Foreword

The U.S. General Services Administration, through its Public Buildings Service(PBS), manages buildings that house over a million federal associates and has an on-going planning, design and construction program to meet our federal customers housing needs. PBS’ project delivery program is the vehicle for transforming our customer agencies’ vision into reality. The built environment for our nation’s public buildings, including courthouses, federal office buildings, laboratories, and border stations, in turn shapes the communities and landscape in which they reside. The comfort, productivity and job satisfaction of a million Federal associates in many ways rests with the quality of their immediate working environment. Critical to our management role is providing our customer agencies with the assurance that we are delivering to them facilities which meet or exceed their expectations for performance, efficiency, safety, sustainability, security and occupant satisfaction. Integrating the process of Total Building Commissioning into project delivery is one way we can provide the occupants of our facilities with this level of assurance. Total Building Commissioning, as presented in this Guide, is GSA’s quality delivery process which translates expectations into documented and tangible facility results. Reduction in operating costs, enhanced energy efficiency, improved occupant safety, comfort and health, and increased maintainability are only a few of the proven benefits of commissioning.

In this Guide, the U.S. General Services Administration offers a road map and recommendations for navigating the commissioning process from its necessary inclusion in project planning to its continued emphasis throughout the life of a facility. We hope that this Guide offers GSA associates, our customer agencies, and our consultants valuable assistance in support of our mission of providing a superior workplace for the federal worker, and superior value for the American taxpayer. 

F. Joseph Moravec
Commissioner of the Public Buildings Service
U.S. General Services Administration