Manage physical resources

This standard is about managing the physical resources required to carry out planned activities in your area of responsibility. Physical resources may include equipment, materials, premises, services and energy supplies. You identify the physical resources required by engaging with colleagues and evaluating historical patterns of resource use and trends. You specify resource requirements and produce a business case to secure them. You adapt plans when resources cannot be obtained, agreeing adjustments with colleagues. The standard includes negotiating with suppliers to obtain resources and agreeing approaches for using shared resources with other teams. You also monitor resources to minimise adverse environmental impact, checking that they are used safely.

This standard is for all managers and leaders.

1. engage resource users to identify and obtain the physical resources required
2. evaluate past patterns of resource use and trends
3. identify developments likely to affect future demand for resources
4. prepare specifications for the resources required
5. identify the range and quantity of resources required for the planned activities in your area of responsibility, including contingencies
6. identify sustainable resources and ensure their effectiveness and efficiency to meet specified needs
7. produce a business case for the resources required, showing the costs and expected benefits
8. agree adjustments to your planned activities, where the required resources cannot be obtained in full
9. negotiate with suppliers to ensure they deliver resources of the required quality on time
10. agree the use of shared resources with other teams, considering the needs of the different parties and the objectives of your organisation
11. engage resource users to plan how they can be used most efficiently
12. plan to use resources in ways that are effective, efficient and minimise any adverse impact on the environment
13. maintain the security of resources and monitor that they are used safely
14. ensure that resources no longer required are disposed of with minimal adverse environmental impact
15. monitor the quality of resources and patterns of resource use in line with your organisation's requirements
16. identify and deal with any significant variances between actual and planned resource use
17. follow the legal, organisational, codes of practice and policies relevant to managing physical resources

General knowledge and understanding

1.      the importance of engaging with resource users (equipment, materials, premises, services and energy supplies), and how to do so

2.      how to identify the range and calculate the quantity of resources required to carry out planned activities

3.      the importance of using sustainable resources and how to identify such resources and ensure their effectiveness and efficiency

4.      how to carry out cost-benefit analyses and write business cases

5.      how to develop activity plans and adjust the plans if required resources cannot be obtained to support them

6.      how to negotiate with suppliers to ensure they deliver resources of the required quality on time

7.      how to negotiate the use of shared resources with colleagues to optimise resource use for all concerned

8.      the potential impact of resource use on the environment and actions you can take to minimise any adverse impact

9.      the risks associated with different physical resources used and actions you can take to ensure resources are secure and used safely

10.   the importance of monitoring the quality and use of resources, and how to do so

11.   the types of corrective actions (e.g. changing planned activities, changing the ways in which resources are used for activities, renegotiating the availability of resources) you can take in case of significant discrepancies between actual and planned resource use

Industry and sector specific knowledge and understanding

12.   the industry and sector requirements for managing physical resources

13.   the legal, organisational, codes of practice and policies relevant to managing physical resources

Context specific knowledge and understanding

14.   the past patterns of resource use in your area of responsibility, how to access this information and analyse it to plan activities

15.   the trends and developments that affect future demand for resources in your area of responsibility and how to evaluate the likely impact of these

16.   the planned activities in your area of activity and possible contingencies

17.   the actual and potential suppliers of the resources you need to carry out planned activities in your area of responsibility

1. Analysing
2. Communicating
3. Contingency planning
4. Decision-making
5. Evaluating
6. Forecasting
7. Influencing
8. Information management
9. Involving employees
10. Monitoring
11. Negotiating
12. Persuading
13. Planning
14. Presenting information
15. Prioritising
16. Problem solving
17. Reviewing
18. Risk management