FM & PPP

PPP projects require a different approach from Facility Management. The strategic method of working makes it necessary to organise facility services differently. With DBFOM projects, both Service Management and accommodation-related tasks, including Building Maintenance, are assigned to a private company that is part of the consortium.

PPP can mean a significant change in the way that facility service providers do their work. Greater attention is paid to operation and management aspects at a far earlier stage. This benefits the Facility Manager in the operational phase, as the building is optimally geared towards future functions. It also means that Facility Managers must be able to define objectives and results beforehand, and to anticipate future running costs, necessary resources and the needs and ambitions of the organisation.

Is this feasible?

From a Facility Management perspective, this type of long-term planning is not always desirable or feasible. The dynamic character of some organisations makes it difficult to develop a realistic strategic plan. In addition, there are several external factors that can drastically affect the functioning of a building and associated services in the long run. Legislation and social factors are determining factors when it comes to needs. We can see that requirements relating to security have been tightened considerably in the past few years due to an increasing emphasis on safety. And new legislation made it necessary to provide special facilities for smokers. Legal guidelines regarding use of space were introduced for education, healthcare and childcare. All these issues have repercussions on the layout of a building and facility services provided.

All these factors make it difficult, if not impossible, to make a realistic estimation of the facility operational costs over a longer period. And a long-term plan is exactly what is essential for PPP projects. The service level must never come under pressure, not even in the long run. This makes cost effective organisation of Facility Management within PPP projects a challenge.