SUSTAINABLE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
Background
Sustainability is an issue of increasing and long-term importance to society. Whilst it is a growing issue in the Facilities Management (FM) sector, building users generally take an immediate view of operations, and still view facilities as a cost. There are a number of resources now available to assist with managing sustainability in the FM sector, though awareness among individual practitioners is low and there is no training program to suit the operational level. With the impending introduction of national greenhouse targets and a carbon trading system, sustainability in facilities management is a skill that will need to be embraced as core knowledge.
Through the Facilities Management Action Agenda, UNE Partnerships and the University of Sydney were paired with Brookfield Multiplex to identify and outline an innovative training program for facilities managers and facilities supervisors. A number of topics were canvassed but in the end sustainable facilities management was agreed as the most pressing issue for FM organisations generally in both the short and long term.
The Sustainable FM program
Brookfield Multiplex is passionate about sustainability through exploring and implementing new ways to grow and prosper into the future. In recognition of this and as a contribution to the industry, environment and their business, Brookfield Multiplex agreed to fund the development of a short course focused on sustainable practices, called the Sustainable FM program.
The program aims to develop each participant’s ability to apply process rather than product. It refers to industry recognised resources for managing sustainability to ensure the desired impact at operational level. Various tools, standards and guidelines already in existence were incorporated, bringing them together to raise awareness and encourage a consistent approach to managing sustainability. The aim of the program is to:
- introduce the concept of sustainability and position its importance to the facilities management sector
- provide participants with the tools and skills to identify relevant operations and facilitate their measurement
- provide participants with the skills to analyse and report on key factors affecting sustainability and identify areas for improvement with regard to the facilities under their management
- encourage implementation of sustainable measures to improve performance.
The program develops skills to ensure participants can operate buildings in the most sustainable way through improvements in operational performance across the key areas in which facilities managers can make a difference: energy, water, waste, indoor environment quality and procurement.
In addition to the development of skills and knowledge of participants, the training program provides the employing organisation with the capacity and ability to set performance targets and implement management strategies. Successful participants will be eligible to apply for one unit credit into facilities management awards offered by the University of Sydney.
The program will be made available to participants from across the facilities management sector during 2009.
