A Study of Quantity Surveyor’s Perception of Facility in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria

A Study of Quantity Surveyor’s Perception of Facility in the Niger Delta Area of Nigeria

Chapter One

Aim and Objectives of the Study

The researcher sought to investigate the perception of the Quantity Surveyor on facility management in the construction industry.

The specific objectives were:

To identify the factors that qualify a quantity surveyor as a facility manager.
To access the factors that affect the effective facilities management practices in Nigeria.
To examine the level of involvement of the Quantity Surveyor in the facilities management practice.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

General Overview

The discipline called ‘Facilities Management’ was first conceived in the United States of America some twenty years ago and has since gained ground in advanced countries of Europe, Japan, Australia etc. According to Owen as quoted by Onyeri (2004), Facilities Management became recognized as an identifiable management concept in the state at the beginning of the eighties and has been practical in the United Kingdom (UK) since about 1983. Facilities management is now enjoying a rapid spread in the developing countries of Africa, including Nigeria. The proponents of facilities management present it as a coordinated and integrated approach to all problems of business and property management and maintenance.

The term ‘Facilities’ can be said to include buildings, ground utilities, equipment etc. According to Akanni (1989), facilities to a large extent can be described as the capital assets of an organisation that can be utilized to create or produce value.

There is need to ensure effective facilities management in Nigeria in this new millennium since we have developed the culture of building facilities.

Facilities Management Defined

Facilities management has been defined in a number of ways. The 2006 edition of the Free Encyclopedia defines facility management as ‘the management of buildings and services’. In another development, facilities management is seen as “the process by which an organisation delivers and sustains support services in a quality environment to meet strategic needs. (Alexander, 1996). Harvey (1994) defined facilities management as the structuring of building plans and contents to enhance the creation of the end product”. In this case, the end product can be tangible manufactured item or a service; in either case, the product benefits in competitiveness and quality. McGregor (1989) also defined facilities management as “a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology. Facilities management is a customer oriented, integral management service, which deals with complex decision making for the optimum planning usage and usage adaptation of building, their installation, equipment and services, backed up by information system, and which provides strategic support for co-corporate management and every value adding workplace.

One of the latest definitions of facility management is that of Akerede (1991). He defined facilities management as “the process of co-co-coordinating the physical workplace with the people and the work of organization.” He further noted that “the primary function of facilities management is to plan, establish and maintain a work environment the effectively supports the goals and objectives or the organization.” It is the role of facilities management to ensure that everything is available and operating properly for building occupants to do their work. In another development, the International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) defined facilities management as the practice of coordinating the physical work place with the people and work of the organisation. This implies that it integrates the business administration, architecture, quantity surveying and the behavioural and engineering science. Facilities management embraces projects management, property management or maintenance and goes beyond these to include corporate business management, technical management and commercial management.

The facilities manager generally has most influence. According to Fatoki (1998), “The facilities manager’s responsibilities include the building of structure and system, safety of the work place, the environment and organizational matter”. This is to say that the responsibilities of a facility manager is more than the physical maintenance of the facility.

CHAPTER THREE

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Research Design

The study was survey study on the professionals qualified to practice as facilities managers and institutions that require effective facilities management to support their core businesses such as the oil services companies. It was both a theoretical and a descriptive study. The theoretical aspect involved the review of relevant literatures while the descriptive aspect involved collection and analysis of data from respondents using questionnaire and descriptive statistics respectively.

Area of Study

The area of study was in Akwa Ibom State of Nigeria. It is located in the South Eastern corner of Nigeria. It lies between latitudes 4.35⁰ North and longitude 7.25⁰ and 8.25⁰ East. The state is bounded on the North by Cross River and Imo States and on the South by the Atlantic ocean on the South-West, the State is bounded by the Rivers and Abia States. It territory covers 7.246 square kilometers.

Population of the Study

The study targeted the major participants in the construction industry. It encompassed professionals who by training can practice as facilities managers and employer organization requires effective facilities management. They include quantity surveyors, engineers, estate managers, architects and builders.

CHAPTER FOUR

DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS

Following the administration and subsequent collation of responses the following are the results and interpretation. In Table 4.1 that follows, the administration of questionnaire and response rate calculated are shown.

CHAPTER FIVE

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Findings

Based on the analysis of the data collected as shown in the proceeding chapter four the following are the findings of the study:

The Study identified the relevance of the Quantity Surveyor’s expertise in the field of facilities management practice such expertise are required in the field to provide independent, objective, accurate and capital and operating cost assessment useful for investment core services support.
The quantity surveyor and his expertise are utilize to provide the services in facilities management practice preparation of operation and maintenance i.e. (Bill of Materials/repairs) for tender, preparation of work, material and equipment schedule, collection and vetting of all job orders and invoices, preparation of specification for the method of carrying out repairs, maintenance and management, formalization of initial review process for determining capital repairs, development of capital maintenance plans based on one, five and ten years increments i.e. budget forecast.
Such services as highlighted above are largely utilized in the provision and management of petrochemical facilities, social amenities, solar facilities and other infrastructural facilities.
The study also revealed that despite enormous desirability and the relevance of the Quantity Surveyor’s expertise in facilities management, clients are ignorant, unwilling to pay, and do not request for them. This results in managerial system and maintenance technology being poor, which of course they be due, in part, to inadequate funding indiscipline.

Conclusion

From all list have been said about the definitions of both facilities management and what it involves in the direction of the purpose in which it is conceived, the Quantity Surveyor has a big role to play.

This study has made an attempt to explain that facilities management requires expertise team work considering the life cycle management nature of facilities and the level of information circulation networks. Such expertise is within the disciplines of the quantity surveying profession.

Recommendations

From the foregoing, the following recommendations have been submitted for future reference and guide in further attempt to look into the relevance of the Quantity Surveyor in Facility Management:

The negative financial implications of not utilizing the expertise of Quantity Surveyors in facilities management should be looked into.
There should be re-enactment of the enabling laws in management of facilities to give the Quantity Surveyor his rightful and professional position.
A study should be carried out to compare the life span of facilities management with and without the expertise of Quantity Surveyors.

REFERENCES

Adedeji, A. O. (2005) “Nigerians Value Facilities Management when things go wrong” Thisday Newspaper, 2, 3604; 05/03/05, 17
Adetola, A. E. and Ogunsanmi, O. E. (2006): Demand for Project Managers in the Nigerian construction Industry. The Quantity Surveyor 54, 1, 13 – 17.
Adisa, S. Y. (1998) Professionalism and Facilities Management in Nigeria. The Estate Surveyor and Values, 21, 2, 40 – 44.
Akanni, O. 1989) Property Maintenance. Financial Punch, April 25, 12 – 14.
Akerde, O. (1991) Paper Delivered at the Maintenance Management Conference Organised by NIESV on Developing Maintenance Culture in Nigeria
Alexander, K. (1996). Facilities Management. Theory and Practice Management”. United Kingdom.
Ashworth, A. and K. Hogg (2002): Willis Practice and Procedure for Quantity Surveyors: London: Lack Well Science Butter Worth Press.
Atkin, B. (2000): Total Facilities Management. Blackwell Science Limited, London
De Lucy, J. 1989 A professional Approach to Facilities Management. John Wiley. UK
Enekwechi, O. C. (1996): The Survival of Quantity Surveyor or other professional in the construction Industry in a Dwindling Economy. The Builder Magazine, Sept./Oct. 12 – 13.

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