Higher Education Design Quality Forum (HEDQF) Post Occupancy Evaluation Forum Methodology
Basics
What is it?
Review of university buildings based on facilitated seminars approximately one year after occupation. An intensive day of interviews, discussion and data collection with teams involved in briefing, design, construction, occupation and management.
It is also known as the De Montfort Method.
Useful where?
Shortly after the completion of a project, and typically within the first year of occupancy.
What else does it do?
It meets the requirement of HEFCE (the Higher Education Funding Council for England) for post-project reviews.
Related activities
Learning from Experience (q.v.) uses similar facilitated exercises, but tends to be more oriented towards an organisational knowledge management system than to the one-off exercises which the HEDQF method was principally designed for.
In what sectors?
Designed for the higher education sector. However, it has also been tested in schools and health buildings; and the principles could potentially be applied in other sectors.
Relevance
Not widely used.
Development status
Who developed it?
The RIBA Design Quality Forum with De Montfort University.
Stage of development
Developed and first tested in 1998-2000, the method is now stable and facilitators have been trained.
Examples of its use
Predominantly at universities, see links and PDFs.
Further development happening?
None, as a different approach was developed when subsequent funding became available. Research was carried out to devise more of a “pick and mix” methodology (See AUDE & UW Method).
Development contacts
Ian Caldwell, Director of Estates at King's College London as one of the the initial developers, Charles Doidge has since retired.
How it works
Brief description
Post-project fora normally occur in the first year after completion, when background information is readily available and experiences fresh. Though not essential, it also helps if performance data can be available. The client brings key players together for four short facilitated workshops:
- context and design;
- construction and cost;
- space and management;
- environment and sustainability.
The workshops are facilitated to look at ‘what we did well’.
Is there software?
Not applicable
How long does it take?
One or two days of workshops (‘fora’) plus additional time preparing material beforehand and for the facilitator to draft, discuss and finalise the report afterwards.
Can I do it myself?
Yes, but you will need training as a facilitator. This should be possible by contacting one of the trained facilitators on RIBA's HEDQF page and setting up a course. See links.
Can someone else do it for me?
Yes, a list of facilitators can be found on the RIBA's HEDQF page. See links.
User comments
The open, no-blame environment helps to break the ice, but in ‘looking at what we did well’, facilitators seem to be excessively averse to discussing problem areas.
Since the fastest improvement tends to come from identifying problems and seeking to eliminate their causes, clients would have liked the fora to spend more time on these. [NOTE: Problem areas are in fact discussed, but with an emphasis on how to avoid them in the future].
Cost
In the region of around 3000 GBP to convene a forum.
Are the results in the public domain?
They are the property of the institution and some have been published.
Are there stable benchmarks?
Not applicable.
Is there an accreditation system?
Not for specific applications, but facilitators may need to attend a training course.
Organisations offering
HEDQF through RIBA. See links.