Posted by Heidi Schwartz
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) has released a revised CFM Exam based on an updated and realigned framework for its flagship credential, the Certified Facility Manager (CFM). The updated CFM Exam accounts for the most recent Global Job Task Force Analysis which highlighted two new competency areas—emergency preparedness and business continuity and environmental stewardship and sustainability—bringing the total to 11. At the same time, existing competency areas were updated to reflect the evolving demands of the facility management discipline around the world.
“Facility management is constantly growing and adapting. Our professional development tools are updated to keep up,” said IFMA President and CEO Tony Keane, CAE.
As the most prestigious credential offered by IFMA, the CFM covers the broad scope of facility management as identified by the Global Job Task Analysis, which shapes the educational landscape and directly impacts IFMA’s other credentials, the Facility Management Professional (FMP®) and Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP®).
The CFM is a product of facility managers from around the world who volunteer their time and energy to shape a truly global certification. It is this grassroots development that helps make the CFM a truly global representation of the tasks and responsibilities common to contemporary facility management. These are identified as competency areas, listed in alphabetical order below :
- Communication
- Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity
- Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability
- Finance and Business
- Human Factors
- Leadership and Strategy
- Operations and Maintenance
- Project Management
- Quality
- Real Estate and Property Management
- Technology
“As our profession grows in prestige and global importance, the role of an International organization like IFMA will only get more important,” said IFMA Chair Marc S. Liciardello, CFM, MBA, CM. “What makes the entire CFM update process so special is that it grew from the ground up. The information we used came straight from facility managers like you and me, men and women from around the world who strategically and tactically work in the built environment on a daily basis. These competency areas weren’t conceived and developed in a board room. They reflect what we actually do. Earning my CFM was an excellent investment, and this update to the CFM certification keeps it on the cutting edge.”
