BIFM launch FM Professional Standards

The British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM) has today announced the launch of The Facilities Management Professional Standards; created in consultation with facilities management (FM) industry stakeholders, experts and professional standards writers, the standards form a global competence model for the profession.

The BIFM Facilities Management Professional Standards define the key functions performed by FMs, the main components of each functional area and the competences which 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.

The FM Professional Standards will allow:

• FM professionals (at any career level) - to understand what is required in the role, where he/she 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. The FM Professional Standards can be used to identify capability gaps and aid workforce planning to identify purposeful training and professional development needs as well as assist with FM recruitment.
• learning and development professionals - to identify development needs aligned to The FM Professional Standards. They can also use the FM Professional Standards to inform learner assessment processes and tools.
• New entrants to the profession - School leavers, career changers, anyone considering a career in FM - to identify the types of roles and responsibilities involved in FM and the skills and knowledge requirements.

To complement the framework, new tools for both individuals and organisations to use in their professional development programmes will be introduced in due course. The FM Professional Standards are closely aligned to the BIFM qualifications to ensure consistency and relevancy.

The BIFM Facilities Management Professional Standards can be found at www.bifm.org.uk/FMstandards