Meet Performance Objectives

by the WBDG Functional / Operational Committee

Last updated: 04-29-2008

Overview

Meeting performance objectives is a sustained effort from inception and planning, through turnover and operation, to assure the delivery of a project that satisfies all of the owner's functional requirements. There are many aspects involved in assuring performance objectives are met; from assembling a qualified project delivery team; to adequately coordinating team member roles and responsibilities to instituting systematic quality assurance programs, like an appropriate level of Building Commissioning.

The ability of a building to perform in a way that fully meets an owner's functional expectations—both qualitative and quantitative—requires a coordinated effort by a multi-disciplined team of experts who understand and apply a 'Whole Buildings' design approach.

Some practical ways to approach developing a proactive performance assurance program for a project include:

Recommendations

Assure that Appropriate Programming Occurs

Establish Design Objectives and Priorities that Will Drive Design Concepts

Review "Lessons Learned" to leverage corporate knowledge and assure past mistakes are not repeated

Institute a Project Delivery Quality Assurance (QA) Program

Photo of Environmental Management System (EMS)

This Environmental Management System (EMS) enables facilities engineering personnel to maintain comfort and ventilation levels at the high standards set by the stakeholders at the beginning of the project.

Understand the Role of Facility Management and Operations

Use Facility Performance Evaluations (FPE's)

Emerging Issues

Over the course of 10 years post commissioning, good monitoring, diagnostics and verification remained steady from 100-120% realized estimated savings at the beginnin of the 10 years to 20-24 cents/year saved per dollar spent on retrofit at the end of the 10 year span. Poor monitoring, diagnostics and verification declined from 80-100% realized estimated savings at the beginning of the 10 years to 8-16 cents/year saved per dollar spent on retrofit at the end of the 10 years. The average is set at 145% for continuous commissioning.

Savings from Continuous Commissioning Program in laboratory building at Texas A&M University

Relevant Codes and Standards

Major Resources

Publications

Associations

Others

WBDG Services Construction Criteria Base