contractual and business purposes it is critical that these calculations are accurate and timely. G4S recognised that a move to a software solution providing more speed and accuracy would benefit both G4S and their customer in respect to the contractual terms and requirements.
“Our contract has performance based fee incentives which are measured quarterly. To ensure that services are delivered effectively its necessary to closely monitor performance metrics,” explains Stapleton. QFM from Service Works Global (SWG) was found to be the most suitable system due to its ability to manage all aspects of FM performance as well as providing an integrated payment mechanism which would be mapped to the exact contractual terms agreed with the State.
All stakeholders can securely access the information they require through the software, and as all calculations are performed within the system, complete auditability and transparency can be achieved.
Managing unique parameters
G4S wanted to use QFM in a unique way and the system was flexible enough to rise to the challenge. In
addition to managing the performance of building and maintenance services, monitoring the standard of care towards Port Phillip prisoners is also incorporated into the software. The relevant prisoner details are imported into QFM from the State’s information management system against which G4S can log and track prison behaviour and wellbeing across a number of factors such as incidences of non-compliance or participation in education. These SDOs, or service delivery outcomes, are as central to the contract as building KPIs. During system set up, each was assigned a value depending on the severity of the action which is then calculated by the integrated payment mechanism. If a value breaches the threshold then G4S becomes liable for an abatement, or penalty payment to the State.
QFM also manages a separate set of KPIs for building and facilities service levels, each with its own rectification time depending on the operational impact of its failure, ranging from 30 minutes to five days. Timeframes are kept short and monitored strictly to ensure a safe, secure and comfortable environment for the prison population.
Seamless communication with service providers
G4S has a small FM team at the prison but the majority of services are outsourced to Honeywell who assumes liability for any failures and abatements caused by FM service errors. At the centre of QFM lies a powerful help desk and asset management system which allows unrivalled control of resources and deadlines, allowing Honeywell to monitor and identify impending service failures and take proactive steps to resolve the issue. The team has clearance to use iPads and mobile devices within the prison so they are directly in communication with QFM at all times. Jobs are sent from the helpdesk to the most suitable contractor’s device, which provides full details of the job and the time frame (colour coded red, amber or green by urgency).
Contractors can upload a photograph as evidence of asset condition or job completion and the app records the job start and finish times to ensure accuracy and adherence to service levels – often improving rectification times compared to the previous system of paper forms.
G4S receives daily updates through the software as well as being able to monitor performance through QFM’s graphical dashboards. SWG and G4S worked closely to customise the software to enhance usability and create tailored reports for the State, detailing activities as per their requirements; further improving the flow of information around the partners.
“Working with SWG was easy, the team there was really helpful. As well as customising our reports they also made some changes to the payment mechanism in agreement with the State. Some of the benchmarks needed amending and SWG made all the changes for us. We’ve found it a really positive process,” adds Stapleton.
“The amount of data we get from QFM gives us such insight into all aspects of the prison’s performance. Anything we need to see, for any timeframe, is there. It allows us to check we’re on track for that period or if we need to reassess our actions in order to meet the targets at the end of the quarter.”
Intuitive usability
In addition to the clear reporting outputs, the customisations have made the software even easier to use. For example, G4S uses QFM’s self-service functionality which allows all staff to log jobs or request services via a computer. Image tiles of Port Phillip are used to help users immediately identify the location or service they need to help speed up the job logging process. Field names in the software all correspond to terms the teams would use so there is no confusion over which information to add to which box.
Data and Communications Co-ordinator Lauren Semaan was responsible for training the rest of the team after implementation. Semaan says: We were provided with training and user guides from SWG which were easy to understand. I then trained the end users at Port Phillip who took to it straight away – everything takes just a few clicks to achieve.”
Future focus
G4S plans to implement the QFM mobile app for its own in-house FM team, which undertakes some maintenance tasks in addition to Honeywell. The company is looking into QFM Dynamic Forms, a series of fully customisable forms and checklists which can be configured as part of the job workflow to appear as required when using the app. For example, if an operative is required to attend an air conditioning unit on a roof, a ‘working at heights’ risk assessment must be read and completed through the app before work can begin. A second form could then capture inspection details through a series of questions that must be completed before the job can be signed off. This not only ensures the required information is gained to prevent the need for a return visit, but also saves the operative time as they can see instantly what is expected of them for each task.
As part of prisoner rehabilitation, Port Phillip Prison encourages all prisoners to work in a range of industries across the site, including grounds maintenance. Jobs like grass cutting are scheduled on a monthly basis and must be completed within a specified timeframe to meet the KPI requirement. Using QFM, work can be allocated around the prisoner’s schedule to help deadline management and sent to the mobile device of the correctional officer in charge, rather than the need for paper files.
“QFM plays an integral part in managing our KPIs and SLAs, and retaining consistently high standards at the prison,” concludes Stapleton.
