Successful Facility Change-Management Practices for Retrofit Projects: Case Study in Lighting

Abstract

This paper explores the adoption, character, and impact of adaptive-management strategies used in energy retrofitting of an administrative office building in Seattle, Washington. A multilevel qualitative research design informed data collection from pre-retrofit surveys and focus group interviews with three key stakeholder groups. An exploratory analysis of critical success factors (CSFs) in organizational change management was conducted prior to conducting the semistructured interviews. In this paper, adaptive-management strategies are discussed as lessons learned based on deductive reasoning. A deductive approach was preferred given the abundance of literature on CSFs for organizational change management but not specifically concerning retrofits focusing on energy efficiency. Lessons learned include engaging stakeholders through communicating, having a shared vision, and appropriately leveraging technology. As a result, developing a comprehensive project communication plan is suggested, as is additional training for building owners to have the option to self-perform the lighting commissioning. Generally, results suggest that a decision support system for assessing the value of future retrofits is necessary and prudent.