by Brianna Crandall — February 28, 2014—The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) has launched professional standards for the facilities management industry in consultation with FM industry stakeholders, experts and professional standards writers. BIFM’s intent is to create a global competence model for the profession, ensure a proficient workforce, and provide a benchmark for both professionals and employers.
The Facilities Management Professional Standards clearly define the key functions performed by FMs, the main components of each functional area, and the competences that are required to be a proficient professional when carrying out each function. The competences are defined for each level in an FM’s career, from a support role through to a strategic role. These standards can be used to benchmark skills, knowledge and competence for those working at all levels in the FM profession.
According to BIFM, The FM Professional Standards are closely aligned to the BIFM qualifications to ensure consistency and relevancy, and will be a vital tool for:
- FM professionals (at any career level)—to understand what is required in the role and where they can develop skills and knowledge to enhance performance and advance their own career.
- Employers of FM staff—to better understand the skills and capability they can expect from FM teams, to identify capability gaps and aid workforce planning to identify purposeful training and professional development needs, and to use with FM recruitment.
- Learning and development professionals—to identify development needs aligned to the standards, and to use the standards to inform learner assessment processes and tools.
- New entrants to the profession (those leaving school or changing careers, or anyone considering a career in FM)—to identify the types of roles and responsibilities involved in FM and the skills and knowledge requirements.
Linda Punter, head of learning and development at Bouygues, said, “These standards not only help individuals who want to achieve a professional FM qualification, but they also provide a framework that enables us to:
- Recruit against clearly defined competences and skill-sets;
- Develop career pathways and succession plans for all members of the workforce, from new entrants to the profession right through to strategic FMs;
- Support individuals in creating professional development plans and in monitoring their continuing professional development activities; and
- Carry out a gap analysis and generate training plans that add value for all stakeholders, developing a skilled and motivated workforce ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
To complement the framework, new tools for both individuals and organizations to use in their professional development programs will be introduced in the future.
