What is the preferred delivery model for commissioning services advocated by the ACG?

• A. Independent certified commissioning authority under direct contract to the owner
• B. In-house facility management team
• C. Third-party EPC contractor
• D. Architect-led QAQC

Answer: (A)

Independence and direct ownership control of the commissioning authority are essential for unbiased verification of the project’s performance. When the certified CxA is contracted directly to the owner, they operate independently from design and construction teams, which helps ensure objective assessment against the owner’s project requirements and basis of design. This arrangement gives the CxA the authority to develop and manage the commissioning plan, oversee tests and functional performance, document issues, coordinate resolutions, and verify that systems operate as intended in real conditions before turnover.

In-house facility management teams, while valuable for ongoing operations, may lack the cross-discipline independence and the broad project-scope perspective needed for end-to-end commissioning. A third-party EPC contractor has a stake in delivering the project and may not provide the same level of objective verification across all systems. Architect-led QAQC focuses on design quality but typically doesn’t offer the independent verification and cross-system testing that commissioning requires. Therefore, the independent CxA under direct contract to the owner best supports objective, thorough, and owner-aligned commissioning.