delivered in the most cost-effective manner. 
VicRoads’ functions and objectives are set out in the Transport 
Act (1983). Its fundamental responsibility is to ensure that 
these objectives are met and services are provided in the best 
possible way. This does not necessarily mean that VicRoads 
must always deliver these services itself. Its responsibility is 
to efficiently ensure the long term viability of the road system 
and its use. 
In 1993, the Corporate Management Group (Chief Executive 
Officer, Directors, and General Managers) identified services 
within VicRoads which could be candidates for outsourcing. 
One of these was survey and photogrammetry services. 
2.2 The Land Information and Survey Department 
functions 
The Department's survey and photogrammetry service is 
concerned with developing major projects, general engineering 
and cadastral surveys in support of land acquisition and 
disposal, control and feature surveys and photogrammetry work 
to enable planning, design and construction to proceed. 
Regional and project staff carry out similar work on local 
programs, day to day construction supervision and set out. 
This is usually adequate for normal operations, with larger or 
one-off projects requiring assistance from head office or 
outside contractors. 
The areas of survey and photogrammetry service which fell 
within the outsourcing guidelines were as follows: 
Cadastral (Title) surveys: Land acquisition 
Land disposal 
Land definition 
Control surveys 
Feature surveys 
Construction surveys 
Photogrammetry 
Engineering surveys: 
along with their direct management. 
3. THE REVIEW PROCESS 
A review of the Department was carried out by a VicRoads 
project team conforming to the guidelines for outsourcing. The 
review covered the following areas: 
. analysis of the work involved; 
© identification of work areas and staff groups affected; 
. analysis of functions and roles of these areas and 
groups; 
. assessment of present and future work loads and 
customer requirements; 
. identification of capabilities, interest and potential of 
other public and private agencies to assume part or 
whole of the work load; 
. assessment of possible levels of outsourcing, and 
factors affecting these; 
. development of recommendations and proposed 
course of action. 
Some points to especially note are as follows. 
3.1 LIS work areas and staff groups 
Originally the review process was only to include LIS 
Department staff. However, it was found that a similar 
number of staff in the regions and projects were also providing 
survey services. This directed the review team to examine the 
operations of all areas, and to hold discussions with regional 
and project managers as both customers and suppliers. The 
process was complicated by the concurrent downsizing and 
reorganisation of VicRoads in general. 
Regions and projects had already started to use consulting 
surveyors to supplement in-house resources, as had LIS 
Department. 
3.2 Other government department survey organisations 
Several government agencies had substantial survey resources 
in the past but many no longer have any capability due to these 
organisations being broken into smaller organisations, or 
corporatised in preparation to be sold on the open market. 
The only agency that could possibly have provided assistance 
to VicRoads was the Office of the Surveyor General (OSG) in 
the Department of Finance (formerly Survey Mapping 
Victoria). The OSG has a similar regional structure to 
VicRoads. . 
The main charter of the OSG is to provide small scale mapping 
(1:25,000 scale), geodetic control surveys, and cadastral 
surveys for Crown Land. Any major linking of LIS 
Department and OSG was not considered viable. However, 
joint venture work which fitted OSG’ charter was a very viable 
option. 
3.3 The private sector 
The private survey and photogrammetry industry in Victoria is 
made up of several groups. 
3.3.1 Survey firms 
° a large number of firms offering basic survey skills 
mainly in the engineering field to support builders 
etc, and not capable of any work to satisfy statutory 
requirements of cadastral surveying (ie. no licensed 
surveyors). These firms are located in both city and 
country areas. 
° a large number of small firms which make up the 
membership of the consultant surveyors of Victoria 
(ACSV). These firms are located in Melbourne and 
most larger regional centres. They usually have 
licensed and professional surveyors and have 
developed expertise in specific areas such as high 
rise building developments, and basically exist to 
support the land development industry. 
. a number of large firms mainly engaged in land 
development and usually covering a range of 
surveying disciplines, including planning and 
engineering. Some are members of ACSV. Many 
have offices interstate and are continually increasing 
their use and development of technology now that 
this is not being done to the same extent in 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXI, Part B6. Vienna 1996 
33 
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