The National Manual for Assets and Facilities Management (NMA&FM), developed by Saudi Arabia’s Government Expenditure and Projects Efficiency Authority (EXPRO), is a comprehensive reference that enhances quality, efficiency, and sustainability in the management of assets and facilities across government entities. The manual, the first of its kind at both national and regional levels, reflects a unified effort to standardize asset and facility management practices, aligning with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 objectives to optimize government spending and improve public service delivery.
Context and Background
The NMA&FM was prepared by EXPRO in collaboration with success partners from various government entities. It aims to unify diverse procedures for managing assets and public facilities, ensure compliance with local legislation, and build robust asset management systems. By registering and evaluating assets, the manual supports optimal decision-making, extends the life cycle of assets, and promotes effective management of public facilities based on cost and quality principles. It also emphasizes continuous improvement and resource preservation through financial planning and effective supply chain and contract management.
The manual serves as a technical reference for public entities, guiding them on how to effectively utilize each entity’s asset and facility management resources. It covers the entire business life cycle of assets and facilities, from planning, constructing, and receiving projects, through contracting and purchasing, to operating, maintaining, and ultimately deciding when to stop using or dispose of an asset or facility.
Key Details
The implementation of the NMA&FM has already yielded documented success stories across various government entities. For instance, in cooperation with the Riyadh Region Municipality, EXPRO supported the initiative to switch to integrated City Hygiene Performance Contracts. This resulted in the preparation and development of 16 integrated performance contract brochures for the hygiene of Riyadh city, with an estimated value of over SAR6 billion, and the development of 11 performance indicators to improve service implementation and quality.
At the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, a facilities management system was established according to best practices. This included automating assets and facilities management processes, creating an indicator board with over ten indicators, and setting a standard for classifying dams based on urgency and risk levels according to global best practices. Additionally, a complete asset registry for dams was built, and the computerized operations and maintenance system was activated.
Collaboration with the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development raised operating efficiency and improved service quality by establishing a facilities management system based on best practices and automating five main supportive processes for managing assets and facilities. This system reduced operational and maintenance costs and increased beneficiary satisfaction rates.
Furthermore, cooperation with King Saud University improved operational efficiency and service quality. The university’s assets were counted and inventoried, the effectiveness of the computerized asset management program system was enhanced, and it was linked to other systems at the university in line with the requirements of the national manual. An occupational health and safety policy was developed and approved, measurement indicators were identified, and seven procedures for operation and maintenance were implemented. These measures contributed to accelerating and facilitating operation and field maintenance processes, as well as merging with inventory management to raise the efficiency of purchasing operations.
Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University succeeded in developing and launching a computerized system for managing assets and facilities. This system includes automating operation and maintenance processes and ordering spare parts through computerized systems, increasing spending efficiency on annual operation and maintenance costs. It also accelerated service delivery, monitored implementation, and provided data and technical and financial indicator panels to support decision-makers. This cooperation resulted in a qualitative leap in the satisfaction rate of users of university facilities, as well as the complete automation of the inventory and spare parts management process.
The Riyadh Region Municipality developed 13 integrated performance contract brochures for the operation and maintenance of Riyadh’s roads, with an estimated value of SAR2 billion, and established nine performance indicators to measure service performance, implementation, and quality.
EXPRO has made the manual available to its partners from public entities, their asset and facility departments, specialized contractors, and consulting offices via the website: https://knowledge.expro.gov.sa/book-detail/173. EXPRO is committed to providing partners with all necessary knowledge for the manual’s application through a training package for each volume, on-the-job training, and experiential learning. The manual consists of 17 volumes based on the asset and facilities management methodology. Each volume addresses a specific asset and facilities management function and considers the best global practices for accomplishing these functions. It is reviewed and updated periodically based on accumulated experiences, the contributions of a committee of government entities’ representatives, and global developments in the field of asset and facilities management.
The first volume includes an introduction to the manual, covering the calibres and guidelines necessary for management. The second volume is devoted to managing assets and business requirements while balancing risks, performance, and cost to ensure the proper use of assets. It also focuses on effectively monitoring assets during their life cycle to guarantee proper utilization and relies on specialized asset management systems and software. The third volume explains how assessment, as an organizational process, is useful in determining an asset’s condition and establishing an appropriate life cycle. This process supports the proper direction of the asset and subsequent maintenance activities, ultimately achieving the required value. The fourth volume includes guidelines for defining the financial policy framework, including planning the asset’s life cycle regarding the necessary funding to maintain its operation at the required service level. It also covers integrating strategic asset management with financial planning procedures, which helps decide between investment and funding options and determine the achievable service level. The fifth volume focuses on managing the processes of planning, organizing, and work control and on maximizing the use of resources to manage facilities and assets. This is based on written procedures that support the preservation of resources and limit any shortcomings or inconsistencies in the services provided, thus helping avoid a negative impact on the entity’s reputation. It also emphasizes aspects that must be taken into account in future planning and development. The sixth volume is concerned with managing maintenance by applying best practices to develop tools for planning maintenance and applying methodologies in their management. This contributes to determining the design life of the assets and the continuity of their services to maintain their safe and reliable operation. Additionally, it focuses on optimizing the benefits of its operational processes. The seventh volume guides the procedures for adjusting the work and managing the requests related to maintenance activities. It prioritizes and plans these activities, fixes malfunctions, estimates costs, schedules work, and oversees testing and closure. The supply chain management volume focuses on the strategic planning, implementation, control, and monitoring of supply chain activities, such as warehouse and inventory management. Effective supply chain management contributes to achieving optimal value and promotes competitive infrastructure and logistics services worldwide. It also measures performance and links supply to demand. The contract management volume focuses on planning, implementing, managing, and supplying asset and facility contracts that ensure legal compliance, meet required service levels, maximize financial and operational performance, and reduce potential risks. The tenth volume focuses on safety, health, and the environment by providing a guideline for the procedures and controls relied upon to protect employees, visitors, public property, and the environment. It includes procedures for monitoring compliance, risk assessment, safety reviews, and safety training. The eleventh volume presents the core pillars of quality management, which include monitoring daily work, conducting audits to measure the service provider’s compliance with its contractual obligations, and addressing inconsistencies. The effective application of quality management promotes strategies, policies, procedures, and plans. The manual makers devoted the twelfth volume to managing risks and reducing the potential impact of events that may hinder the stakeholder or user from achieving asset and facilities management objectives, with the possibility of applying risk management to all comprehensive management procedures. The thirteenth volume guides and directs users through the procedures and principles that must be applied to establish effective document management. Document and records management services are useful for [continued in original article].
Implications and Impact
The NMA&FM represents a significant step forward in Saudi Arabia’s efforts to enhance government efficiency and sustainability. By standardizing asset and facility management practices, the manual enables government entities to optimize resource allocation, reduce costs, and improve service quality. The documented successes in various entities demonstrate the manual’s practical benefits, such as extended asset life cycles, increased operational efficiency, and higher satisfaction rates among beneficiaries. This initiative also supports the Kingdom’s broader goals of fiscal responsibility and sustainable development, aligning with Vision 2030’s emphasis on effective governance and public sector excellence.
Vision 2030 Alignment
The NMA&FM directly contributes to Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 by promoting efficient government spending, enhancing the quality of public services, and fostering sustainable management of national assets. Through the manual’s comprehensive framework and its adoption across government entities, the Kingdom is building a more transparent, accountable, and efficient public sector. This aligns with Vision 2030’s objectives of diversifying the economy, improving government performance, and ensuring a high quality of life for citizens and residents. As EXPRO continues to collaborate with partners and update the manual, Saudi Arabia sets a benchmark for asset and facility management in the region and beyond.
20 Questions
Q1. What is the National Manual for Assets and Facilities Management?
A1. The National Manual for Assets and Facilities Management (NMA&FM) is a comprehensive reference developed by EXPRO to enhance quality, efficiency, and sustainability in managing assets and facilities across Saudi government entities. It is the first of its kind nationally and regionally.
Q2. Who prepared the NMA&FM?
A2. The manual was prepared by the Government Expenditure and Projects Efficiency Authority (EXPRO) in collaboration with success partners from various concerned government entities, ensuring a unified approach to asset and facility management.
Q3. What are the main objectives of the NMA&FM?
A3. The manual aims to unify asset and facility management procedures, ensure compliance with local legislation, build asset management systems, extend asset life cycles, and preserve resources through financial planning and effective supply chain management.
Q4. How does the manual benefit government entities?
A4. It provides a technical reference for effectively utilizing resources, standardizing processes, reducing costs, improving service quality, and supporting optimal decision-making throughout the asset life cycle.
Q5. What success stories have been documented from implementing the manual?
A5. Success stories include integrated City Hygiene Performance Contracts in Riyadh valued at over SAR6 billion, improved facilities management at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, and enhanced systems at King Saud University and Imam Muhammad bin Saud Islamic University.
Q6. How does the manual support Riyadh’s hygiene contracts?
A6. EXPRO, with the Riyadh Region Municipality, developed 16 integrated performance contract brochures for city hygiene, valued at over SAR6 billion, and established 11 performance indicators to improve service quality.
Q7. What was achieved at the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture?
A7. A facilities management system was established, automating processes, creating an indicator board with over ten indicators, setting dam classification standards, building a complete dam asset registry, and activating computerized operations and maintenance.
Q8. How did the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development benefit?
A8. A facilities management system based on best practices was established, automating five main processes, reducing operational and maintenance costs, and increasing beneficiary satisfaction rates.
Q9. What improvements were made at King Saud University?
A9. Assets were inventoried, the computerized asset management system was enhanced and linked to other university systems, an occupational health and safety policy was approved, and seven operation and maintenance procedures were implemented, accelerating field
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