COMMISSIONING
 Commissioning is a means of carefully preparing for the complicated work of designing, constructing, and maintaining new school facilities. A successful commissioning process will detail the intentions, methods, and expectations for a project, clearly explaining to all stakeholders the path to project success. The ideal result is a system in which a single set of instructions guides all project participants towards a uniform goal, reducing conflict and confusion.
The two groups principally involved in the commissioning process are the owners and the design and construction professionals. Each has certain responsibilities that must be carried out to achieve a successful school facility. The owners, for instance, must continually evaluate the work of architects and contractors to ensure that their predefined goals are being achieved. These professionals, in turn, must interpret and execute the owners' vision.
In general, the owners' key responsibilities include:
- Clearly defining, documenting, and conveying the criteria for project success
- Reviewing the progress of design professionals in achieving these success criteria
- Providing input for construction documents
- Continually reviewing the progress of construction in achieving success criteria
- Verifying that operations and maintenance personnel are documented and trained
- Continually evaluating and improving the process as a whole
A private commissioning authority is often required to train school-district personnel in managing and leading the commissioning process, and in executing owners' responsibilities. However, the commissioning authority may also be composed partially or entirely of school staff.
Before the commissioning process begins, it may be useful to consider several general rules applicable to any project:
- Define the end goal – If goals are not clearly and universally understood from the beginning, they will never be fully achieved.
- Do it right the first time – Redoing work is more costly in time and money than doing it right the first time. Therefore, owners must provide professionals with clear and detailed plans and specifications, and with clear statements of their intent.
- Focus on individual accountability – Quality cannot be enforced from above, but must be practiced at the working level. Therefore, the individual must be the focus for defining goals and evaluating results.
- Verify rather than inspect – As work progresses, so should its evaluation. Verification is a continuous process aimed at identifying and resolving issues before they become larger problems. The goal is collaborative and non-confrontational resolutions.
- Plan for the future – Schools last for decades, with operating costs comprising up to 96% of lifetime expenses. The most economical facilities in the long run may therefore cost more in the short run. Focus on life-cycle costs rather than first costs.
- Find the cost-effective solution – Successful facilities can be achieved within limited financial means, and they will not be undertaken otherwise. The proper project solutions should reduce owner costs without reducing professionals' margins.
Once roles are defined and understood, the commissioning process begins. It starts at the earliest planning stages and continues through the life of the facility.
Key phases and project activities include:
- Pre-Design Phase
- setting goals
- defining roles and responsibilities
- defining documentation requirements
- Design Phase
- verifying successful design
- detailing owner requirements in construction documents
- educating potential contractors
- Construction Phase
- building a team
- verifying successful construction
- transitioning from contractor to owner
- Occupancy and Operations Phase
- maintaining documentation
- verifying continued achievement of goals
- reviewing for 10-month warranty
- continuing with quality improvement
- verifying continued achievement of project intent
Commissioning should help planners to identify their goals and clarify the means of achieving them. The process is intricate and long-term, but the result should be a more orderly and effective achievement of the owners' vision.
More detailed instructions on the commissioning process are available from DSA at http://www.documents.dgs.ca.gov/dsa/pubs/CommissioningProcessGuide.pdf.
- Richard Conrad
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