The typical lifecycle of a building includes pre-design, design, construction, operation and maintenance, and
disposal phases. Each phase should dove-tail into one another seamlessly to achieve a functional and sustainable
edifice. During the construction phase, different activities and processes are executed, resulting in some
amendments, adjustments or fundamental changes. Some of these changes are effectively documented while many
others are not. Before the conclusion of the construction phase, there should be a review of the project execution
process to ascertain how the emerging edifice aligned with the design and achievements of the client’s objectives.
This review process is commonly referred to as ‘project closeout’, which includes end-users’ orientation, test
running of equipment and fixtures, development of as-built documents, review of project costs and many more.
Adopting the case study strategy of qualitative research, this paper examines the execution of three faculty complex
buildings between 2016 and 2022, in a higher education institution in Nigeria. The objective of the research was to
evaluate how end-users’ orientation, test running of equipment and fixtures were executed and the quality of the as-
built documents at the project closeout. The research revealed that there was no end-user orientation, the test running
exercise, was poorly executed and no functional as-built documents were provided during the handing over exercise.
Therefore, effective project closeout exercise should be included in every project procurement document and
enforced before final payments are made to consultants and contractors.
Keywords: Lifecycle, Construction phase, end-users’ orientation, test running, as-built documents