Facilities As Assets - Effective Building Maintenance: Protection of Capital Assets - page 11

form a “skills assessment” to identify current skill deficiencies. From nu-
merous studies, it is well known that the skills levels of most maintenance
personnel fall short of what is acceptable. One professional training firm
found that 80% of maintenance personnel had less than 50% of the basic
technical skills to perform their jobs! [Study by the Technical Training Di-
vision, Life Cycle Engineering, North Charleston, South Carolina]. Thus,
it is a given that an effective training program is alwaysneeded as part of a
stewardship maintenance program.
A detailed assessment of current maintenance skills will dictate a
“targeted,” non-redundant training program that addresses skill im-
provements needed in order for the technician to perform his or her job
effectively. The skill assessment should have three components:
1. Written test that identifies the knowledge required for a specific
skill. The test must Incorporate questions about theories, principles,
fundamentals, vocabulary, and calculations required as part of the
skill set. For example, an HVAC technician who can't define the dif-
ference between “relative humidity” and “humidity ratio” won't be
able to diagnose and correct humidity control problems in a build-
ing. Likewise, a brick mason who can't determine the difference be-
tween a step flashing and a pan flashing, is not a good brick mason.
2. Identification test that assesses “hands-on” knowledge in specific
skill areas. Employees, during a tour of the facility, are asked to
name components and explain their uses in an oral assessment.
3. Performance evaluation. To analyze this aspect, employees carry
out typical maintenance procedures while be observed by supervi-
sors or consultants.
The assessment results, both on an individual basis and on a main-
tenance department basis, can then be used for two functions:
1. Define the needed training to improve the skill levels of each indi-
vidual and to ensure the department has the requisite skill resources
available to support a stewardship maintenance program.
2. Provide the basis of “performance standards” to used in job de-
scriptions for new hires and to evaluate individual employee per-