AFO Governance

• There is no change to existing governance or regulatory processes for the establishment and operation of an AFO. 
• The AFO is simply a delivery vehicle for the localities Strategic Estates Plan. 
• The AFO acts as a 3rd party provider for estates properties and services and the existing NHS primary care and property management regulations continue.

The standard business case approval processes continue within the NHS or Local Authority commissioners. The AFO preference is to adopt the HMT 5 case model for business cases which facilitates the client, shareholder and Joint Venture approval processes without unnecessary repetition or delay.

As a delivery vehicle, the AFO is unique and is much more than just property as the chart below shows. The AFO may provide a supporting foundation for the development of the ICS (Product and features) but clinically and in local democratic terms it is the value which it releases that ensures that partners will naturally work together once in this structure.

The AFO is a proven business model and inherent to its strengths are a well-documented and targeted business case for each locality and a motivated stakeholder and shareholder-tenant ownership working and benefiting together which introduces new levels of collaboration, long term planning and flexibility.

IHP can guide you through what is effectively a turnkey establishment of an AFO, overseen by a Steering Group of commissioners and shareholders to first produce the business case and then set up useful new governance enablers such as a collaboration committee that ensures the AFO and the local strategic estates plan continue to match and develop over time.