To ensure the building operates in accordance with the design intent and operational demands, through providing aftercare to the building owner and occupants during the first year of occupation.

• Improve building performance by continuing to monitor and commission the building in early stages of occupation.
• Reduce the gap between predicted design and as-built actual energy and environmental performance.
• Improve occupant comfort and indoor environmental conditions to meet end user requirements and maximise occupant health and wellbeing.
• Increase occupant satisfaction.
• Improve learning from actual building performance to inform future procurement, design, construction and management practices as well as enhance asset value and satisfaction.

Buildings seldom perform in operation as they were predicted to do during design. This is caused by a variety of factors, but deficiencies in operational management and a lack of user understanding play a significant part in this.

A lack of communication between building designers, installers and those who will operate them is a major factor. Improved ongoing commissioning practices can help considerably in allowing for this transfer of knowledge and understanding as well as ironing out teething problems in the building and its systems as occupants begin to settle in.

Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) is increasingly recognised as a valuable means of gaining understanding of how a building is working for those that live and work in it. POE is becoming mandatory on many public sector projects but is valuable in all sectors as poor building performance can impact on running costs, occupant wellbeing and business efficiency. A POE can help to identify teething problems and gaps in building operation understanding, and can help share lessons for the benefit of future new-build or refurbishment projects, thereby improving our understanding of how buildings are actually used and operated in practice.