by Brianna Crandall — June 28, 2013—The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has released a revised CFM Exam based on an updated and realigned framework for its flagship credential, the Certified Facility Manager (CFM). The updated CFM Exam accounts for the most recent Global Job Task Force Analysis, which highlighted two new competency areas—emergency preparedness and business continuity, and environmental stewardship and sustainability—bringing the total to 11. At the same time, existing competency areas were updated to reflect the evolving demands of the facilities management discipline around the world.
IFMA says that since 1992, the CFM has been the only true certification for facilities management, and it has evolved from the ground up, growing and adapting with input from FMs on the front lines of the profession around the world. As the most prestigious credential offered by IFMA, the CFM covers the broad scope of facilities management as identified by the Global Job Task Analysis, which shapes the educational landscape and directly impacts IFMA’s other credentials, the Facility Management Professional (FMP) and Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP).
The CFM is a product of facilities managers from around the world who volunteer their time and energy to shape a truly global certification. It is this grassroots development that helps make the CFM a truly global representation of the tasks and responsibilities common to contemporary facilities management, says IFMA. These are identified as competency areas, listed in alphabetical order below:
- Communication
- Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity
- Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
- Finance and Business
- Human Factors
- Leadership and Strategy
- Operations and Maintenance
- Project Management
- Quality
- Real Estate and Property Management
- Technology
IFMA describes itself as the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for FM professionals, supporting more than 23,000 members in 85 countries. The association’s members, represented in 130 chapters and 17 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies professionals in facilities management, conducts research, provides educational programs and produces World Workplace, billed as the world’s largest FM conference and exposition.
