|
|
"A good O&M manual will help ensure that a development "runs" the way it is designed to run. Affordable housing developers should make sure that they receive all the documentation contractually owed to them by their design team, their contractors and their vendors. This information should be collected in one place and should be maintained and regularly updated. It should also be easily accessible by the owner, the residents and the property manager, as appropriate."
William Huang,
former Deputy
Director, Los Angeles
Community Design Center
Tools for Step 19
Print Step 19
|
|
|
Step 19. Create an operation and maintenance manual for project.
Why is this step important?
You have worked hard to create a well designed development - one that meets user needs, enhances its neighborhood and is built to last. It's very likely that this project will become a long term asset to the community and to everyone who lives there. A manual that describes key components and systems within the building(s) and on the grounds - and explains how they should be operated and maintained will help ensure that the project fulfills its promise to its occupants and to its community.
The team that designs and develops the building, especially if the team includes the property manager, is in the best position to describe its efficient operation and maintenance, and to create the manual over the course of the entire development process.
When should this step be done?
After construction is complete but before the project is occupied.
Who should do this step?
The owner/developer, the design team, the contractor and the property manager.
What should be done?
- Identify key design elements, systems and materials that are critical to long term quality and performance of your project: e.g. exterior wall and roof materials, windows, exterior doors, landscaping, key mechanical equipment.
- Develop or collect all available operation and maintenance information/manuals for each of these components. (Much of this information will already exist and simply needs to be assembled.)
- Ensure that all materials - as-built drawings, final finish schedules and plans, and all warranties, guarantees and certifications - that are contractually owed to you are collected from your design team and your contractor before final payments are made.
- Aggregate this information into a single resource that can be used by residents and management personnel to guide overall O&M activities.
- If possible, create one or more "to do" checklists that synthesize key recommendations in the collected material; i.e. what to do and when.
- Print out the Operation and Maintenance Manual Checklist Form and list all the O&M materials and manuals that you have collected. Add the list to the Project Book and include it in the O&M manual.
- If a "to do" list has been developed, add it to the Project Book and the O&M manual as well.
How can doing this help move my project forward?
- Effective operation and ongoing maintenance are critical to the long term viability of any project.
- By making these activities easier to understand - especially by outlining what to do when - an operations manual can help ensure that your project is efficiently operated and well maintained long into the future.
|
