Government design and construction projects are unique endeavors compared to private sector projects. However, just like in the private sector, the definition of commissioning varies all over the board. In some cases, commissioning is taken to the “nth” degree with 100% testing of everything in every system. In other cases, commissioning is a mandated-from-above process that no one really understands or buys into, i.e., a necessary evil to be minimized and tolerated.
Three specific areas in which government projects can differ from most private sector projects are schedule, decisionmaking, and low bid procurement. These are general project issues that commissioning providers need to be aware of in order to adapt their processes and expectations to a government project without becoming overly frustrated.