Creating a multi-use building for a research center: a management and operations case study and critique.

By mid-2004 construction was proceeding as planned and tours of the building were regularly scheduled with prospective occupants. The SAC had approved a research space application form and accompanying metrics by which to evaluate requests for space. Requests were submitted electronically and adjudicated at committee meetings. Because of the number of investigators seeking to move, and the limited amount of space committed to recruitment, not all requests could be filled. In approving requests for research space, the SAC employed the following criteria: the ratio of grant funding to square footage would follow the school policy; each bay of space would be accompanied by one office; no one would have two offices, and single-office occupancy required full-time service in the cancer center; core facilities would be allocated space equal to that used for their current operations. Consideration was also given to the cancer relevance of the applicant's research, the applicant's scientific productivity, and the potential for interdisciplinary collaboration within the cancer center. Clinic space was not originally allocated by the SAC; this activity is evolving. The clinic includes 24 exam rooms, an infusion center of 30 chairs and 10 beds, a hematology lab, research and patient pharmacy, patient and family resource room, two radiation chambers and CT simulator, mammography center, and MRI imaging.

After initial space assignments were completed and the cancer center assumed occupancy of the building on March 14, 2005 (approximately three months behind schedule), it was time to execute the move logistics sequence. The furniture was received and installed in phases based on the timelines established to move in the various occupant groups. Simultaneously, the security system was being installed, the telecommunications group was activating and expanding services, housekeeping was preparing the building, and electrical and plumbing contractors were adding and modifying outlets and fixtures to accommodate special research equipment needs. Many factors determined the order of occupant moves: location and lease status of occupants prior to move-in; location within the new building to avoid congestion with service elevators; ongoing work in certain areas of the building caused by construction change orders; the urgency of some groups to relocate; in-progress research experiments and grant application deadlines to minimize disruption; availability of specialists to move highly sensitive equipment requiring recertification and calibration, and readiness of on-site services and resources. Confirmation of each scheduled move was sent to groups providing services to the building, such as mail and copier services and telecommunications. In addition, a relocation handbook was issued to occupant groups approximately two weeks prior to their scheduled moves. The handbook, which streamlined communication of critical information, addressed move responsibilities and expectations, moving supplies, environmental health and lab safety, lab equipment, common areas and shared equipment, the building address, mail and ship-to codes, security, phone and data line information, and directions on how to move computers. In addition, representatives from the contracted move company met with each group approximately one to two weeks prior to the scheduled relocations. A process to address after-occupancy change orders was developed and implemented.

The building was dedicated on April 8, 2005. Despite the intense planning and anticipation that the Administration would be first to relocate and facilitate subsequent moves, a newly recruited investigator and his research team were the first occupants. The Administration assumed occupancy in mid-April. The clinic opened on July 9. Research moves were sequenced over four months, from May through August, and all were relatively problem free. Aside from research space reserved for designated recruits, the building was at research and patient care capacity less than a year after completion. The fifth lab floor, originally assigned elsewhere, has been returned to the cancer center. Over 800 employees are now working in the building.

During and after the phased-in moves, planning continued to address a barrage of operational issues. An ad-hoc committee of occupants from all areas was devised to discuss building-related issues and identify solutions to shared problems. Additionally, a Service Excellence Committee, formed approximately one year prior to the move, continues to meet to focus on performance and service excellence and cultural assimilation.

A Patient Advisory Council (PAC) has been created to advise the cancer center leadership on patient and family perspectives, with the goal of becoming a top tier cancer center. The PAC is comprised of patients both on and off active treatment, family caregivers, and UCSD faculty and staff. To date, the PAC's contributions to the cancer center feature recommendations on how to improve and humanize the cancer experience and ways to maximize excellence, including a Medal of Excellence award to recognize employees who help patients in a special way.

The SAC continues to meet regularly to fulfill its review and space management responsibilities.

Lessons Learned

The decision to build out the entire building reduced add-on and retrofitting costs. Sustained, intensive planning, punctuated by flexibility and strong decision-making, were paramount. With an eye toward rapid completion and close monitoring, the building was brought in very close to target: a $105 million cost and a 28-month construction time. The move was relatively smooth, due primarily to the significant efforts devoted to planning. The building was intended to reduce the dispersion of research and clinical activity. While large in scale, however, its space assignable to growth was reduced because over 50% was committed to current operations, not new activities. The building is now fully occupied or obligated. The research occupants are already experiencing limitations on growth. Continuing communication was particularly valuable, and the web provided easy access without imposing on staff time. Time to consolidate information and develop transition resources was well invested. Re-engineering cultures and performance requires a longer horizon. In less than a year of operation, the building is clearly fulfilling a dream and fostering interactions unimaginable a very short time ago.

Author's Note

The authors wish to acknowledge the assistance of the following Moores Cancer Center Administration unit members, without whom the transition project would not have been as successful as it was: Richard Deteresa, Director, Information Services; Wei Deng, Sr. Analyst, Business Office; Deborah Davis, Member Relations Administrator; Sonia Ashley, Manager, Sponsored Projects; Pamela Ventura, Administrative Assistant.

References

Goodman, I. S., Cabral, K., Nemcek, G, & Powers, T. (1996). Enhancing communication in a multi-campus research center. Journal of the Society of Research Administrators, XVIII, 3,4, 17-26.

United States Office of Personnel Management. (2001). Handbook for measuring employee performance: Aligning employee performance plans with organizational goals. (PMD-13). Washington, DC: US Office of Personnel Management.

University of California, San Diego. (2002). Allocation and expenditure of indirect cost recovery funds at UCSD. Retrieved March 1, 2006 from University of California, San Diego, Academic Subcommittee on the Campus Budget Web site: http://www-senate.ucsd.edu/FrontPageDocs/ICR_Report.doc

Ira S. Goodman, MPA, MS, Associate Director for Administration

Moores Cancer Center

University of California, San Diego

3855 Health Sciences Drive, 0658

La Jolla, C.A. 92093-0658

858-822-1221

igoodman@ucsd.edu

JoAnne M. Weissberger, PHR, Director of Operational and Human Resources

Moores Cancer Center

University of California, San Diego

3855 Health Sciences Drive, 0658

La Jolla, C.A. 92093-0658

858-822-3556

jweissberger@ucsd.edu