Obtain formal stakeholder support to proceed with briefing and design

From the wide range of potential stakeholders that will have been identified, expressions of interest and commitment should be obtained from serious stakeholders.

Such stakeholders will need to demonstrate a clear understanding of the project proposal, including the legal and financial implications. Formal commitment from stakeholders will be required before the project briefing documents are finalised and again before the detailed design brief is written.

Stakeholders must demonstrate a clear understanding of the project proposal, including the legal and financial implications.

The project may include complementary stakeholders, who offer non-essential but complementary services. These ‘symbiotic’ services can either be fully integrated within the main primary and social care building, or may be accommodated in independent facilities alongside. (See also 'Identify the full range of potential stakeholders in the project'.) They are usually included to improve the financial viability of a project by contributing to the capital and/or revenue costs. Stakeholders will usually contribute to the capital costs of the project, and may be asked to subsidise the health and social care premises. This subsidy can be justified if the stakeholder will benefit from the association with the health and social function, by, for example:

• in the case of a retail outlet, achieving greater footfall (than would be achieved in a standalone retail unit)
• improving the likelihood that it will gain local authority planning consents (as part of a mixed site development)
• having a ready market for its services (e.g. in the case of a stakeholder offering cafe, retail or key-worker housing services)

Revenue contributions from stakeholders in integrated developments are usually paid in the form of leases and service charges. For commercial sector stakeholders, the former should reflect local commercial rates, although there is scope to offer reduced rates to the voluntary sector, if the space can be subsidised through alternative uses. Share of profit can also be included in such calculations. The service charge usually relates to the proportion of the building occupied by the stakeholder.

Formal commitment is required from stakeholders at two key stages:

1. As the project briefing documents are finalised.
2. Before the detailed design brief for the project is written.

The stage one commitment should be in the form of a formal letter from each stakeholder to the project manager/main stakeholder. The letter should state:

• the potential use of space allocated to the stakeholder and whether it is to be provided in an integrated or symbiotic pattern
• agreement in principle to contribute to capital and/or revenue costs of the project
• how any interface with other stakeholders may be managed
• the stakeholder’s legal responsibilities

The stage two commitment should be in the form of a draft agreement, which should make reference to:

• the area (m²) of the building for which the stakeholder will be exclusively responsible, and its location in the overall development
• the area (m²) of the building to which the stakeholder will have shared access
• the broad project proposal for delivery of the building
• the way capital and revenues charges will be apportioned, and possibly an approximate cost for these elements
• an undertaking to cover a proportion of costs, should the project flounder