Whole-life value in the Built Environment is ultimately a function of whether buildings perform to suit their required functions and whether high levels of performance can be sustained over the long-term. However, there is often a gap between clients’ requirements, project team intent and how buildings actually perform in use. Furthermore, the rigid separation between construction and operation means that many buildings are handed over in a state of poor operational-readiness. The consequences of this are that clients commonly take possession of assets with deficiencies that have a detrimental effect on building control, energy use, equipment reliability, system durability, occupant comfort, worker productivity and environmental impact. Construction project teams are increasingly acknowledging that they need to adopt a quality-focused process that addresses these shortcomings and therefore enhances project delivery. This process will need to clearly define the required performance outcomes at the very earliest stage of a project, establish a plan of action to enable these requirements to be satisfied, and then verify and document that buildings are designed, procured, planned, installed, tested, used, operated and maintained to meet these performance requirements. The good news for these project teams is that there is a process that can fulfil this function. It is called the commissioning process.

The preparation stage
• Formation of the commissioning team
• Review of lessons learned about building performance and the commissioning process
• Getting the client brief and design brief right
• Client stakeholder consultation to understand wants, needs and expectations
• Production of the initial commissioning plan
• Budgeting for the commissioning process
• Commissioning team administration

The design stage
• Appointment of a commissioning management specialist
• Reality-checking of the client brief and the emerging design solutions
• Definition of performance outcomes for the building and its engineering systems
• Preparation of the commissioning specification
• Commissioning-focused design reviews
• Establishing a project schedule and cost plan to support the commissioning process

The pre-construction stage
• Ensuring the requirements of the commissioning process are clearly defined in tender documentation
• Clearly explaining commissioning process requirements during the appointment of construction specialists
• Verifying the capability of construction specialists to meet the requirements of the commissioning process
• Ensuring commissioning process requirements are clearly defined in appointment contracts

The construction stage
• Pre-start commissioning workshops
• Production of commissioning process deliverables before installation works start
• Mock-up performance tests and factory acceptance tests
• Commissioning-focused reviews of construction drawings and technical submittals
• Execution of pre-commissioning works
• Production of training courses and a training programme for users and operators
• Progressive production of handover documentation, including the Building Manual and Building Users Guide

The commissioning stage
• Co-ordination and control of site-based commissioning works
• Establishing and implementing the building-readiness programme
• Setting-to-work and system regulation
• Performance tests, including integrated systems testing
• Involvement of operational personnel and other 3rd parties in commissioning works
• Production of a commissioning report

The pre-handover stage
• Production of a building technical guide and a building users guide
• Review of the O&M manuals
• Training, familiarisation and demonstration activities with client stakeholders
• Ensuring facilities management contracts are in place
• Confirming roles and responsibilities for post-handover activities
• Establishing a home for the aftercare team

Initial occupation support
• Helping users to get to know their new or refurbished facility
• Provision of assistance to the facilities management team
• Communication with client stakeholders
• Walkabouts and fine-tuning
• Updating documentation in accordance with approved changes
• Production of a lessons learned report about the commissioning process so far

Post-occupancy aftercare
• Aftercare review meetings
• Post-occupancy evaluation: Investigative walkthroughs, performance surveys & assessment of occupant satisfaction
• Seasonal commissioning and ongoing fine-tuning
• Lessons learned review focusing on client requirements, project team intent and actual performance outcomes

On completion of this course, delegates will be:
• Learning how to produce better business, social and environmental performance outcomes for global economies
• Getting the useful tips on how to use commissioning management for successful construction projects
• Understand what key commissioning process activities should take place at each of the 8 stages of project delivery
• Applying the 8-stage project process for the better performance
• Applying an improved approach to management of the commissioning process on their construction projects
• Producing better buildings which will be operationally ready at handover, function in accordance with user and operator requirements and perform efficiently in use

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