Guide to the NHSScotland Design Assessment Process (NDAP)

The NHSScotland Design Assessment Process (NDAP) was introduced in 2010 to help our health boards identify a clear path between the business objectives for a project and the mandatory qualities of the building development.  

In this guide you can expect to find information on: 

• support for preparing a Scottish Captial Investment Manual (SCIM) design statement
• Initial Agreement (IA) formal report 
• support for outline business case (OBC) development 
• Outline Business Case (OBC) formal report 
• support for Full Business Case (FBC) development 
• Full Business Case (FBC) formal report

The NDAP is mandatory for all projects over the commissioning board’s delegated authority. It requires you to produce formal reporting in the run-up to each stage of the development process.  

We encourage our client teams to discuss proposals during their development to identify and resolve issues early before formal reporting. 

A formal report is required from NDAP prior to the consideration of the IA. In this report you’ll need to address the state of project (supported or unsupported by NDAP). Capital Investment Group (CIG) has made it clear that they don’t expect to approve business cases that are unsupported by NDAP.  

This formal stage process is critical to your overall design and at this stage, we look for the following: 

• Clear line of sight between the business objectives and the 'non-negotiable' design objectives. 
• That the difficult aspects of briefing – such as flexibility in use, benefits of co-location, etc., – have been tackled and a direction of travel is described. 
• Benchmarks that relate to the ‘non-negotiables’ which are based on recent and relevant good practice. 
• A clear view of how the development can benefit the wider community. 
• A ‘self-assessment process’ that will support delivery. 
• Embeds the design statement into the IA and project governance clearly and simply, without undue duplication in the assessment process or design objectives. 
• NDAP ask for two weeks’ notice of the submission and a further two weeks to respond. Notification and submission forms and criteria are available here. These should be sent to HFS and copied to A&DS to accelerate the process. Submission of draft information nearing completion is acceptable—the process does not require a delay in the development and sign-off of the document. 

We may ask you to provide changes or evidence from the board before we verify support to CIG if there are aspects of concern not already addressed at this point. You should use the report we provide to inform the approval of the IA by the board and subsequently by CIG. 

"The design statement helps you deliver the vision. A vision is a very difficult thing to encapsulate; actually having something illustrated and written down gives you a language and something you can share easily." 

- Dr Safia Qureshi, Project Director 

A formal report is required from NDAP prior to consideration of the OBC by key decision makers. This report must state if the project is supported or not, and CIG have made it clear that they do not expect to approve business cases that are unsupported by NDAP.  

Therefore, it is important that this formal stage progresses smoothly. At OBC stage, we look for the following: 

• Building design concept (be that reference design for an NPD project or proposed design for any other project) exhibits the qualities described in the board's design statement. 
• Application of correct healthcare design guidance to the project and an understanding of any derogations to the guidance. 
• Building diagram demonstrates a sensible approach to fire and escape. 
• Approach to sustainability is well understood and the development is on target to reach the required BREEAM score. 
• Design risks are understood and well managed into the next stage of development – particularly where NPD procurement is proposed, and the aspects above will largely be addressed through the subsequent bidding stage. 
• Proposed development sits well within its setting and the approach to planning is well handled. 
• Opportunities of the site and design are maximised both for the specific development and wider agendas, such as health promotion and biodiversity. 
• NDAP ask for two weeks’ notice of the submission and a further two to three weeks to respond. Though, this can take longer, particularly if there are several aspects that remain unresolved (or not evidenced) from the previous stage. Meetings will become necessary to discuss and agree on approaches to address these matters. Notification and submission forms and criteria are available here. These should be sent to HFS and copied to A&DS to accelerate the process.  

You (and potentially your design team) will generally be consulted during the assessment period to ensure the design is understood – though this may not be necessary if the dialogue is carried out in the earlier informal stage. 

We may ask you to provide changes or evidence from the board before we verify support to CIG if there are aspects of concern not already addressed at this point. The report may include recommendations you'll need to release early in the next stage. 

You should use the report we provide to inform the approval of the OBC by the board and subsequently by CIG. You can also use it to provide evidence of our conclusion in the approach to the planning authority. 

Before key decision-makers can consider the FBC, you'll need to develop the formal report from NDAP. In this report, you'll need to address the state of the project (supported or unsupported by NDAP).  

CIG has made it clear that they do not expect to approve business cases that are unsupported by NDAP. Therefore, it is important that this formal stage progresses smoothly. 

At FBC stage, we (HFS and Architecture and Design Scotland) look for the following: 

• Building design exhibits the qualities described in the board's design statement and FBC addresses recommendations noted at OBC. 
• Application of correct healthcare design guidance to the project and an understanding of any derogations to the guidance. 
• Development is on target to reach the required BREEAM score and has a low anticipated energy use. We are now looking at the Building Regulation UK Part L report (BRUKL), which describes the likely performance in greater detail. 
• NDAP ask for two weeks’ notice of the submission and a further two to three weeks to respond. Though, this can take longer, particularly if there are several aspects that remain unresolved (or not evidenced) from the previous stage. Meetings will become necessary to discuss and agree on approaches to address these matters. Notification and submission forms and criteria are available here. These should be sent to HFS and copied to A&DS to accelerate the process. Submission of draft information nearing completion is perfectly acceptable – the process does not require a delay in the development and sign-off of the document. 

We will generally consult you, and potentially your design team, during the assessment period to ensure the design is understood. However, this may not be necessary if we've carried out the dialogue in the earlier informal stage. 

We may ask you to provide changes or evidence from the board before we verify support to CIG if there are aspects of concern not already addressed at this point.  

You should use the report we provide to inform the approval of the FBC by the board and subsequently by CIG.