A major restructure will soon get underway for the University of the South Pacific (USP) at Laucala Bay in Suva.
The largest university in the Pacific will undertake a massive reform of its properties and facilities (P&F) section and plans to also outsource its mailroom service, following an independent review of P&F operations.
“The review had identified serious risks that the current operations and organization of P&F posed for the university’s drive for excellence,” said Dr Giulio Masasso Paunga, USP’s Vice-President Properties & Facilities and Regional Campuses.
The P& F oversees and manages properties and facilities at the main campus in Laucala alongside two in Lautoka and Labasa and 11 regional campuses in each of USP’s member countries, as well as 11 regional centres.
It will be replaced by a new Estates and Infrastructure Division to separate service delivery and operations from asset strategy and management that has a clear focus on strategic infrastructure planning and development.
Dr Paunga said the proposed new structure would focus on the section’s core functions and activities, while non-core activities would be outsourced.
“The current P&F function has bent towards more reactive maintenance and as such there have been significant challenges associated with such approaches in the delivery of key outputs to date,” he stated.
The outsourcing of the USP mailroom is expected to shift $2 million of resources from non-academic section to academic priorities over the next three years.