An evaluative study of public property maintenance practices in a tertiary institution in Ghana

Purpose The purpose of the study is to evaluate key factors considered in the maintenance and management of property and facilities in a public tertiary institution in Ghana, taking reflective cognizance of the poor maintenance culture in the country. Design/methodology/approach The cross-sectional design was adopted, employing both structured and semi-structured interview questionnaires for quantitative and qualitative interview data, respectively from multiple individuals in the Koforidua Technical University. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) tool was deployed to analyze the quantitative data, while the focus group interview was recorded, transcribed and thematically analyzed. Findings The paper reveals the need for a working policy and strategy for the maintenance of public property to ensure sustainability of practices. Essential factors such as effective communication flow and the competence of the maintenance team were highly ranked in the maintenance of public property. The use of computerized systems and other technological tools in maintenance practice featured low, and this calls for improvement in the delivery of maintenance services. Another critical finding was the need for effective engagement of all stakeholders in the planning and development of strategies to improve property maintenance. Practical implications The findings have practical implications for practitioners and society at large. Notably, they enjoin public sector institutions to embrace policy-driven public property management and maintenance, strategic outlooks for public property maintenance, technological advancement in property management and effective engagement of all stakeholders in property maintenance delivery. Originality/value This paper reviews a collection of maintenance practices and moves further to evaluate them using a case study of a public institution to draw useful outcomes. It offers new knowledge pursued to fill a revealed gap in the literature.