Introduction
The transition from the build phase through commissioning and acceptance and then into the day-to-day use of the building is critical and if not planned for and carried out efficiently, can undo all the good work that has gone before. The subsequent inefficient running of the building will be a waste of the time, knowledge and money invested, and will result in higher in-life running costs. So the preparation to take ownership of your project should start with the defining and designing of the project and carry on through the build phase.
‘Practical completion’ is the phrase most widely used when describing the point at which the construction is finished and the occupation begins; this phrase is a contractual term used in many (but not all) forms of construction contract, and because of that the term ‘handover’ will be used in this chapter.
Leading up to handover
The most effective and successful way of achieving a smooth handover is to plan this from day one. If at all possible, those who will be running and managing the buildings should have been involved in its design to ensure that they fully understand its working and get the most out of it. Some of the key areas that should be discussed and agreed at the design stage are:
- Plant replacement strategies.
- Choice of easily maintainable or replaceable finishes.
- Choice of equipment and fittings that are easily replaceable and fully warrantied.
- Agreement to the type and complexity of the building management system (BMS).
There will be a hive of activity on-site leading up to the handover; the contractor will be trying to complete the works, the consultants will be inspecting the works for completeness and quality, and will be producing snagging lists, which are schedules of work that in the eyes of the contractor are complete, but in the eyes of the consultants are not, or are not to the right quality. The consultants will also be heavily engaged in the testing and commissioning of all the systems to ensure that they are performing as they should and, in particular, that all resilient and emergency systems react as they should in the event of, say, a major power failure.
It should always be an aspiration to achieve zero defects at handover, and indeed a number of contractors now adopt zero defects processes so it is certainly worth favouring a contractor who operates with these schemes. It shows they are committed to the handover process and often invest in people and technology to achieve their goal, which is a definite benefit to you, the occupier. It can be very disruptive having contractors still on-site after occupation and can detract from what otherwise should be a positive experience for all involved. It is also worth remembering that under most forms of contract there will be a defects liability period. This is typically 12 months and is effectively a guarantee that should anything go wrong with the project in that period, other than fair wear and tear, the contactor will put it right.
What happens at handover?
The day of the handover is when the client and the consultants agree that the project is practically complete or, in other words, is sufficiently complete for the client to take occupation. The ultimate decision is that of the clients but in practice this is often left up to the client’s project manager and design team as they will have the necessary experience and should be protecting their client’s interest. The day of handover is one of the most important days in the project lifecycle and is also a contractual requirement which has positive financial implications for the contractor, but do not be pressured to accept a project you are not happy with, or compromise on the quality of the finished product.
The handover day must be properly planned to ensure that it runs smoothly and that all parties are aware of the agenda and their responsibilities. Any outstanding works should be agreed and scheduled prior to the handover day. The contractor and consultants should have produced a handover checklist and this is the starting point for the completion plan. This should form the agenda for the handover day, and as a minimum it should include:
- Design and documentation reviews.
- Agreement to the construction programme status.
- Inspection and snagging, and agreement of outstanding works programme.
- Testing and commissioning.
- Statutory inspections.
- O&M manual and handover manual.
- Health and safety file.
- Spares.
- Warranties.
- Client training.
- Environmental assessments and documentation.
What are the client’s responsibilities at handover?
Beyond the responsibilities of the client on the day of handover there are several other responsibilities that must be addressed as the client takes occupation of the building or space. If leasehold arrangements exist, then the occupation of the building may, if the client is not already doing so, activate the payment of rent or the rent-free period. Clients will also need to make sure that the necessary insurances are in place, whether provided by them or by the landlord. Business rates will also kick in on occupation, and arrangements to pay these need to be in place.
Finally, the client is responsible for the health, safety and security of the occupants of, and visitors to, the building or space so arrangements need to be in place to manage security, either physical – such as reception or manned guarding (or passive) which would include alarms and CCTV. In addition, first aiders and fire wardens need to be appointed and emergency procedures agreed and communicated.
Alternatives at handover
By far the most common situation is to take occupation of a building on a given day. However, there are situations where it is beneficial to the client to agree additional occupation dates, or agree on a phased approach, the most common of which are listed below.
Early access
This is used when the client requires access to the building before formal handover in order to carry out their own works. Typically, this will include the building of Comms Rooms, specialist fit-outs such as audio-visual suites, and catering facilities. These works are normally carried out under a Permit to Work process as the contractor still has responsibility for insurance, coordination and health and safety on-site.
Phased completion
Adopting a phased completion approach, typically where one or more areas are finished and handed over to the client in advance of the main works, can often reduce the project duration. This ‘partial possession’ approach may be attractive when business constraints, such as overcrowding in their current space, required an early move to mitigate the need for a short term let, or where swing space is needed to facilitate the move management. It is by no means a perfect solution, as insurance, health and safety considerations, security of the completed areas, access, dust and noise all have to be considered, but the advantages may well outweigh these concerns.
Soft Landings
Soft Landings is an approach that contracts the designers and contractors to stay involved with the project beyond handover and to work with the client and his building management team to fine-tune and ensure the efficient running of the buildings systems.
Moving in
Planning the move of the business and its people is just as critical as the build project itself and can take as much thought, time and preparation. If the move is not part of the main project, then it is advisable to engage a separate move management company who will plan and manage some, or all of the following.
Housekeeping
Only move what you need to, especially if you are changing working practices – for instance moving to a paperless office. Filing audits, etc are recommended and it is a time to unclutter.
Communication
This is probably the single most important element of the move process. People will need to be guided through the whole process, so continual communication stating what is going to happen when is essential.
Coordination
It is critical that no services fall between the gap of the main project work and the move management process. It needs to be clear who is responsible for moving or transferring:
- Catering.
- IT.
- Updating/renewing company intranet.
- Phones.
- Security.
- Post room.
- Reprographics.
Staff inductions
It is important that your people know how to use their building efficiently and effectively, and it is worthwhile investing time in staff inductions – everything from building evacuations to security, catering, waste/recycling, wayfinding, and reporting building faults, etc. It is often useful to appoint floor or team champions to help with this, and inclusion of key information on the company’s intranet is essential.
Getting the best from your new building
The choice of building management company or FM provider is critical to the ongoing successful occupation of the building and should be engaged as early as possible in the project lifecycle and included in the design if possible. Their involvement in the handover process is crucial, and the setting and monitoring of stretching Key Performance Indicators (KPI) is critical.
Post-Occupancy Evaluations (POE) are now commonplace and are an excellent way of measuring how effectively the project design is functioning and how well the building is being utilised and meeting the business’s need.
Conclusion
To summarise the recommendations of this chapter:
- Start planning for the project handover on day one of the project.
- Set the agenda for the handover day well in advance, and work towards it.
- Get the building management, or FM teams, involved as soon as possible.
- Do not get pressurised into accepting a building that is not ready.
- Do not forget all the other elements and services that do not sit within the main project works.
- Get the people bit right, as a successful people move will turn a good project into a great one; get it wrong and you will be on the back foot. ◼
Perspective
by Ken Anderson
Department of Health — my experiences with the built environment
Working with the public sector presents a myriad of challenges that are not present in the private sector, from the need to hold transparent procurement processes to civil servants who are afraid to break away from a comfortable and measurable past. In my opinion, the first of these had the unintended effect of dampening innovation. Bidding firms were reticent to put into a public domain content that was proprietary. Also, the default position of the public sector is to stray away from new, different or untested ideas. There is inherent risk attached to implementing new ideas.
In healthcare, firms were then faced many times with an intransigent civil service, an unengaged medical staff, and through central dictates from the various departmental fiefdoms, a intransigent expectation of what the outcome should be, usually based on 1960s healthcare provision. Because of these internal structural blockages, it was difficult to reach through to the new and innovative healthcare designs that were being rolled out by international architectural firms. This translated into smaller UK firms winning many of the initial PFI contracts, as government officials avoided what they saw as potentially career-limiting decisions. Also, many health economies had moved to a place where they were building facilities that addressed future healthcare advances as much as they were the present needs. For example, many US architects were designing operating theatres, which could in the future accommodate robotic surgery equipment.
As PFI matured, and government took more of an output-based view of the process, new projects began to allow the introduction of newer and more efficient designs. I think this was also a result of the government beginning to treat the patient as a consumer. NHS providers could see that in an era where taxpayers were demanding better services, based on information of performance easily obtained on the internet. The government was forced to accept that old practices and the status quo were no longer acceptable.
The new reality of patient consumers is also beginning to change the behaviour of doctors. Younger physicians are far more likely to embrace change in all aspects of clinical practice and welcome innovative healthcare building based on new treatments and care pathways.
PFI has left a rich and very visible history of how government has engaged designers and architects over the past decade and a half. Many early PFI projects reflected the buildings they replaced because this was the safe option for government. Recently, however, many of the designs that have become reality reflect a new era in healthcare that addresses patients’ needs today and respects the pace of change in healthcare and needs of the future.
It was always clear that the firms who supported the NHS built environment wanted to introduce the new designs far earlier than the client allowed them to. It is also clear that through perseverance, those necessary changes are being reflected in today’s healthcare facilities.
I am in little doubt that innovative and involved architects are at the front line of medical innovation, and introduce change through those innovative designs by breaking down walls both built and figurative, replacing them with healthcare facilities that support today’s and tomorrow’s patient.