FM Procurement Code Of Practice - Have Your Say

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05 July 2019

RICS is inviting comments on a new draft global code of practice - Procurement Of Facility Management - which seeks to increase competency of those engaged in related services.

The code of practice (CoP) will introduce a set of universally agreed, general guiding principles and associated guidance to reduce risk and increase consistency and transparency. It will also help build trust for all stakeholders in the process of procuring FM.

This CoP is aimed at property professionals involved in a facility management procurement process either within their territory, region or globally. This includes property managers, directors of estates, heads of FM, consultants, RICS-regulated firms acting for a landlord and FM suppliers procuring services from sub-contractors.

The CoP will give RICS members and RICS Regulated Firms guidance and tools to ensure they are able to provide compliant facility management procurement. It will also include guidance on responsible business, which is business critical. The CoP will apply to RICS members and firms, regardless of geography, who are engaged in offering these services.

About the author

Monday July 1 saw a RICS Integrated Property Services Conference, held in London.

Derrick Tate, a Director, PwC who also leads on facilities management strategy and transformation for the company was on hand to tell an invited audience  about the the new RICS (and IFMA) Global Code of Practice on Facility Management Procurement.

Tate said: "This is a global code aimed at any property professionals involved in procuring FM services be it within a country, regionally (EMEA, Asia-Pac etc.) or globally. This includes heads of corporate real estate, property managers, directors of estates, heads of FM, consultants, RICS-regulated firms acting for a landlord and importantly, FM suppliers procuring services from subcontractors."

Key principles

Tate continued: "The CoP builds upon and replaces the RICS Professional Statement on Procurement of facility management which was published in July 18.

"The content is less UK focused and more applicable to any country. In addition it includes new content in relation to pan-national/regional and global procurement.

"The document is a code of practice rather than a professional statement as it is aimed more widely at anyone, including non-members, on a global basis and as such includes key principles rather than mandatory requirements."

Tough task

Tate was also very open about the size and complexity of the task he took on when he was asked to author the document (with help from a RICS Working Group). He said: I was delighted tocontribute to improved procurement standards of FM, in particular encouraging better preparation, greater transparency and more professionalism but I did think it would be relatively easy...I could just use 'find and replace' to change 'TUPE' to 'relevant employee legislation in your territory'. However it turned out not to be so simple. Procurement practice is so different throughout the world that the guidance needed to be general enough to be applicable but also specific enough to be of real help. The additional layers of complexity that regional and global procurement brings was also a challenge to incorporate."

Responses to this consultation close at midnight on the 31st August 2019. To respond - Click Here

Picture: RICS is inviting comments on a new draft global code of practice for the procurement of FM.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 05 July 2019

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