This chapter discusses possible aims, tools and deliverables of Post-Occupancy Evaluations (POE) (otherwise known as building-in-use studies), with a focus on interventions in supporting facilities. POE has a long tradition and has been applied in different fields (e.g. offices, educational buildings, health care facilities, retail and leisure, as well as residential areas). The objectives of POE are various and can include; delivering input to an improvement plan; building up a generic body of knowledge by exploring and testing scientific theories; and developing practical design guidelines and decision support tools. Data collection tools are also varied, ranging from observations, interviews and web-based questionnaires to walk-throughs and use of narratives. A number of different data analysis techniques are available as well, including qualitative methods, such as content analysis, and quantitative methods, such as descriptive and inductive statistical analyses. A case study illustrates the application of different data collection tools. This case study seeks answers to the effects of new ways of working on employee satisfaction and perceived labour productivity. This study has been conducted by the Center for People and Buildings, Delft, the Netherlands, which specialises in research into the relations between people, working activities and the working environment. The case is an example of physical interventions including changing the office lay-out, new furniture, new information and communication technology (ICT) and document storage systems, as well as the flexible use of workplaces. A POE of three pilots has been conducted to test if the new environment performed well as perceived by the managers and employees. The research data has been used in the first instance in order to test if the organizational goals and objectives have been attained; and to support decisions with regard to the next steps in this change process. The research data has been used in the second instance more generically, as input to a database for cross-case analyses, exploring and testing hypotheses and benchmarking objectives.@en

Purpose: This paper presents a toolkit to measure employee satisfaction and perceived labour productivity as affected by different workplace strategies. The toolkit is being illustrated by a case study of the Dutch Revenue Service.
Methodology: The toolkit has been developed by a review of literature and tools for data-collection. The toolkit has been tested and explored further in a number of case studies.
Findings: The toolkit includes a Working Environment Diagnostic Tool (WODI) for an indicative or diagnostic evaluation, a list of Key Performance Indicators that can be used for benchmarking purposes, and a Space Utilization Monitor to measure the occupancy of workplaces. Data collected with the tool provides organizations with a clear picture of user experience of the working environment on its own, in comparison to other organizations and in comparison to the goals of the organization. Employees are also asked to rank the issues in order of importance to overall satisfaction and perceived productivity.
Research limitations: The modules on economic added value and costs to explore the facility costs effects of different office concepts have not been tested yet.
Practical implications: The toolkit and the data from case studies can be used by managers to support decision making on interventions with regard to the organizations’ accommodation policy, re-designing or adaptation of the present building, or moving to another building. Scientifically, the data from case studies and cross case analyses can be used to explore and test hypotheses about the best possible fit between people, processes and place.
Originality: Although a number of data collection tools have been developed earlier, the strength of the present toolkit is its integral approach and is applicability to both traditional and innovative offices.@en

In the field of environmental psychology a long tradition exists in Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) or building-in-use studies. Nowadays facility managers and real estate managers seem to show a growing interest in ex post evaluation of buildings, too, particularly in connection to ex ante assessments in the briefing and design phase. The aim of this paper is to discuss general objectives and methods of POE and to show how research findings can be used in (re-)designing and management of office buildings. The approach is illustrated by a case study of an office building of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. This building has been assessed by using the WEDI working environment diagnostic tool. The results are used to support decision making in the present renovation of the ministries headquarter in The Hague and the real estate management of other ministerial buildings. The paper ends with a series of lessons learnt from a cross-case analysis of eight office buildings and a preview into work in progress on a search for a satisfaction index that might be used in accommodation policy and for benchmarking purposes.@en

Dit rapport brengt verslag uit van de zoektocht naar de betekenis en toepassingsmogelijkheden van een tevredenheidsnorm. Wat is een tevredenheidsnorm? Voor welke huisvestingskenmerken is normering van medewerkerstevredenheid hierover relevant? Moet de norm gedifferentieerd worden per thema of is één norm voor alle huisvestingskenmerken gewenst? Hoe kan een norm worden vertaald in huisvestingsbeleid en besluitvorming in concrete (her)huisvestingsprojecten, algemeen en specifiek bij LNV? Kunnen data uit crosscase analyse van eerder geëvalueerde projecten als referentie dienen voor het opstellen van een norm? Op al deze vragen wordt in dit rapport een antwoord gezocht. Over de bevindingen ten aanzien van de medewerkerstevredenheid over de huisvesting in acht geëvalueerde projecten is een afzonderlijk rapport uitgebracht.@en