For the Record:

Facility Condition Assessment for Buildings

at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Campus

I thank Mr. Michael Berthelsen of the University of Minnesota for providing the following information:

Facility Condition Assessment

FCNI Map

This map depicts facility condition geographically, allowing decision makers to quickly and easily review overall campus condition. The map is updated annually in September ahead of the FCA Update to the Board of Regents.

Facility Condition Assessment (FCA)

Facilities Condition Assessment (FCA) is the central repository of building and infrastructure conditions and needs that are systematically codified, prioritized and cost estimated. Facilities Condition Assessment data is used for three primary purposes:

1. Develop a high-level description of overall campus needs;
   • External View: outlining capital needs for Board of Regents, State Legislature and others
   • Internal View: facility planning and scoping (e.g. Master Plan, 6 year plan)
2. Prioritize and budget annual facility renewal investments including HEAPR and R&R
3. Provide order of magnitude scope and budget for capital improvement projects. These are not intended to be detailed costing for project estimating.

Facility Condition Needs Index (FCNI)

This index provides an indicator of relative condition for a building, group of buildings, or an entire campus. The FCNI is typically used for benchmarking. FCNI is calculated as Total Projects/Facility Replacement Cost. Projects include capital renewal, deferred maintenance and plant adaption. The U of M reports FCNI (over another common industry metric, FCI) since it shows the comprehensive condition of the facility, taking all needs into account, not just deferred renewal. The categories listed in the map are quite broad and the definitions are meant to put the needs into categories. The needs represent building system needs and do not necessarily reflect the functional nature of the buildings or their ability to provide usable space for programs.

FCA Upgrade Project

Facility Condition Assessments were first conducted on the Twin Cities Campus in 2002. Subsequently, a large portion of the buildings were re-assessed from 2005 to 2007. Six years, on average, have elapsed since the U of M has completed a comprehensive FCA so the quality of the information is not as accurate today. An RFP was issued in November 2012 for updated assessments and software to include all campuses and the Research and Outreach Centers.

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downloadable pdf of both maps