Official language
Facility audits and assessments can reveal many opportunities for investing in improved performance, although implementing those opportunities sometimes require budgeting and planning focus. Usually, building and tenant-controlled space operators use an annual budgeting process to project operating costs and determine which projects will be funded over the next 12-month period. It’s important to wrangle information about green building opportunities together prior to that budgeting process, to ensure the most promising opportunities are considered for funding.
This best practice helps project teams take stock of their previous sustainability efforts, celebrate successes, tune into lessons learned, and gather key details to support decision making for new projects.
The planning process can be approached in a variety of ways, but the guiding principle is to use a strategy that will allow for steady, consistent progress in implementing BIT’s best practices for sustainable operations and maintenance and improving project performance. For some projects, the approach might be to focus on preparing for budgeting so that improvement opportunities are not stranded in the pre-funding stage. For other projects, an annual meeting might be more focused on communicating to stakeholders about sustainability achievements and upcoming projects.
The intent of this best practice is to help building operators create a plan and implement strategies to achieve long-term, sustainable operations and maintenance goals that focus on maximizing occupant health, comfort, and safety while minimizing adverse environmental effects.
Objective
Meet with key stakeholders on an annual basis to review sustainable operations and maintenance goals and results and create strategies to achieve future goals, including enhancing sustainable maintenance practices, identifying funding sources, conducting budget planning, and/or providing training and educational opportunities to building and/or tenant-space occupants.
Submittal Requirements
The following are the required submittals in order to fulfill the objective of this best practice.
Summary report from the annual sustainability planning meeting that includes:
- Date of meeting.
- Names and titles of meeting attendees.
- Summary of outcomes from previous year's sustainable operations initiatives (if applicable).
- Summary of considered future sustainable operations initiatives.
-
Summary of strategies to implement achievable sustainable operations initiatives including:
- Action steps. What are the specific, concrete, and comprehensive actions to implement these sustainable initiatives?
- Delineation of tasks. Who are the responsible parties assigned to carry out these action steps?
- Timelines and/or deadlines. When should these action steps be completed?
Implementation Guidance
For additional details and recommended steps for implementing this best practice, please see the BIT Building Program Manual.
BIT User’s viewpoint
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Frequently asked questions
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Online resources
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Implementation toolkit
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Facility audits and assessments can reveal many opportunities for investing in improved performance, although implementing those opportunities sometimes require budgeting and planning focus. Usually, building and tenant-controlled space operators use an annual budgeting process to project operating costs and determine which projects will be funded over the next 12-month period. It’s important to wrangle information about green building opportunities together prior to that budgeting process, to ensure the most promising opportunities are considered for funding.
This best practice helps project teams take stock of their previous sustainability efforts, celebrate successes, tune into lessons learned, and gather key details to support decision making for new projects.
The planning process can be approached in a variety of ways, but the guiding principle is to use a strategy that will allow for steady, consistent progress in implementing BIT’s best practices for sustainable operations and maintenance and improving project performance. For some projects, the approach might be to focus on preparing for budgeting so that improvement opportunities are not stranded in the pre-funding stage. For other projects, an annual meeting might be more focused on communicating to stakeholders about sustainability achievements and upcoming projects.
The intent of this best practice is to help building operators create a plan and implement strategies to achieve long-term, sustainable operations and maintenance goals that focus on maximizing occupant health, comfort, and safety while minimizing adverse environmental effects.
Objective
Meet with key stakeholders on an annual basis to review sustainable operations and maintenance goals and results and create strategies to achieve future goals, including enhancing sustainable maintenance practices, identifying funding sources, conducting budget planning, and/or providing training and educational opportunities to building and/or tenant-space occupants.
Implementation Requirements
For additional details and recommended steps for implementing this best practice, please see the BIT Building Program Manual.
Submittal Requirements
The following are the required submittals in order to fulfill the objective of this best practice.
Summary report from the annual sustainability planning meeting that includes:
- Date of meeting.
- Names and titles of meeting attendees.
- Summary of outcomes from previous year's sustainable operations initiatives (if applicable).
- Summary of considered future sustainable operations initiatives.
-
Summary of strategies to implement achievable sustainable operations initiatives including:
- Action steps. What are the specific, concrete, and comprehensive actions to implement these sustainable initiatives?
- Delineation of tasks. Who are the responsible parties assigned to carry out these action steps?
- Timelines and/or deadlines. When should these action steps be completed?
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