Facility Condition Assessment

FUSION (Facilities Utilization, Space Inventory Options Net) is a database of 80 million square feet of California Community College facilities that tracks the condition assessments and develops cost modeling for maintenance projects, enabling colleges to plan budgets and help facilitate the passing of much-needed bond measures. The FUSION project team is comprised of representatives from California’s 72 community college districts, FoundationCCC, and the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office.

Facility Condition Assessment

California Community Colleges benefit from the Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) program. FCAs identify problems, develop cost estimates, and create plans for repairs by analyzing a facility’s key components and systems.

There are two levels of FCA—a life cycle systems assessment (Level 1) and a comprehensive assessment (Level 2).

Comprehensive Assessment (Level 2)

A Level 2 (L-2) assessment is a detailed physical inspection of existing facilities, during which assessors document hundreds or thousands of deficiencies. The deficiencies are added to the L-1 component building system life cycle to determine both current deficiencies and future costs. For facility managers, it identifies specific items that are deferred maintenance and capital renewal.

Comprehensive Assessments provide data-driven planning and construction programs. This leads to better repair and correction work procurement.

A team of architects and engineers gathers data for FCA. As needed, these teams may be augmented with building-type or system-specific specialists. We analyze the facility and infrastructure by using national cost database modeling, existing records, interviews with plant staff, onsite surveys, and facility experience. Software catalogs current deferred maintenance and future capital renewal costs.

FCA Benefits

Improve Facilities Data

• Define facility problems to discover what is broken and what is missing.
• Validate needs for funding programs, community, support, bonds, etc.
• Gather defensible data from independent third parties for justifying capital expenditures.
• Define parity and equity issues between county, district, campus, or individual buildings.
• Develop mandated reports and address code issues.

Streamline Facilities Management and Improve Facility Conditions

• Allow facilities and maintenance personnel to better plan, manage, and direct work.
• Support facility renovation and renewal to protect mission-critical teaching, research, and support functions.
• Provide schools with a local database system with facilities data.
• Facilitate one-time data entry.
• Prioritize short-term planning issues.
• Create budgets for deficiency corrections.
• Identify long-term strategic planning approaches to develop a Capital Renewal/Deferred Maintenance program.

Lower Facilities Maintenance Costs

• Enable horizontal procurements and enhanced project development.
• Improve ability to complete projects on time and within scope and budget.
• Purchase from current and future Collegebuys.org facility contracts and obtain significant discounts on selected construction materials and equipment.