It's Official - Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Launched

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• It's Official - Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management Launched

16 November 2018

The new Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management formally introduced itself last night, with a welcome video and a ten-point plan for becoming a modern professional body.

The IWFM is a rebranding of BIFM.

The occasion, coincided with Workplace Week. It opened with a panel giving its views on the workplace opportunity. Ian Ellison, researcher and co-author of a new report, called ‘Managing Facilities or Enabling Communities?’, introduced the panel and asked for questions from the audience. Few real questions were proffered - most simply wanted to air their own views - including one wag who suggested it was time to dump FM and simply re-brand again as the Institute of Workplace Management. This gained a certain level of approval.

 

Website

Introducing the new IWFM brand ahead of the formal website launch next Monday, Chairman Stephen Roots reminded the audience of the reasons for the change and how far the Institute had come in the last year. He said: “We are entering an exciting new era as a modern professional body that is fit for the twenty first century.

“Our purpose in creating IWFM has been to reframe the rationale for FM to generate a better understanding of the value that facilities and workplace professionals can contribute to the success of organisations.

 “Our mission as IWFM is to empower and enable them to reach their full potential and have rewarding, impactful careers."

 

 

In the house

Outlining a ten-point programme of activity, CEO Linda Hausmanis set out the new Institute’s aims in its first year, working towards its ultimate goal to realise members’ desire for the profession to achieve chartered status. Plans included a new Professional Standards handbook, updated ahead of a major overhaul next year, to include elements on culture and values alongside organisational behaviour and performance, all aligned to a new IWFM development pathway; a proposed career of choice campaign; and a raft of new and improved insights work, plus a remodelling of its flagship FM World magazine, to be renamed Facilitate.

Hausmanis said: “We have focused on our ambition to achieve Chartered Body status. We want a future where we, along with the community, can have a clear and distinct voice which articulates the value our profession contributes to business, society and the economy.

“Workplace performance is set to remain a critical area of focus and will shape wide ranging discussions from technology and AI to attracting and shaping talent.  My objective is to make IWFM more valuable to the workplace and facilities management profession, the industry and the wider economic community; and to support the professional development of its people through leading-edge thinking, sharing best practice and upskilling opportunities. IWFM is about creating the conditions for our profession to thrive and grow.”

 

Monday, Monday

The knowledge report, ‘Managing Facilities or Enabling Communities’ by Dr James Pinder and Ian Ellison of 3edges Workplace Ltd. will be available to download from the IWFM website from Monday 19 November.

 

Panel

The panellists were: Ian Ellison (Chair), Co-founder and Director, 3edges Workplace; Dr. Matt Tucker, Reader in Workplace and Facilities Management, Liverpool John Moores University; Andrew Mawson, Owner, Advanced Workplace Associates; Stuart Wright, Group Property and Facilities Director, Aviva; Heather Carey, The Work Foundation.

 

FM World

The Institute's magazine, FM World will re-brand for the January issue under the new title Facilitate.

 

Objectives

A new website. Developing a cleaner format so users can find the information, guidance and support they need as easily, and as friction free as possible. To March 2019 incremental functionality will allow professionals to personalise their experience, plan and record their development and have complete control over their membership with IWFM.

 

Professional Standards

Revised core elements of proposition with the IWFM Professional Standards taking centre stage. A redesigned Standards Handbook to be more accessible and featuring new components such as organisational behaviour and performance as well as culture and values, reflecting the essential people oriented 'softer' skills that members need to add.

 

Qualifications and training

In 2019 the IWFM will conduct a root and branch review of its entire standards working with practitioners as well as the organisations they support to map out the requirements for workplace and facilities management. This will trigger a revision of the qualifications and training offering.

 

Career of choice

2019 will see a Career of Choice campaign which builds on an existing partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions and will generate, with the workplace and facilities industry, a series of support initiatives and materials to engage and inform those who might join the profession and those looking to progress within it.

 

Market information

In late 2019, the IWFM will launch the first, completely free to access, market information index. This will include latest employment figures in the sector, market performance, latest trends and support material as well as news on the latest contract wins.

 

Research and insight

The IWFM is working with leaders in sustainability to re-launch a sustainability survey and also investigating the opportunities and challenges that technology presents in tomorrow’s workplaces.

 

Guidance

The Institute will continue to offer practical guidance in the form of Good Practice Guides - three times their current number. their number; as well as the guidance notes and local events that support them.  And through richer web content and webinars we’ll enable members all over the world to access this content and insight.

Picture: The Institute of Workplace & Facilities Management's new branding in the Gotham typeface.

Article written by Brian Shillibeer | Published 16 November 2018

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