To assist the industry in maintaining and enhancing the excellent management of electrical and mechanical (E&M) installations, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), after collecting valuable professional opinions from industry stakeholders and academia, launched a set of eight Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Best Practices Booklets and Handbooks on E&M installations in 2022. To further encourage the industry to adopt O&M best practices, the EMSD especially organises the “Building O&M Best Practice Award” competition to commend organisations for their outstanding performance in the operation and maintenance of E&M facilities, foster industry collaboration, and continuously improve E&M asset management in the design, construction, operation, maintenance, modification, addition, and replacement of E&M assets in buildings.

Owners, property management companies, facility management companies, and relevant E&M O&M service contractors of all buildings in Hong Kong equipped with 1) heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), 2) electrical, 3) fire service, and 4) lift and escalator installations are welcome to join this competition.

Competition Categories

There are six categories in this competition:

  1. Commercial（Office and Retail Properties）
    • A1：Large Development Projects (total floor area equal to or more than 30 000 m2)
    • A2：Small and Medium Development Projects (total floor area less than 30 000 m2)
  2. Residential (including Residential and Retail Properties)
    • B1：Large Development Projects (total floor area equal to or more than 50 000 m2)
    • B2：Small and Medium Development Projects (total floor area less than 50 000 m2)
  3. Hotels and Hostels
  4. Others (Buildings outside the above categories, such as schools, hospitals, recreational facilities, etc.)

Eligibility

  1. Applications must be made on a building basis.
  2. Participating buildings must be located in Hong Kong and equipped with HVAC, electrical, fire services, and lift and escalator installations.
  3. Only one application is allowed for each building.
  4. Building owners, property management companies, facility management companies, and E&M O&M service contractors can independently or jointly apply in the capacity of an organisation.
  5. Property management companies, facility management companies, and E&M O&M service contractors must obtain the building owners’ prior consent before applying.
  6. Buildings serviced by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund are not allowed to participate in this competition.
  7. Teams shortlisted for the second stage must assist the independent consultant appointed by the organiser in conducting on-site inspections and reporting to the Adjudication Panel; otherwise, their eligibility will be forfeited.
  8. The organiser reserves the right not to present the award if the Adjudication Panel deems that the participating entries do not meet the award criteria.
  9. The decision of the Adjudication Panel is final.

Competition Details

The competition consists of two stages: the first stage involves a preliminary evaluation of the information submitted by the participants, mainly reviewing the O&M practice of four types of E&M installations (electrical, fire service, HVAC, and lift and escalator installations) in relation to the key model framework, as well as emphasising the benefits of the entries in terms of time, cost, energy, and resources savings. Based on the evaluation criteria, the Adjudication Panel will select teams to enter the second stage of the competition; the second stage involves on-site inspections of the shortlisted teams’ participating venues conducted by an independent consultant appointed by the organiser to assess the O&M practice, which will be followed by interviews with the shortlisted teams. Finally, the Adjudication Panel will choose the winners of the awards.

First Stage of the Competition

Participants must complete the online registration form on the competition webpage by 23 September 2024, and upload one of the following types of competition documents via the specific link provided by the organiser by 30 September 2024:

  1. Presentation file (a maximum of 20 PPT slides, font size not smaller than 12pt) with the file size up to 200MB
  2. Word or PDF file (a maximum of 10 pages of A4 paper, font size not smaller than 12pt) with the file size up to 200MB

Second Stage of the Competition

  1. The independent consultant appointed by the organiser will conduct on-site inspections of the shortlisted teams’ participating venues to evaluate the O&M practice(2 to 3 hours); and
  2. Shortlisted teams will attend an interview (approximately 10 to 20 minutes, location to be determined).

Competition Documents Required

Participants must set out O&M examples of their electrical (E), fire service (FS), lift and escalator (LE), and HVAC (AC) installations (four categories in total) based on eight key model framework items in the O&M Best Practices Booklets and Handbooks as follows:

  1. Emergency Preparedness (EP)
  2. Preventive Maintenance Procedures/Standards (PMP)
  3. Corrective Maintenance (CM)
  4. Maintenance Record Management (MRM)
  5. Incident Management (ID)
  6. Environmental and Safety Management (ESM)
  7. Application of Technologies (AoT)
  8. Information Management (IF)

Please refer to the O&M Best Practices Booklets and Handbooks for details.

Participants must tag examples in each entry with the above model framework items and industry codes to demonstrate their relationship. In addition to showcasing the operation of the entry, participants must also demonstrate the benefits of the relevant entry in terms of time, cost, energy, and resources savings, as well as improvements in safety, environment, governance, customer service, etc. The competition documents may include multimedia files, such as photos, videos, and voiceovers, but their total length must not exceed five minutes.


Please refer to the competition document samples for details.

Evaluation

Judging Panel

Ir CHAN Ming-yee Assistant Director (Building Services) of Architectural Services Department, The Government of the HKSAR
Ar Prof Ada FUNG, BBS Chairperson of buildingSMART International - Hong Kong Chapter
Ir Wommy WONG President of Building Services Operation and Maintenance Executive Society
Ir Raymond POON, JP Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, The Government of the HKSAR
Dr CHEUNG Tin-cheung, SBS Chairman of Hong Kong Green Building Council
Ir Joe CHOW Vice President of International Facility Management Association – Hong Kong Chapter
Ir Nelson CHIU Chairman of Activities Committee, The Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies Ltd
Ir Jimmy LI Chairman of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (Building Services Division)
Ir Sr Jonathan LEE President of The Hong Kong Institute of Facility Management
Mr Stewart LEUNG Chairman of Executive Committee, The Real Estate Developers Association of Hong Kong

Evaluation Criteria

  1. Nature and benefits of the entry (accounting for 80% of the total score; each E&M installation category accounting for 20%)

    2. The submitted entry will be evaluated and graded (general/good/excellent), and the benefits in terms of time, cost, energy, and resources savings, as well as improvements in safety, environment, governance, customer service, etc. will also be scored.

  2. Innovation and Technology (accounting for 20% of the total score)

    3. The submitted entry will be scored based on its creativity, originality, and novelty of relevant technologies.

Please refer to the O&M Best Practices Booklets and Handbooks for details.

Awards

There are a Best Practice Award and several Merit Awards for each competition category, as well as an Excellence Award and various Special Awards for the whole competition.

Excellence Award for the Best Practice Presented to the entry with the best overall quality among the Best Practice Award winners.
Best Practice Award (Single Category) One award per category, as the highest accolade in that category.
Merit Award (Single Category) One or more merit awards per category.
Special Awards for Safety Recognising shortlisted entries with outstanding performance in the safety aspect.
Special Awards for ESG Recognising shortlisted entries with outstanding performance in the environmental, social, and governance aspects.
Special Awards for Innovation Recognising shortlisted entries with outstanding performance in the innovation aspect.

Event Schedule

The competition timeline as below:

  • 1 August 2024 (Thursday) Open for application (Completed)
  • 20 August 2024 (Tuesday) Online briefing session (Completed) * To review the content of briefing session, please contact the Secretariat.
  • 23 September 2024 (Monday) Registration deadline (Completed)
  • 30 September 2024 (Monday) Submission deadline for competition documents (Completed)
  • November to December 2024 First stage of evaluation
  • January to April 2025 Second stage of evaluation – On-site inspections
  • April to June 2025 Second stage of evaluation – Interviews
  • July 2025 Awards ceremony

Enquires

Building O&M Best Practice Award Secretariat
Tel. No.：9375 9416 (Ms SO)
Email Address：[email protected]

Supporting Organisations

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Eligibility

Q: What types of buildings are eligible to participate in the competition?
A: Buildings located in Hong Kong that are equipped with 1) HVAC Installations, 2) Electrical Installations, 3) Fire Services Installations, and 4) Lift and Escalator Installations, including but not limited to:
  • Commercial (Office and Retail Properties)
  • Residential (Residential and Retail Properties)
  • Hotels and Hostels
  • Others (Buildings outside the above categories, such as schools, hospitals, recreational facilities, etc.)
Q: Which organizations are eligible to participate in the competition?
A: The following organizations are eligible to participate:
  • Building Owners
  • Property Management Companies
  • Facility Management Companies
  • E&M O&M service contractors for HVAC Installations, Electrical Installations, Fire Services Installations, and Lift and Escalator Services Installations
Q: Does the participating team have to apply from a single organization?
A: The participating team can apply either from a single organization or jointly with other organizations.
Q: How many applications can the participating team submit?
A: The participating team can submit unlimited number of applications. The application must be submitted on a building-by-building basis, each building can only submit one application.
Q: Do property management companies, facility management companies, or E&M operations and maintenance service contractors need the consent of the building owner for participation?
A: Yes.
Q: Are buildings serviced by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Trading Fund (EMSTF) eligible to participate?
A: No.
Q: If a building is divided into residential and shopping mall sections, can they be submitted separately for the competition?
A: Yes, please choose the Residential (Category B) for the residential part, and Others (Category D) for the shopping mall. If the residential and shopping mall sections are to be submitted as a single entry, please select the Residential (Category B). Please specify clearly the part(s) that you wish to enter.
Q: Does each company can only submit one project site?
A: No. A company can submit unlimited number of applications. The same company can submit applications for different buildings. The competition entries are based on the individual building, each building can only submit one application.
Q: Can jointly participated organisations submit entries in more than one category?
A: Yes. The competition considers each building as a separate application. There are no restrictions on the number of entries or categories.
Q: If my building only consists of one elevator, will this have a significant adverse impact on my score?
A: The quantity of the equipment is not a factor in the scoring. The judges will assess the grade of the operation and maintenance practices presented by the applicant, as well as the benefits in terms of saving time, cost, energy, and resources, and improvements in areas such as safety, environment, governance, and customer service.
Q: Can I just submit the operation and maintenance practices for the HVAC Installations?
A: Yes, but each type of E&M installation accounts for 20% of the total score. It is recommended that applicants to show examples covering the operation and maintenance practices for all 4 categories of installations. Additionally, the judges will also assess the creativity, originality, and novelty of relevant technologies, which accounts for 20% of the total score.

2. Competition Process

Q: How many stages are there in the competition?
A: The competition consists of two stages including 1) preliminary assessment and 2) on-site inspection and interview.
Q: What is the focus of the first stage assessment?
A: The first stage evaluation primarily focuses on the documents submitted by the applicant. The judges will review the O&M practices of four types of E&M installations (electrical, fire service, HVAC, and lift and escalator installations) in relation to the key model framework, as well as emphasising the benefits of the entries in terms of time, cost, energy, and resources savings.
Q: What is the focus of the second stage assessment?
A: The second stage assessment involves on-site inspections by an independent consultant appointed by the organiser and interviews with the shortlisted participants.
Q: What documents are required for the first stage of the competition?
A: Participants must complete the online application form on the competition website by September 23, 2024, and upload the competition documents by September 30, 2024.
Q: What is required for the second stage of the competition?
A: The second stage includes:
  • on-site inspection and interview.
Q: What should be included in the submission documents?
A: Participants must submit their competition entries in the form of a presentation, Word document or PDF file. They should include the operation and maintenance practices in relation to the key model framework outlined in the O&M Best Practices Booklets & Handbooks. For more details, please refer to the "About Award - Competition Documents Required" section.
Q: Will the competition documents uploaded by the participants be viewed by all the participants?
A: No, the uploaded documents can only be accessed by the judges and relevant staff members.
Q: How to change the submitted competition documents?
A: To revise your submitted competition documents, please simply update the file name with a version indicator (e.g., “_r1”) and upload it to the same link before the submission deadline.

For example:
Second submission: [Registration Number][Property Name][Submission Date dd/mm/24]_r1
Third submission: [Registration Number][Property Name][Submission Date dd/mm/24]_r2
Fourth submission: [Registration Number][Property Name][Submission Date dd/mm/24]_r3

And so on.

3. Judging

Q: What are the judging criteria?
A: The judging criteria include:
  • Nature and benefits of operations (80% of total score; 20% for each type of E&M Installation)
  • Innovation and technology (20% of total score)
Q: How will the nature and benefits of the practices be evaluated?
A: The submitted entries will be evaluated and graded (general/good/excellent), and the benefits in terms of time, cost, energy, and resources savings, as well as improvements in safety, environment, governance, customer service, etc. will also be scored.
Q: How will the innovation and technology be evaluated?
A: The submitted entries will be scored based on its creativity, originality, and novelty of relevant technologies.
Q: 80% of the score is allocated to the 4 major mechanical and electrical Installations, and 20% is allocated to innovation. Does this mean we need to showcase at least 4 examples covering 1) HVAC Installations, 2) Electrical Installations, 3) Fire Services Installations, and 4) Lift and Escalator Installations, and include innovative elements to meet all the assessment criteria?
A: You are recommended to showcase various operation and maintenance practices that cover the 4 major types of installations, and highlight their innovative and technological elements. There are no requirements on the number of examples. Besides, a single example can cover multiple installations and address several key model framework items.
Q: Is it only require to showcase the “best practices” in the competition documents?
A: Given the page limit of the competition document, it is recommended that applicants focus on showcasing practices that they considered doing their best, as well as the associated benefits in terms of time, cost, energy, and resources savings, and improvements in areas such as safety, environment, governance, and customer service.

4. Awards

Q: Is there only one winner for each award?
A: No, Building O&M Best Practice Award 2024 aims to encourage the industry to adopt operations and maintenance best practices. Therefore, there are numerous awards to recognize outstanding performance in the operation and maintenance of electrical and mechanical facilities, details are as follows:
  • Excellence Award [1 no.] (the overall best entry across all 6 categories)
  • Outstanding Award [6 nos.] (1 for each category)
  • Merit Award [1 or more nos.] (1 or more awards for each category)
  • Special Awards for Safety [1 or more nos.] (as recommended by the judges)
  • Special Awards for ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) [1 or more nos.] (as recommended by the judges)
  • Special Awards for Innovation [1 or more nos.] (as recommended by the judges)
Q: Does the award only come with a certificate?
A: Each winning team will be invited to attend the award presentation ceremony to share their honor with their industry peers. In addition to the recognition, the winning teams will receive a certificate to recognize their outstanding achievements.

5. Important Dates

Q: What are the important dates for the Building O&M Best Practice Award 2024?
A: The key dates are as follows:
  • August 1, 2024 (Thursday): Open for application (Completed)
  • August 20, 2024 (Tuesday): Online briefing session (Completed)
  • September 23, 2024 (Monday): Application deadline (Completed)
  • September 30, 2024 (Monday): Submission deadline (Completed)
  • November to December 2024: First stage assessment
  • January to April 2025: Second stage assessment — On-site inspection of shortlisted entries
  • April to June 2025: Second stage assessment — Interview with shortlisted candidates
  • July 2025: Awards ceremony

6. Contact Information

Q: How can I contact the competition secretariat?
A: Contact details are as follows:

Terms and Conditions (T&C)

Disclaimer

All the information contained on this website (including competition details, evaluation criteria, etc.) is for reference only and subject to change in accordance with the latest announcements of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD).

Whilst the EMSD has endeavoured to ensure the accuracy and completeness of such information, no express or implied statement, representation, warranty or guarantee is given as to its accuracy or appropriateness under particular circumstances. Also, the EMSD shall not be liable for any errors in, omissions from, misstatements or misrepresentations (whether express or implied) concerning any such information. Participants have the responsibility to assess and verify all the information contained on this website by themselves.

Privacy and Security Policy

We will provide a safe and reliable competition environment for participants to join the competition at ease. You may be required to provide personal data when using this website. The EMSD attaches great importance to the privacy of each participant, and is committed to continuously improving the privacy and security policy to ensure its effectiveness in safeguarding the participants.

Protection of Personal Data

  • The requirements under the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance are complied with to ensure that the personal data of participants are properly protected.
  • The personal data provided by participants for enrolment, such as names and contact details, are strictly protected.
  • The personal data collected are only used for the competition and its promotional purposes.
  • Safety measures are formulated to ensure that personal data are protected against unauthorised access, processing or erasure.
  • After the competition, the EMSD will erase personal data that are no longer needed in order to reduce privacy risks.
  • Participants are allowed to access, correct or erase their personal data and provided with relevant channels for enquiries.

Cyber and Information Security

  • A secure network and file transfer mechanism is used for submission and evaluation of entries.
  • To ensure the security of the competition website and system, appropriate security measures are taken to guard against cyber-attacks and reduce the risk of data breach.
  • The access rights of participants and evaluators to the system are restricted, so as to minimise risks.
  • The security measures are regularly reviewed and adjusted to combat latest cyber security threats.

Physical Security

  • Security measures are formulated for the on-site inspections during the evaluation process, such as visitor registration and on-site monitoring.
  • All documents are properly stored and managed to prevent loss or unauthorised access.
  • The security measures for venues are assessed, including visitor management and installation of surveillance cameras.

Privacy and Confidentiality

  • Information involved in the competition and evaluation process is kept confidential and will not be disclosed to unauthorised persons.
  • Evaluators and staff are required to sign confidentiality agreements to ensure the fairness and impartiality of the competition.
  • The entries and personal data of participants are only used for matters relating to this competition but not for any other purposes.

Continuous Improvement

  • The privacy and security policy is regularly reviewed and revised to continuously meet the participants’ needs.
  • A complaints handling mechanism is established to promptly address the privacy and security issues of participants.
  • Staff awareness of protecting personal data is enhanced to ensure their compliance with relevant legal requirements.

We are committed to creating a safe and fair competition environment.

This Privacy Policy Statement has been translated into Chinese. If there is any inconsistency or ambiguity between the English version and the Chinese version, the English version shall prevail.