In order to maintain a healthy learning environment, diagnosis and management of defects in the educational facility are paramount. The preliminary results of the ongoing research reported here seek to identify defects associated with educational buildings and their effects on the health of polytechnic students and staff in Nigeria. A questionnaire survey, including 34 defects based on a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) was used to establish relationships with the health of polytechnic students and staff. Two hundred (200) respondents were randomly selected based on their schools (faculty) within Lagos State Polytechnic. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for analysis of the collected data. The results of the study indicate that defects such as plumbing and dampness problems, cobwebs and dust, are prominent in the institution. Also the relationship between building conditions (defects) and health problems was established, with the predictors of the health problems. Based on the findings, it is important for designers and managers of facilities within tertiary institutions to develop and implement design and maintenance policies targeted at minimizing the likelihood of plumbing, dampness, electrical, cobweb and dust problems in educational buildings due to the health risks induced by the defects. It is evident that effective maintenance schedules and policies should be put in place to ensure that facilities are not left to decay before replacement.

Purpose This paper aims to identify user-centred facilities performance attributes of higher education buildings and how they can be used to evaluate individual learning spaces. These attributes are then consolidated for developing a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) framework in this context. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of the literature on the POE of higher education buildings is conducted. Findings This study identifies 36 facility performance attributes in higher education buildings, which can be categorised into four dimensions: ambient; spatial; technology; and building support and services requirements. These facility performance attributes need to meet user requirements to achieve satisfactory feedback. It is also important to note that user requirements differ from one learning space to another; thus, it is essential to consider the characteristics of individual learning spaces. Research limitations/implications The proposed evaluation framework is context-based and may not be suitable to evaluate other types of buildings. It may be further extended and enhanced to meet other facility management evaluation needs. Practical implications The POE framework developed in this research can be used to generate facilities management analytic to inform future design and improve existing higher education facilities. Originality/value This research has developed a holistic POE framework tool to meet user requirements in higher education buildings.

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PurposeIn recent years, there has been a tremendous increase in the number of applicants seeking placement in the undergraduate architecture programme. It is important to identify new intakes who possess the capability to succeed during the selection phase of admission at universities.Admission variable (i.e. prior academic achievement) is one of the most important criteria considered during selection process. The present study investigates the efficacy of using data mining techniques to predict academic performance of architecture student based on information contained in prior academic achievement. Design/methodology/approachThe input variables, i.e. prior academic achievement, were extracted from students' academic records. Logistic regression and support vector machine (SVM) are the data mining techniques adopted in this study. The collected data was divided into two parts. The first part was used for training the model, while the other part was used to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the developed models. FindingsThe results revealed that SVM model outperformed the logistic regression model in terms of accuracy. Taken together, it is evident that prior academic achievement are good predictors of academic performance of architecture students. Research limitationsAlthough the factors affecting academic performance of students are numerous, the present study focuses on the effect of prior academic achievement on academic performance of architecture students. Originality/valueThe developed SVM model can be used a decision-making tool for selecting new intakes into the architecture program at Nigerian universities.

Purpose This study aims to explore the various approaches used in the general customer service industry to develop a conceptual framework for evaluating the responses of facility managers to user post-occupancy feedback. Design/methodology/approach This study uses conceptual analysis based on a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Findings The results of the study established 24 propositions which are categorised under organisational response dimensions specific to facilities management (FM): timeliness, facilitation, redress, apology, credibility of explanation, attentiveness, effort and their relationships with overall satisfaction and post-feedback behaviour, such as word of mouth and acceptance to continue using the facilities. Research limitations/implications The established propositions are derived from existing theories using a deductive approach. The framework can be further enhanced to suit various applications in FM services. Practical implications This conceptual framework is a generic model, appropriate to many FM scenarios. The framework can be used to develop standard policies and procedures to foster and encourage collaborative relationships between users and facility managers. It reinforces transparency and trust between facility managers and users during the operation and management of the facilities, and improves FM effectiveness, facility performance and user post-occupancy experience. Originality/value In the FM area, no systematic approach has been previously established to evaluate and improve the response process to the users’ feedback. The proposed framework is a pioneer contribution in this area.

Purpose Human resource contributes significantly to the outcome of construction projects. In recent years, apprenticeship programs are being implemented to train young people to address shortage of skills workers and ageing workforce problem. This study aims to understand the factors influencing career decisions among apprentices in the construction sector. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was used to address the objectives of the study. Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted to gain insights into the reason why young people decide to participate in construction craftsperson apprenticeship in Nigeria. Findings The study reveals that “interest and passion”, “role model”, “macroeconomic environment and government policies”, “spirit of entrepreneurship”, “formal, informal and non-formal education” and “family socioeconomic status” are the factors influencing career decisions among construction craftspeople. Originality/value The study provides fresh insights that can be used to develop strategies for attracting and increasing the number of young people that sign up for construction craftspeople apprenticeships. The apprentice training programmes are essential for addressing labour shortage, which is one of the factors affecting the performance of construction projects.

Higher education institutions (HEIs) infrastructure asset is a complex and massive investment, with high operational and management cost. The functionality of this infrastructure facility is paramount to the performance and well-being of its users. The effective and efficient operation and management of this facility required adequate knowledge and collaboration of all stakeholders. This study is a preliminary part of a research aim to adopt socioBIM for HE facilities users and facility management (FM) section, to interact with their learning environment and enhance collaborative practice to improve facility intelligence. The study method explores the advancement in building information modelling, decision support systems, and integrator networks. Conceptually, the adoption of socioBIM reflects an enhancement of users' facility literacy, stakeholder's participation and FM organisational intelligence within HEIs. These will culminate to stakeholder's satisfaction and competitive advantage. Further study is also needful on the efficacy of socioBIM adoption.

There has been growing interest in how to foster collaborative relationships between facility managers and end-users to obtain user-centred post-occupancy data for improving design and user satisfaction. Despite this attempt, there is little understanding on how facility managers respond to user feedback and its impact on user post-feedback behaviours. Drawing from theoretical insights from organisational justice, organisational response, and service quality studies and using a case study of higher education facilities in Australia, how facility managers manage user feedback to drive collaboration between facility managers and users during occupancy is explored. Various methods were used in this case study research, including document analysis, interviews, and observations. The research findings indicate that facilitation, timeliness, redress, apology and explanation, and attentiveness and efforts are applicable to facilities management (FM) services and could influence user post-feedback behaviour. Current responses to user feedback are not satisfactory, resulting in a poor relationship between facility managers and users that negates service acceptance and the engagement in a positive word-of-mouth. To foster more facility manager–user collaborative relationships in post-occupancy evaluation, and position FM as a service organisation, there is a need for improvements in current FM responses to user feedback and the effective management of user post-feedback behaviours.