Sustenance of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) Buildings in Nigeria: The Impact of Budget and Maintenance Project Control Toolkit.

Abstract.

Sustaining Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) built environments inNigeria to an appropriate and acceptable standard requires adequatepreparation and provision of maintenance budget derived from carrying outreconnaissance surveys of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) builtenvironments. In addition, effective and efficient sustenance activitiesare germane to availability of relevant; reliable; and accurate data formaintenance budget preparations. Also, maintenance budget prepared fromsuch data as mentioned above can only be effectively used, except incombination with the following maintenance control toolkit, such as:maintenance schedule; maintenance programme; job specification; facilityregister; history record; maintenance planning; and maintenance profile.The outcome of an initial exploratory study of the issues mentioned abovein relation to HEIs built environments in Nigeria are presented in thispaper. The research adopted and used a qualitative research strategy (firstphase) that made use of a series of semi-structured interviews with theDirectors of works and services of the twelve HEIs used as samples inNigeria.

Following the thematic analysis of data collected, it was revealed that, ageneral paucity of funds allows for poor sustenance of built environmentacross both the federal and state types of HEIs in Nigeria. The studyreveals that, lack of use of the sustainable maintenance control toolkitmentioned above coupled with the absence of a quality control unit withinworks and services departments have an impact on the effective andefficient sustenance of the built environments of HEIs in Nigeria. InAddition, the results of a validation survey (administration ofquestionnaire-second phase) among 156 respondents (the assets users-academic staff, administrative staff, technical staff, and students) in thetwelve HEIs used as samples are presented below in the full paper. Insummary, frameworks on budget, sustainability, and quality control arepresented to assist key decision makers to develop enduring solutions tosuch sustainability challenges of HEIs built environments that willimprovise for such necessities that will bring comfort to the users of HEIsbuilt environments in Nigeria.

Key words: Assets, Budget, Control toolkit, Environment, Maintenance, and sustainability.

1. Introduction

The British Standard (BSI, 1993) defines building maintenance “as acombination of any actions required to retain an item in, or restore to, anacceptable condition”. David (1999, p. 122) explains that frequencies ofmaintenance works on a building or asset depends on many factors, such asquality of materials used, quality of workmanship, frequency of use, natureof use, the age of the asset, ecological factors, nature of activitieswithin and around the asset. Alan (1998,p. 74-90) defines defects as uglyspots on both old and new buildings, and such spots reduce the commercialvalues of the assets as well as their service years. Chika (2008) assertsthat, no single maintenance method and strategy can effectively provideneeded remedies to both natural and artificial defects on buildings.

In Nigeria, ownership of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can becategorised as being Federal government owned, state owned, and those inprivate ownership. However, meaningful skills and knowledge need to beimparted to learners in a very conducive environment .In addition theworkplace for academic and other faculty staff must also be conducive. Therestoration of a building into an appropriate and acceptable standard in anappropriate timescale, taking into account an approved budget are necessarysteps in maintaining a sustainable built environment.

A healthy building will impact on staff and learner performance, andimprove their productivity levels. A cursory look at some Higher EducationInstitutions buildings in Nigeria, especially those built more than fiveyears ago, suggests that they are not well maintained. It is suspected thatsome Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have not considered budgeting formaintenance at all.

1.2 Justification of the Study

In South Western Nigeria (comprising of six states), there are fifteenHigher Education Institutions (owned by the government).This evidentlyshows the commitment of the Nigerian government towards ensuring betterquality of life for its citizens.

The study evaluated the current approaches to assets maintenance managementin Higher Education Institutions and developed a new projects budgetpreparation framework for (HEIs) Works and services departments thatreflects sustainable construction project management. The study proposed atheoretical strategic framework on asset maintenance management for HigherEducation Institutions in Nigeria, assessed and evaluated works andservices departments’ constraints in relation to maintenance budgets andsustainable programme for the built environments.

2 Research Methodologies

2.1 First Phase: The study conducted semi-structured interviews (qualitative) as the first phase for the twelve Directors of works and services of the selected Higher Education Institutions in Nigeria on Maintenance Budget, Sustainability of the Built Environment using maintenance control toolkit.

2.2 Second Phase (Survey)

For the second phase, 156 questionnaires were distributed among the assetsusers (academic staff, administrative staff, technical staff, andstudents), only 120 of them returned. The questionnaire contains 28question items, all measuring all the six essential variables on assetsmaintenance management, such as: procurement strategies; maintenancemethods; maintenance budget; project quality control; post occupancyevaluations; and sustainable programme. However, for the purpose of thispaper, emphasis shall be placed on maintenance budget and sustainableprogramme.

3 Findings

3.1 Semi-Structured Interviews

In preparing maintenance budget, “the department uses previous year

estimates and add up ten percentage for the current year” (Wahab, 2012).It

is explained further by the Interviewee that, the maintenance and services

department always request about fifteen percentage of the overall

Institution’s budget, but allocated less than five percentage. Adediran

(2012) asserted that, annual maintenance budget is prepared by considering

previous year budget and the prevailing market prices of materials, and

then a percentage increase is added. “Budget for Maintenance is not

realistic, because of the galloping inflation in the prices of materials

and labour” (Adediran 2012). It was explained further by the Interviewee

that, the department is not aware of the overall institution budget, but

what is allocated for maintenance and repairs is the approved budget not

the prepared budget and this is not enough. Oyediran (2012) asserted that,

preparation of maintenance budget is bottomed up, that is, from the various

units of the department” .It is explained further by the interviewee that,

the department operates with the approved budget, but not with the proposed

budget of the department. Williams (2012) asserted that, the maintenance

budget is prepared annually based on condition surveys of existing

buildings, and are implemented based on release of cash. “Curative

maintenance and repairs are carried out regularly on plumbing works and

carpentry works”.

3.2 Findings from the Use of Questionnaire Survey

Out of a total of 156 respondents, 120 of them filled and returned

the questionnaires. This is about 76.92% of all the participants. The

results obtained make the survey credible.

Majority of the HEIs works and services departments do not have

maintenance budgets. Those that prepare and use maintenance budgets,

use faulty techniques in the preparation of HEIs built environments

annual maintenance budgets.

Maintenance budgets of the HEIs built environments are prepared based

on previous year budget plans.

In most HEIs, response rate to Users’ Complaints about defects are

delayed due to delays being suffered by the works and services

departments from the HEIs management in approving and releasing

maintenance cash.

In addition, previous year maintenance projects in which maintenance

cash was approved and released still re-appear in the following year

(cultural influence) budget for implementation.

Many of the HEIs work and services departments base their maintenance

budgets preparation on forecast.

Most of the HEIs built environments noticed defects are major ones,

due to delays in approving and releasing of maintenance cash by the

HEIs management.

Majority of HEIs works and services departments adopt and use faulty

maintenance method and in-appropriate procurement strategy.

Most HEIs do not carry out regular maintenance work on their built

environments. This is due to the following: adoption and use of in-

effective and in-efficient maintenance method, delays in approving

and releasing maintenance cash, and adoption and use of in-

appropriate procurements strategy.

Most HEIs works and services departments are under-funded due to the

use of faulty maintenance budget; in-effective maintenance method;

in-appropriate procurement strategy, and lack of sustainable

programme.

Majority of the HEIs works and services departments do not prepare

and use maintenance control toolkit. And, the absence of its use

prevents the timely approval of maintenance budget, and adequate

release of maintenance cash.

Majority of the HEIs do not have full complements of technical staff,

and those with full complements of technical staff, the staff do not

have needed technical skills and knowledge to perform their official

duties satisfactorily. Most of them are not professionals, so, they

out-source most of the maintenance projects.

4 Results and Discussions

4.1 Analysis on Budget Preparation

A Previous year budget plus a percentage: Many HEIs works and services

departments use the previous year maintenance budgets to prepare the current

year budget with only a percentage increase, and the current prices of building

components and materials.

B Some based the budget preparations on “Forecasts”. However, the best approach

is to conduct reconnaissance surveys of the built environment (to identifying

the existing defects, and possible future defects). The defects identified are

measured and priced in order to give accurate budget figure. In addition, for

prompt approval and release of maintenance cash, the following maintenance

control toolkit could be attached, such as, maintenance programme, maintenance

schedule, jobs satisfaction, and facility register. The use of Bills of

Quantities are also very essential, to allow for competitive tendering. However,

the preparation, and the use of maintenance budget helps in saving project costs

by avoiding project over-run.

The diagram below shows the framework for” MAINTENANCE BUDGET”

2 Analysis on Budget Preparations

A Previous year budget plus a percentage Increase: Many HEIs works andservices departments use the previous year maintenance budget to prepare

Maintenance Budget

ReconnaissanceSurvey ofAssets

Post OccupancyEvaluation

the current year budget with only a percentage increase, and the currentprices of components and materials.

B Some based the budget preparations on “Forecasts”. However, the bestapproach is to conduct reconnaissance surveys of the built environment (toidentifying the existing defects, and possible future defects). The defectsidentified are measured and priced in order to give accurate budget figure.In addition, for prompt approval and release of maintenance cash, thefollowing maintenance control toolkit could be attached, such as,maintenance programme, maintenance schedule, jobs satisfaction, andfacility register. The use of Bills of Quantities are also very essential—to allow for competitive tendering. However, the preparation, and the useof maintenance budget helps in saving project costs by avoiding projectover-run.

Sustainability Diagram for the Built Environment

Sustainable Programme

HEIsBuiltEnv.

Supplyof

Utilit

WasteMgt.System

Health&Safety Mgt.

FacilitiesMgt.

Drainage

Syste

Use ofCompute

r

4.3 Analysis of Environmental Sustainability

Sustainability of HEIs built environment could be treated in threeintegrated principal ways, such as: environmental; economic; andsocial. Most HEIs in Nigeria are characterised with irregularities,such as: epileptic supply of electricity; poor drinkable watersupply; poor waste collection, treatment, and disposal system; poordrainage system; poor maintenance budgeting system, and poormaintenance method. In spite of the erratic supply of electricity,majority of them use direct current (use of generating plants), onlythat poor budgeting system and the delay in releasing maintenancecash hinder the efforts. In addition, only a few of the HEIs inNigeria are residential, and those that do, can only accommodate afew students due to limited numbers of bed spaces. Due to increasingnumbers of candidates seeking admissions, and students’ populationexplosion, more academic programmes were introduced. As a result, afew students admitted to existing programmes increasedastronomically, with little or no improvement on the existingteaching and learning facilities.

5. Conclusions and Recommendations

5.1 Maintenance Budget

Many of the HEIs works and services departments prepare maintenance budgetbased on the previous year’s budget plus a percentage increase. Some useforecasting, and some use the prevailing prices of materials in the market.However, the best practice is for the HEIs works and services departmentsto carry out reconnaissance survey of the built environments use the dataderived to prepare annual maintenance budget for the built environments.Such budgets are realistic; hence they are derived from accurate andreliable data.

5.2 Sustainable Programmes

Most HEIs in Nigeria are characterised with irregularities, such as:epileptic supply of electricity; poor drinkable water supply; poor wastecollection, treatment, and disposal system; poor drainage system; poor

maintenance budgeting system, and poor maintenance method. In spite of theerratic supply of electricity, majority of them use direct current (use ofgenerating plants), only that poor budgeting system and the delay inreleasing maintenance cash hinder the efforts.

5.3 Project Quality Control

The researchers recommend the establishment of a Quality Control Unit within

each works and services department. Such a unit could be manned by seasoned

professionals from the works and services departments plus seasoned

professionals from the designing consulting firm. The duties of this unit is:

to monitor, control, and supervise the quality of project materials,

workmanship, and ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements, advise the

production team on issues relating to: cost overrun, and timely delivery of

projects. All these could help projects deliveries to time, projects run to

budgets, without compromising quality.

It is a good practice that each HEI to prepare and operate with maintenance

budget. Such maintenance budget could be prepared from data derived from

the reconnaissance survey, and users’ satisfaction survey of the HEI

built environment at the same time. This type of budget could be adequate

and reliable.

Each HEI could attach maintenance control toolkit with the budget proposal

to the HEI management for approval and prompt release of maintenance

cash. Such control toolkit include: Maintenance schedule; Maintenance

program me; Jobs specification; Facility register; Maintenance records;

and history record of the assets.

Each HEI works and services department could prepare and use sustainable

program me for its built environment. Such a programme could include

three integrated principal factors, such as: environmental, economic and

social. Such a sustainable programme could include: regular supply of

electricity; drinkable water; regular waste collection; waste treatment,

and waste disposal system; self-cleansing drainage system; preparation

and use of maintenance budget; and maintenance method. The existing

teaching and learning facilities could be improved upon.

Authorities of each HEI could design a staff developmental programme to

train works and services department technical staff. Such staff

developmental programme could enable them to perform their official

duties satisfactorily.

Each HEI works and services department could create a “Project Quality

Control Unit” within the department. The membership of the unit could be

drawn from seasoned professionals from among the designing consultants

and the seasoned in-house technical staff. In all, the unit could ensure

total compliance to all ISO policies on quality of materials and

workmanship.

Each HEI could improve on the quality and quantity of facilities being

provided to staff offices and Lecture rooms regularly. This could be

achieved by carrying out surveys of the Users satisfaction and

reconnaissance surveys of the built environments regularly.

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