The International Facilities Management Association (IFMA), together with the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), have announced that the public consultation of their Strategic FM Framework guidance is now open, and invite comments on the document. Drafted by IFMA Fellow, Dave Wilson, this guidance brings together ideas and experience from a range of sources and is intended to provide best practice guidance that is consistent with the existing ISO Standards for FM, which are: ISO41001 - Facility management - Management systems - ... Continue reading

The Government has announced its plan to become the most inclusive employer in the UK by 2020. The Civil Service Diversity & Inclusion Strategy outlines a range of ambitious proposals to achieve this aim, including: to build a dedicated ethnic minority programme to improve the representation of ethnic minority staff at the most senior levels across the Civil Service; to create a Diverse Leadership Task Force that will report to the Cabinet Secretary; to publish a data dashboard tracking progress on diversity and inclusion targets by Apri... Continue reading

The British Institute of Facilities Management has published a revised Good Practice Guide on the critical issues involved in selecting and implementing a software solution for facilities management.  The updated Good Practice Guide to FM Software is designed to help those in the FM sector find the right software application for their business. It also explores all the factors that must be considered, such as functionality, finance and training, so that FM professionals can implement their chosen software.  BIFM’s Research and Informati... Continue reading

Official figures released last week show a steep fall in the number of apprenticeships against the same period last year. The statistics showed that between May and July 2077 apprenticeship starts dropped from 113,000 in 2016 to just 43,600 this year.  The figures are a blow to the UK government, which earmarked an increase in the number of apprenticeships as part of its flagship policy to invest in job creation and education. In the Spending review and autumn statement of 2015, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed that an apprenticeshi... Continue reading

We reported in May 2017 that after carrying out extensive research, IOSH was developing a formal qualification. IOSH is the biggest health and safety membership organisation in the world, and the only Chartered body for health and safety professionals. More details about the new programme have now been made available. The Institution has confirmed that the qualification will build on the learning gained in Managing Safely, and will provide an entry route into IOSH membership. It states that the content will signal a ‘new approach to the dev... Continue reading