The perception and understanding of commissioning and commissioning management in the GCC region is gradually changing, and I am pleased to report, it is for the better. It is a long road, but there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Thanks to the ongoing commitment of our Committee members, the GCC’s Commissioning Specialists Association (CSA) has seen evidence of this with a real desire to implement lessons learnt when speaking to clients, and an increased LinkedIn following, backed by the sharp uptake of applicants to join our education programme; we are seeing a 21% increase in applicants compared to previous years. More project specifications are calling for CSA-certified businesses or candidates, as developers are realising the added value of a quality service carried out by trained and experienced staff.

Lee Hewitt

It appears the market has had time to reassess the negative impact of procuring the most cost-effective vendors to manage or execute the commissioning process. Whilst the fee may appear higher, it pales into insignificance compared to the cost when projects overrun and are repeatedly delivered late.

A great example of this is the current tsunami of work that is occurring in the data centre sector. The potential negative financial consequences if data centres are not finished on time – not to mention the reputational damage to the owner – mean that CAPEX costs, whilst important, are not the ultimate driver.

These projects are fast track, technical and require experienced staff to deliver, so their investment is in quality companies to commission the facility on time, the first time around. Not wanting to make the investment would be a counterproductive move. Just think, you wouldn’t want to receive a COVID vaccine from a sub-standard manufacturer, would you?

Another positive as we all face this pandemic together is that responsible business owners and property managers are genuinely concerned that their buildings have been left inactive or are operating under capacity since the gradual return to the workplace.

Noting the World Health Organization has emphasised the importance of having effective ventilation in a building, where airborne transmission is a known risk, the CSA has received many requests asking how best to reopen premises safely, whether that be in full or for partial occupation. The same approach has been taken to ensure the integrity of water systems and the management of risks associated, including Legionella pneumophilia bacteria, noting these are a legal responsibility.

Encouragingly, what the wider CSA community and I are seeing evidence of is the medium-term opportunities for the CSA to add value, taking into account the plethora of government initiatives across the GCC region. These include Dubai’s 2030 Integrated Energy Strategy initiative and 2040 Urban Master Plan, Oman’s 2040 Vision, Qatar’s 2030 National Vision, Saudi’s Vision 2030 and Bahrain’s National Development Strategy, to name a few. These initiatives will provide the platform for the CSA and registered companies to educate and implement tried-and-tested processes that benefit all parties.

One of these targets, in conjunction with the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA), is to work closely with developers and introduce the Soft Landings framework. In essence, Soft Landings is a proven five-stage process to facilitate a unified transition between construction and occupation and, potentially, the remainder of its lifecycle.

1) Inception and Briefing – An opportunity for designer, constructor and developer to come together for initial discussions.

2) Design Development – Where the entire project team gains insights and learns lessons from similar projects and really starts to understand how the building will work once in operation.

3) Pre-Handover – A chance for operators to really spend some time getting to know the interfaces and systems before occupation.

4) Initial Aftercare – Where systems are fine-tuned, initial issues “ironed out” and post-occupant evaluation surveys (POEs) take place.

5) Extended Aftercare – Resolution of any issues from the POEs and recording of lessons learnt for future projects. Currently, the absence of the above is negatively impacting energy efficiency, reliability and Indoor Air Quality during building operation.

Problems such as mould growth, leaking ducts and general poor performance could have all been avoided if correct building commissioning and processes, such as Soft Landings, had been implemented.

In conclusion, today’s market is still suffering from poor competency and general lack of  understanding, but it’s not all bad; moreover, it remains our mission to collectively raise the bar through education and professional delivery.

Lee Hewitt is Managing Partner, Core Emirates, and Chairman of GCC CSA. He may be contacted at l.hewitt@core-emirates.com.