Facility Managers, Surveyors in Deal to Boost $1 trillion Global Industry

IFMA President, Keane

In a landmark move to improve existing informational and networking infrastructure in the land, real estate and construction industry, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) have sealed a deal, which promises to transform the US$1 trillion global facility management (FM) industry.

By joining strategic resources, they will create an unprecedented level of industry support to meet growing demands from the 25 million FM practitioners around the world, as well as launch a single and compelling career pathway into the FM profession.



Over recent years, the FM industry has advanced in stature and evolved into an increasingly strategic discipline. IFMA and RICS research has empirically demonstrated the tangible advantages of effective facility management, ranging from improved productivity and cost savings to energy efficiency and employee well-being.

As established leaders offering extensive resources to practitioners across the built environment, IFMA and RICS have come together in collaboration to further develop and professionalize the field of facility management.

Even as the industry has attained increased status and prominence, the global professional community, which has pioneered much of this advance has suffered through fragmented support, according to an RICS survey of professionals across six continents. The IFMA-RICS collaboration will seek to address this by providing strong, global leadership and the tools needed to harness the power of strategic FM services.

“As global thought leaders dedicated to the professionals who support the built environment, IFMA and RICS identified a unique opportunity to team up and fortify existing resources to enhance the outstanding level of service they already provide to professionals and built environment industry,” said IFMA President and CEO Tony Keane. “The framework of this collaboration will create a less fragmented, more inclusive and highly regarded global facility management community.”

The collaboration will also seek to address the current shortage of FM professionals in the workforce, according to RICS CEO Sean Tompkins.
“Whilst there is a growing market demand for facility management skills around the world, currently there is a shortage of professionally qualified practitioners equipped to deliver this service. Our collaboration will establish a clearly defined, single career pathway which will see FM practitioners acquire the leading skills they need to become recognized as preeminent professionals.”

The goals of the IFMA-RICS collaboration include; Advancing global knowledge sharing and cohesion within the FM community; Expanding the existing informational and networking infrastructure for members of both organizations Unifying the FM career path through both IFMA credentials and RICS qualifications.

Other objectives are incorporating FM trends and best practices into a more comprehensive picture of the built environment; encouraging graduates and young professionals to select careers in FM and asserting the strategic value of FM to business in order to further elevate the profession

The IFMA-RICS collaboration will be shaped over time, but initially will leverage both organizations’ existing resources in education, research, conferences and events, and external relations. IFMA and RICS will also work together to align credentials and qualifications to shape a single FM career path with demonstrable professional status, which is recognized and respected globally.

RICS professionals who have qualified in FM will automatically receive IFMA member benefits. In turn, IFMA members and credential holders will be able to attain RICS professional qualification and benefit from RICS’ international standards and global professional network.

IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely recognized international association for facility management professionals, supporting 24,000 members in 105 countries. The association’s members, represented in 134 chapters and 17 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than US$100 billion in products and services.

Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies professionals in facility management, conducts research, provides educational programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition.

RICS promotes and enforces the highest professional qualifications and standards in the development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.

Sourced- TheGuardian.