CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE-RELATED DOCUMENTS CANADIAN INTELLIGENCE-RELATED DOCUMENTS
8.2 The completion of the new national headquarters building in 1995 has allowed CSIS to consolidate its headquarters and Ottawa Regional Office activities from ten separate facilities into one facility.
8.3 In our opinion, this project was well managed overall, as the national headquarters project was completed on time and within budget, and meets the functional needs of its users.
8.4 There are several success factors or lessons learned in this project that would benefit similar construction projects; one of those factors is the key role played by CSIS as the building's user.
8.5 We believe that the project team took appropriate steps to ensure that the completed facility provides a secure environment for CSIS employees and their activities.
8.6 The fact that the constructed gross area exceeded the original planned gross area by over 13,000 square metres, without exceeding the approved budget, raises concerns about how project budgets are calculated and about the effectiveness of Treasury Board control over its project approvals.
8.7 The redesign of the sixth floor, which was done despite the concerns of the project team and at an additional cost of approximately $1.4 million, did not, in our opinion, significantly improve the functionality of the building.
8.8 We also noted contract prepayments made in advance of work, contrary to the Financial Administration Act, as well as inadequate wording in the contract documents for the architect, resulting in reduced accountability and increased costs.
8.9 We noted examples where, although no authorities or budgets were exceeded, additional funds could have been saved on this project.