K-12 Educational Facilities Committee

Furniture and Equipment Design and Procurement Discussion with the MSBA

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) is interested in receiving feedback on project processes (what works, what could be changed) in terms of furniture and equipment design and procurement procedures. Each participating firm representative is asked to share a brief overview of how they work with each school district to design and procure furniture and equipment. Discussion should include level of school official’s involvement, how decisions are usually made, and typical obstacles that may need to be overcome, including budget and schedule issues.

Other questions to be explored:

• Would architects be interested in an MSBA database containing each completed project's furniture and equipment purchases? This database might help a new district to grasp an understanding of costs associated with this task and the MSBA would gain insight into costs relative to our contribution and product information. This database could also be helpful for budgeting purposes in the early design phases.
• Should there be more training on procurement methods and ethics training in this industry?

The ultimate goal of these discussions is to achieve better state-wide procedures and policies for design and procurement for FF&E as well as potential savings for Districts.

For those who qualify, 1.5 LUs are available.

To learn more about the K-12 Educational Facilities Committee, visit architects.org/committees/k-12-educational-facilities-committee.

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