Facilities management

Facilities Management (FM) is an area of responsibility that can still be undervalued by the business community, although people are quick to notice when any aspect of it goes wrong. It has always been an essential aspect of running a business, but FM is now a profession in its own right.

The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) describes FM as ‘the integration of multi-disciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace.’ Activities vary from property strategy, space management and communications infrastructure to building maintenance, administration and contract management; with the built environment covering every type of business accommodation.

Effective FM, combining resources and activities, is vital to the success of any organisation. At a corporate level, it contributes to the delivery of strategic and operational objectives. On a day-to-day level, effective FM provides a safe and efficient working environment which is essential to the performance of any business – whatever its size and scope of work.

Legislation has had a considerable impact with recent laws and regulations covering many different functions, like access for the disabled. Health and safety at work covers a number of procedures, such as fire and other emergencies, which have to be considered and implemented. Indeed, the responsible person may have to answer to the courts as well as to the Chief Executive.

Every organisation has someone responsible for the FM function. They may not actually be called ‘facilities manager’, but they will deal with these areas. The smartest of front offices will have people behind the scenes to make sure the lavatories work, the photocopier has paper and that the Internet server is up and running.

Few companies or businesses have the manpower or resources to deal with all aspects of FM, and this has been one of the principle reasons for the growth in outsourced FM which now accounts for well over 50 per cent of the total market. Functions can either be outsourced on an individual basis, or everything can be outsourced to a total FM company.

With the development of IT, computer packages to aid FM have become available; their use is on the increase and packages can run the FM for an entire organisation, including satellite locations. Help Desk solutions are available for the smaller business to advise on problems.

Facilities management in the Services

Many Service people have never heard of facilities management, despite the fact that they may well have been carrying out many of its functions. Some may even be half-way to becoming professionally qualified in FM without knowing it. So read on ... this could be you.

The vast majority of people have been involved in the management of facilities. Environments from ships to ammunition sites and from aircraft maintenance hangers to divisional headquarters are complex and demanding; and someone has to run them. It is not just the job of the administrative or logistic specialist. Often it is a person with a very different job title and other priorities who actually manages the environment in which Service people work.

Many Service environments differ from their civilian equivalent. However, the principles are exactly the same; modern threats such as fire, electronic attack, and mechanical breakdown may be very similar and contingency plans for equipment redundancy, relocation and physical security translate easily into the outside world.

So the issue is to explain the skills and experience gained in the Forces’ environment to a civilian employer who may not immediately appreciate the similarities between a nuclear submarine and an office block. The Resettlement Training Centre at Aldershot provides a four-week course that takes candidates through the first part of the BIFM’s qualifying exams.

Qualifications

The BIFM Professional Qualification is a nationally recognised standard. It currently identifies 20 competences, grouped into six key management areas, as follows.

Understanding business organisation

• understanding the structure and behaviour of organisations
• understanding business and organisational strategy
• developing FM strategy.

Managing people

• people management
• communication
• working with suppliers and specialists.

Managing premises

• property portfolio management
• understanding building design
• building fabric maintenance.

Managing services

• managing building services
• managing support services
• project management
• managing customer service.
• naging the working environment
• environmental issues
• space management.

Managing resources

• procurement
• risk management
• financial management
• quality management
• information management.

The Institute is working on a revised competency list, which will be further developed shortly:

• business organisation
• management principles
• risk management
• information and knowledge management
• project management
• personal leadership
• human resources management
• relationships with suppliers and specialists
• quality management
• customer service
• management of property
• property and building services maintenance
• space management
• support services operations
• sustainability and environmental issues
• energy and utility management
• financial management
• procurement, contracts and contract management
• legislation, codes, directives and regulatory issues
• development and trends.
• Joining the programme

The qualification framework offers three clearly defined routes of equal status. Each route recognises the diversity of working backgrounds of today’s facilities managers and provides a pathway for the achievement of personal and organisational objectives. There are routes for managers at all career stages.

Route 1 - direct exams

This route is intended for members who are relatively new to FM and need to develop their formal knowledge as they progress in the workplace. Exams are set at Part I and Part II level, each consisting of papers in:

Part I (HND level)

• Module 1 – understanding business organisation/managing people
• Module 2 – managing premises/managing resources
• Module 3 – managing services/case study based on managing the working environment.

Part II (degree level)

• Module 1 – case study on understanding business organisation and managing people
• Module 2 – managing services
• Module 3 – managing resources
• Module 4 – managing premises/managing the working environment.
• Route 2 - higher education

There are a wide range of qualifications that have relevance to FM. They include HNCs, degrees, and postgraduate diplomas in FM and a number of associated subjects. People holding such qualifications from an institution accredited to the BIFM may not need to take the BIFM exams as this is an equivalent route.

Route 3 - professional competence

The professional competence route is designed for managers with considerable FM expertise, and recognises experience and knowledge gained in the workplace. Registration on this route is by detailed assessment against the competencies. Applicants are required to have at least five years FM experience for this route.

Portfolio compilation (applies to all three routes)

Successful applicants will be required to demonstrate their knowledge and professional expertise by compiling a Portfolio of Evidence that may involve further training or study, or gaining workplace experience in areas of weakness. Service people should be able to qualify through one of these routes, and some of them will also have enough FM experience to complete the qualification process. After completing one of the three routes, candidates then have up to two years to compile a Portfolio of Evidence, containing six separate submissions of practical experience in the workplace. On payment of the initial registration fee, the individual will be sent a portfolio guidance pack and will then produce a Development Plan, with help from the Institute. Following this, targets are set for evidence to be submitted and assessed.

Candidates must be members of the BIFM. Those on Routes 1 and 2, holding student or associate membership may continue to hold these classes until they have successfully completed their course of study. Candidates will then be upgraded to member, if they have not done so already. They will then be eligible to apply for a place on the last part of the programme. Candidates must hold current membership of the Institute while they are on the Qualification Programme.

Employment

Industry now recognises that effective FM is vital to its continued success. At a corporate level, it contributes to the delivery of strategic and operational objectives and, on a day-to-day level, effective FM provides the safe and efficient working environment essential to the performance of any business - whatever its size and scope. The provision of support services to a company is critical for it to achieve its core objectives.

Many if not most FM jobs are with specialist companies in this field; often contracted out to a client organisation. These companies employ, permanently or on contract, people who are competent in all the disciplines associated with FM. Many are now running huge contracts with military organisations; providing the infrastructure for bases throughout the UK and wherever the Armed Forces are serving in the world. In smaller organisations, including schools and partnership practices, FM may well be only a part – albeit an important part – of the overall management job.

There are few professions that are as suited to an easy transfer from Service to civilian life as FM. People currently looking after facilities are likely to be learning valuable skills for use in industry. However, there are some key elements involved in gaining professional recognition in the FM field, and the importance and relevance of previous experience need to be understood

Contact details

British Institute of Facilities Management,67 High Street, Saffron Walden, Essex,CB10 1AA. Tel: 01799 508606

Web site: www.bifm.org.uk

Been there done that…

Frank Finch

Frank Finch joined the Army in 1979 with five O-Levels, starting as a Royal Engineers Junior Leader. Twenty-six years’ service took him around the world working on many different construction projects and maintenance programmes as an electrician and later as a Clerk of Works. Among his qualifications, he completed the City & Guilds electrical suite and gained an HND in Building Services Engineering (Electrics), becoming an Incorporated Engineer and Member of the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (now the Institute of Engineering and Technology).

The 44-year-old Warrant Officer’s employment consultant advised a full-time course at Aldershot’s Resettlement Training Centre to complete the BIFM Part 1 qualification as a logical career progression. The course was ‘well structured and suited to my learning pattern. My Service career gave me considerable experience of working with civilian contractors.’ He was the BIFM Student of the Year in 2005.

Finch’s first job was Operations Support Manager of the Garrison Works Alliance, part of the Defence Estates (European Division) based in Munster, and he is now the Garrison Works Service Manager in Paderborn, Germany. He is responsible for the response maintenance programme for all properties at the base including married quarters, barracks, workshops, administration buildings, depots etc. He runs a team of 118 trades and craftsmen who respond to any unforeseen property problems, with a budget of €6 million.