11—100.6(8A) Office space management.

1. 100.6(1)  Purpose. The purpose of this rule is to standardize office space management at the seat of government in order to effectively plan and utilize office space and to promote connectivity and reuse of modular office systems. The rules outline the responsibilities of state agencies relative to use of office space assigned to them by the department of administrative services and the responsibilities of the department to manage and coordinate changes to an agency’s use of its assigned space.
2. 100.6(2)  Scope and applicability. The department’s authority for office space assignment applies to all state office space, including leased office space, at the seat of government except for buildings and grounds described in Iowa Code section 216B.3, subsection 6; section 2.43, unnumbered paragraph 1; and any buildings under the custody and control of the Iowa public employees’ retirement system.

3. 100.6(3)  Office space standards. State agencies are required to use the following standards:

   1. a. The department of administrative services has developed and shall maintain, in cooperation with state agencies, office space standards, expressed in square feet for individual offices classified by type of work, and by occupancy, expressed as the number of occupants per building floor or major unit thereof. These standards will be used to facilitate space planning, but are not intended to be applied in an exact manner to each cubicle or office. Some flexibility may be allowed in the work plan created for managing changes to use of office space to provide for unique agency needs. All office space layouts shall comply with applicable federal and state regulations and codes.

   2. b. The department of administrative services has defined and shall maintain, in cooperation with state agencies and Iowa Prison Industries (IPI), modular office systems standards, expressed by function and connectivity, for use by state agencies. These standards are for the purpose of facilitating reuse of modular office system components.

      The requirement to follow these standards may be waived by the director when supported by a written factual and objective business case analysis that provides clear and convincing evidence to support the waiver.

4. 100.6(4)  Notification of intended office space or office systems modifications. To facilitate office space planning and cost-effective space utilization, an agency shall notify the department in writing at least 45 days prior to expected completion of the work whenever an agency becomes aware of possible modifications to an agency’s organization, programs or mission which may require a corresponding increase or decrease in an agency’s current office space requirements; or when an agency first identifies a need to modify use of assigned office space including relocating wiring, replacing, adding or deleting modular office components, or making other floor plan modifications.

5. 100.6(5)  Work plan. Upon written notification of intended office space or office systems modifications, the department of administrative services and the agency will negotiate and complete a work plan including but not limited to the following items:

   1. a. A description of the intended space modification result;
   2. b. The tasks required to achieve the intended result, such as creating construction specifications, identifying wiring needs, selection of a space planner and a moving service, and identifying related purchases;
   3. c. The party responsible for accomplishing each task; and

   4. d. The scheduled time line for tasks included in the design, installation (construction and move) and completion of the project.

      An agency may not proceed with office space modifications in the absence of a work plan agreed to and approved in writing by the agency and the department of administrative services. The work plan shall be modified to reflect any changes in intended results, tasks, responsibilities and time schedule.

6. 100.6(6)  Purchase of standard modular office systems and components. If Iowa Prison Industries (IPI) manufactures office furniture and standard modular office systems and related components, an agency shall purchase them from IPI or obtain a written waiver in accordance with Iowa Code section 904.808, except as otherwise permitted in paragraphs “a” and “b.”

   1. a. Purchase from a targeted small business. An agency may purchase standard modular office systems and related components and other furniture items from a targeted small business (TSB) without further competition when the purchase will not exceed the threshold established in 11—subrule 117.5(2), as provided in Iowa Code section 8A.311(10)“a.”

   2. b. Procurement of standard modular office systems and components and other furniture items manufactured in Iowa. An agency may conduct a competitive procurement for standard modular office systems and related components and other furniture items that IPI manufactures if the competitive procurement requires that the products must be manufactured in Iowa. In such procurements, IPI shall be allowed to submit a bid to provide the products. If a bidder other than IPI is the lowest bidder, the agency shall obtain written verification from the bidder that the bidder’s product is manufactured in Iowa before making the award.

      The portion of the work plan for purchasing modular office systems or office furniture shall allow for the issuance of purchase orders at least 30 days prior to the desired delivery date.

      Regardless of how an agency purchases or obtains modular office components, the department of administrative services shall retain responsibility for management and coordination of office space planning.

7. 100.6(7)  Disposal of surplus office modular components, furniture and equipment. State agencies may dispose of unfit or unnecessary office modular components, furniture and equipment by contacting the state surplus office, as identified by the department; offering items in good repair to other agencies either through the department or directly to other agencies; or trading in used items when purchasing replacements.

   Any costs associated with disposal of nonstandard modular office components are the responsibility of the state agency.

[ARC 3676C, IAB 3/14/18, effective 4/18/18; ARC 7018C, IAB 5/17/23, effective 6/21/23]