THE CHALLENGES OF FACILITIES MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE CONTRACT DOCUMENT IMPLEMENTATION FOR OFFICE BUILDINGS IN MALAYSIA

Abstract

Facilities Management and Maintenance Contract Documents (FMMCD) play an important role in regulating facilities management and maintenance (FMM) service delivery, contract administration and maintenance responsibilities. In Malaysia, the Public Works Department (PWD) introduced the PWD FMM 2016 to standardise FMM procurement and implementation for public facilities. However, the implementation of PWD FMM 2016 in office building projects continues to face several contractual and operational challenges. This study aims to identify the implementation challenges associated with FMM 2016 in Malaysian office building projects. A qualitative approach was adopted through document analysis of the PWD FMM 2016 and semi structured interviews with six industry practitioners representing public clients and FMM service providers. The interview data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings identified several implementation challenges related to the Instruction to Tenderers (ITT), Conditions of Contract (CoC), and Appendices sections. Key issues include unclear tender requirements, unclear technical specifications, inconsistent SLA and KPI implementation and poor CMMS and asset data management are identified. The findings demonstrate that many implementation problems originate from inconsistencies between contractual clauses, technical documentation, and operational practices. The study recommends clearer contract drafting, improved technical documentation and stronger digital asset data governance to improve implementation consistency and reduce disputes.