Facilities Project Delivery Course: Capital Works, Refurbishment and Handover in Live Buildings

Programme Summary

Facilities project delivery, covering capital works, refurbishment and handover in live buildings, is the subject of this two-week training course for facilities directors and heads of estates, ending in a project delivery pack for one live project. Works in occupied buildings are often planned as if the site were empty, so disruption, cost growth and weak handover follow. The programme moves from project purpose and building diagnosis through options, risk, procurement and control, then to handover and a worked pack. Mars Training Centre UK delivers this programme in facilities project delivery.

The Business Case

When works are scoped without regard to occupants, critical services and contractor capability, budgets drift and operations suffer. Leaders who define scope early, control change and test handover can show sponsors what each project cost, disrupted and delivered, and can challenge contractors with evidence. Without that discipline, finance teams see overruns late, occupants lose confidence in the estate function, and completed buildings reach operations with gaps that remain unresolved for months.

• Cost Predictability: Improves as scope, contingency and change approval are agreed before works start.
• Operational Disruption: Falls as phasing, access and continuity measures are planned with occupants.
• Handover Quality: Rises as acceptance criteria are written into contracts and tested on completion.

Principles and Evidence Base

• ISO 21502: Its guidance on project management structures the planning and control work of Sessions 1, 3 and 6.
• ISO 31000: Its risk management process shapes the occupied-building risk work of Session 4.
• ISO 41001: Its facility management system requirements link each project to ongoing operations in Sessions 1 and 9.
• PMBOK Guide: PMI governance and stakeholder concepts inform the decision and communication work of Session 7.

Intended Participants

• Facilities directors who sponsor refurbishment, fit-out and relocation projects and answer for their cost.
• Heads of estates who prepare briefs, appoint contractors and accept completed works.
• Facilities managers who coordinate works with daily operations and occupants.
• Property and operations leaders who approve capital budgets and receive handed-over buildings.

The programme serves healthcare providers, universities, corporate campuses and public-sector estates.

Learning Outcomes

1. Participants will be able to evaluate a facilities project brief against the planning guidance of ISO 21502.
2. Participants will be able to diagnose building condition and occupant constraints that limit a project.
3. Participants will be able to construct an options appraisal and a phased cost plan for works in a live building.
4. Participants will be able to prioritise risks to occupants and operations and justify the controls chosen.
5. Participants will be able to justify a procurement route and contractor selection to a sponsor.
6. Participants will be able to design change, communication and handover controls for a live project.

Programme Structure

Day 1: Facilities Project Delivery and the Case for Works

What does a facilities project owe the organisation, and how is its purpose set?

• ISO 21502 Project Management Guidance
• Project Purpose and Benefit Statement
• ISO 41001 Facility Management Link
• Capital and Operating Cost Boundary
• Peer Review of Two Project Briefs

Day 2: Diagnosing Building Condition and Occupant Constraints

Where do building condition and occupancy limit what a project can do?

• Condition Survey Summary
• Occupancy and Access Constraint Map
• Critical Services Dependency Register
• Tenant and Department Impact Matrix
• Existing Project Health Check

Day 3: Scope, Options and Business Case

How is a scope defined and an option chosen before money is committed?

• Scope Statement and Exclusions Log
• Options Appraisal Matrix
• Whole-Life Cost Comparison
• Business Case Outline
• Approval Gate Criteria

Day 4: Risk, Safety and Continuity in Live Buildings

How is risk to occupants and operations identified and controlled?

• ISO 31000 Risk Process
• Risk Register for Occupied Works
• Permit and Isolation Planning
• Operational Continuity Plan
• Noise, Dust and Access Controls

Day 5: Procurement Routes and Contractor Selection

Which route and selection method suits the works and the building?

• Procurement Route Comparison
• Tender Evaluation Scorecard
• Contract Form Selection Grid
• Prequalification Questionnaire
• Contractor Capability Interview Guide

Day 6: Programme, Cost Planning and Resource Control

How are time, cost and resources planned so the plan holds in a working building?

• Work Breakdown Structure
• Phased Programme with Decant Steps
• Cost Plan and Contingency Model
• Cash Flow Forecast
• Resource and Supplier Loading View

Day 7: Governance, Change and Stakeholder Communication

How are decisions, changes and messages controlled while works continue?

• PMBOK Guide Governance Domain
• Change Request and Approval Log
• Stakeholder Engagement Plan
• Sponsor Report Template
• Escalation Route Design

Day 8: Moves, Relocation and System Upgrade Planning

How are moves and system upgrades sequenced around daily operations?

• Move and Decant Sequencing Plan
• System Cut-Over Checklist
• Fit-Out Coordination Schedule
• Business Readiness Review
• Rollback and Contingency Triggers

Day 9: Quality, Inspection and Handover Control

How is completed work tested, accepted and handed to operations?

• Inspection and Test Plan Review
• Snagging and Defects Tracker
• Commissioning Witness Record
• Handover Documentation Set
• Operations Acceptance Criteria

Day 10: Applying Facilities Project Delivery to One Project

Is the project delivery pack ready for a sponsor to adopt?

• Applying the Session 2 Constraint Map to the Chosen Project
• Testing Session 4 Risk Controls Against the Plan
• Reviewing the Session 5 Contractor Route
• Rehearsing the Session 9 Handover Control
• Completing the Facilities Project Delivery Pack

Methodology

The programme is built around case analysis and structured exercises. Participants work in small teams on anonymised project records from hospital, campus and office settings, appraise options, plan phasing around occupants and rehearse acceptance of completed works. Each exercise uses the same project throughout, so that decisions from one session carry into the next.

• Suggested activity: Mapping occupant and service constraints for a refurbishment floor plan.
• Suggested activity: Scoring three contractor tenders against a weighted scorecard.
• Suggested activity: Walking a defects list through acceptance and handover.

Capstone Output

Each participant completes a project delivery pack for one live project. It holds a scope statement, an options appraisal, a phased cost plan, a risk register, a procurement route and handover criteria. It is used to brief a sponsor, instruct contractors and accept the works.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is facilities project delivery suitable for managers who have not led a capital project before?

Yes. Facilities project delivery is set at managerial level and assumes familiarity with building operations, not prior experience of running a capital project.

Which standards does facilities project delivery rest on in this training?

Facilities project delivery rests on ISO 21502 for project management, ISO 31000 for risk and ISO 41001 for facility management systems, with PMBOK Guide governance concepts.

How is the pack from facilities project delivery used at work?

You use the pack from facilities project delivery to brief a sponsor, instruct contractors and set acceptance criteria for completed works.

How does facilities project delivery differ from a general project management programme?

Facilities project delivery centres on works in occupied buildings, contractors and handover to operations, while a general project management programme centres on methods applied across any sector.