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All Our Yesterdays - the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Mooted

How soon before the BIFM Awards are renamed as the IWFM Awards?
02 March 2018 | Updated 07 March 2018
 

As the British Institute of Facilities Management marks its 25th year, those in charge think it's name is just so yesterday - proposing the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management instead.

On Weds March 1, the British Institute of Facilities Management announced plans to embrace ‘workplace’ as a key differentiator for its members and to establish facilities management as a chartered profession.

BIFM Chair, Stephen Roots, said: “We aim to take a major step forward and re-position the Institute and facilities management. To do this, the board and myself are recommending that the Institute changes its name from the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), to the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) and begins the process to attaining chartered body status.

“This step is not taken lightly or without thought. In making this move we are responding to the challenge to provide leadership in an industry which has not yet shown all it is capable of and hence, has not yet achieved the status it deserves.

“As a professional body, the work we do to raise professionalism across the industry is funded by our members. It is therefore for them to decide if they support this proposal and they will have the chance to vote for or against it at the Institute’s AGM on the 5th of July.”

 

The name game

The new name has been proposed in the wake of research commissioned by BIFM in 2017 conducted by 3edges on the current state of FM, its future, the relationship to workplace and the future role of BIFM. An executive summary of the research has been made available:

Workplace should be added to the Institute’s name because it embraces a wider range of key functions than Facilities Management, recognising the joint responsibility of FM, IT and Human Resources to achieving optimal performance between people, technology and workplace. There is a manifest need for skilled individuals who can interconnect between these specialisms. At present none of the individual professions has taken responsibility for meeting the need to develop a cadre of interconnection specialists. The Institute intends to work with other organisations to develop the range of tools and qualifications that members will need to rise to this challenge.

Facilities Management has matured as a profession, but as the pace of change becomes ever more rapid, BIFM members have remarked that the term Facilities Management appears increasingly limited. The Institute believes that including ‘Workplace’ will more adequately reflect the high level of skills needed to embrace the data analysis, automation, human factors and interconnectedness of today’s organisations.

BIFM CEO, Linda Hausmanis, said: “As we look ahead, we know that workplace performance will remain a critical area of focus and will shape discussions that range from the use of technology to how we manage mental health, promote social mobility and attract and shape talent."

 

Chartered

Having opened the dialogue with Privy Council, BIFM will commence the process toward meeting the criteria set out by the latter to become a chartered body. The process will include a timeline to obtain members’ approval before a formal submission is made.

Picture: How soon before the BIFM Awards are renamed as the IWFM Awards?

 

Article written by Cathryn Ellis | Published 02 March 2018

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