Sector’s critical role

At the tail-end of last year, the government published a new Facilities Management Strategy for the first time.

The strategy sets out “a coordinated, crossgovernment vision for facilities management, setting the strategic approach and standards which will govern what good looks like and the quality of service which should be aspired to”.

It covers the period to 2030, and is aligned to the overarching timeline of the Government Property Strategy. This timescale reflects the extended horizon of many FM contracts across government. It sets out to improve the performance of the government’s estate of almost 140,000 buildings, which currently generates an annual FM bill of more than £13 billion – 18% of the total UK market.

Large FM contracts and their management arrangements are often more than five years in duration and full implementation of some aspects of the strategy will only occur as departments re-procure their FM services. Given current procurement pipelines, it is expected that all FM arrangements will be able to align with this strategy by 2030. The facilities management sector contributes more than £65 billion to the UK economy. Of this, around £13 billion comes directly from public sector procurement.

Mark Chivers, the government’s chief property officer, described the launch of the strategy as “a landmark moment”. He added: “For the first time, we have a cross-government strategy describing what excellent FM should look like.”

As has become increasingly apparent in a world which had to urgently get to grips with a global pandemic, facilities management has gained more significance in recent years that has perhaps led to an exclusive government strategy for the sector.

Linda Hausmanis, CEO at the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management concurs. She noted that “pockets of excellence in government have led the way in FM’s professional development”.

She said an FM-wide strategy is “a key next step in enabling estates functions across the piece to deliver the competence for which government generally has a strong reputation”.

Hausmanis added: “The government’s first Facilities Management Strategy articulates the critical role that workplace and facilities management plays in achieving government’s estates objectives and delivering effective services for UK citizens. The institute’s own work is aligned with its important pillars – workplace productivity, sustainability and levelling up through FM’s central role in driving social value; and IWFM is delighted to have been able to bring expertise to the strategy’s development.”

PERFORMANCE GOALS

New government FM strategy highlights ‘critical’ role of the sector

by Herpreet Kaur Grewal

Underinvestment

The government acknowledged there had been long-term underinvestment along with “inconsistent and varied approaches” which meant many of its buildings had “deteriorated to the point where functionality was becoming affected”.

The Office of Government Property Function (GPF), which is a part of the

Cabinet Office, said its FM strategy should ensure that government offices had a “positive impact on productivity” leading to better “recruitment and retention of talented people”.

“A whole-life asset management approach to maintenance can build value, reduce liabilities, and ensure longevity of the estate,” it said.

The strategy calls for all public sector organisations to produce a consistent asset register and be aware of the condition and maintenance requirements of each of their buildings.

Better use of data

It also promotes better use of operating data to support procurement decisions, greater transparency around mandatory and statutory maintenance to support safety and compliance, and targets aligned to the government’s sustainability goals.

“Value is not cost,” said the GPF. “FM organisations need to understand what their users require and how to effectively manage and leverage data to improve customer service experiences. Maintenance choices need to account for where a building is on its life cycle journey and should target investment accordingly.”

Connectedness

The Building Engineering Services Association welcomed the strategy. The industry body created and manages the industry FM standard SFG20 – one of a group of organisations working with the government to standardise the way data is gathered, managed, and shared across project supply chains to improve life cycle costing, carbon assessment and digital-led maintenance.

SFG20 managing director, Kirsty Cogan said that there was a direct link between quality, well-targeted FM and better health, wellbeing, and productivity of building occupants. “This is not just about saving money; it is also about making sure people have a better experience in buildings,” she said.

Cogan added: “Many FM functions are out-of-sight, out-of-mind, which tempts building managers to cut back on them to make short-term cost savings, but the long-term financial and social impact can be catastrophic.”

She described the publication of this strategy as “a timely reminder of the importance of FM work, which contributes more than £65 billion to the national economy every year and plays a crucial role in improving working and living conditions for millions of people”.

Cogan added: “The way buildings are managed and maintained is a critical, but widely overlooked, part of dealing with the biggest challenges we face including keeping people safe and healthy, mitigating the impact of climate change and addressing energy security.”

The government estimates that delaying maintenance by between two and four years can lead to an almost doubling of the eventual cost. Currently, 61% of the government estate is graded as being in ‘Good’ or ‘Satisfactory’ condition, but annual running costs are approaching £22 billion. The GPF is charged with delivering greater value for money for the taxpayer and a more efficient and effective estate by ensuring FM expenditure is well targeted.

BESA technical director Graeme Fox, also said: “Lack of investment in FM leads to deteriorating assets, equipment failures and rising operating costs… With the current economic situation putting even greater pressure on budgets, rather than cutting back on spending in this area, an FM review is a quick and cost-effective way to identify energy-efficiency improvements and avoid spending on expensive repairs and replacements.”

For the first time, we have a cross-government strategy describing what excellent FM should look like

THE BRIEF

THE STRATEGY SAYS THAT BY 2025 IT WILL HAVE:

● Embedded whole-life asset management methodologies into all life cycle replacement and maintenance investment decisions. ● Implemented the FM standard FMS 002

Asset Data. ● Seen development of FM management organisations’ data analysis capability. ● Used the FM control and procurement processes to widen assurance across all government FM contracts.

THE OUTCOMES

RESULTS THE STRATEGY PREDICTS:

● A holistic approach to

FM asset management enabling returns on maintenance investment to be maximised. ● Standardised and assured

FM data and analysis enabling maintenance activity to be evidencebased and targeted on priorities where it is needed most. ● Assured facilities management contracts delivering consistent value and quality services to support operations and customer requirements regardless of delivery model.