Introduction
These new and revised “GNWT Office Space Standards and Guidelines”1, will be used
when planning and designing space used by Government of the Northwest Territories
departments, boards and agencies in general office accommodation owned and leased
by the GNWT.
The space allocation standards, which were approved by the Financial Management
Board2, and the office design guidelines recognize the GNWT’s need to stay current
with trends and best practices in space management and provide functional work
environments for its employees.
Principles
The standards and guidelines incorporate the following key principles:
Departments should be empowered to plan their office space. This principle
recognizes that, if office space is treated as an administrative resource and managers
are given the opportunity to plan office space using simplified standards and guidelines,
more creative, cost-effective solutions to satisfying office space needs will result.
Standards and guidelines should be simplified. This principle recognizes that
simplified, minimum standards and broad guidelines written in non-technical language
will enable departments to plan their own office.
Space should be allocated according to functional requirements. This principle
recognizes that the simply allocating office space to people based on their position or
rank in an organizational hierarchy rather than the functional needs of their work may
result in a less productive workplace and additional costs.
Space should be flexible. This principle recognizes that fewer barriers to change, less
disruption when change does occur, and lower costs in money and time can be
accomplished by:
• using open space planning whenever practical
• reducing the number of different sizes of spaces
• standardizing the sizes of as many spaces as possible