Assessment on the Facility Management Practice Related with Buildings in Hawassa University Main Campus

Facility management (FM) has emerged as a critical discipline for sustaining the value, safety, and functional performance of buildings throughout their life cycle, yet its practical implementation within Ethiopian higher education institutions remains inadequately documented. This seminar paper assesses the facility management practice associated with buildings at Hawassa University main campus, with specific emphasis on the roles and responsibilities of facility managers from an engineering perspective, prevailing maintenance and repair trends, and the availability of skilled workmanship for building upkeep. The study is grounded in a review of relevant literature on facility management theory and practice, complemented by primary data gathered through structured interviews, direct site observation, and group discussion involving facility management staff and selected case study areas within the university, including the facility management office and the male dormitory blocks. Findings reveal that although the university’s facility management office provides a broad range of services spanning classroom, guesthouse, and administrative facility arrangements, its operations are constrained by the absence of a clearly defined organizational structure, a lack of computerized asset registration and valuation systems, and a shortage of professionally qualified personnel to oversee technical maintenance functions. Maintenance activity, particularly within student dormitories, is predominantly unscheduled and reactive rather than planned, resulting in deteriorating sanitary installations, damaged building fabric, and inadequate storage and handling of maintenance materials. The study concludes that the current practice falls short of internationally recognized facility management standards and recommends that the university strengthen its facility management capacity through structured staffing, professional training, and the early integration of facility management expertise into building planning and design, thereby fostering more sustainable, cost-effective, and safer building operations.