IFMA Credentials

The built environment needs smart, trained practitioners. FMs are expected to understand their company’s core business and contribute to the bottom line, not only by reducing facility costs, but also by providing safe, healthy workplaces for employees. This can lead to improved productivity, an increased revenue generating capacity and will continually enhance the image of the entire organization.

Upper management in organizations are gaining a better understanding of FM’s value to their enterprises. FM performance has set high expectations of premium service through diligence and hard work. To fulfill that promise, FMs must continually invest in their education. Nothing is static in the universe, and that includes FM. It is incumbent upon the industry to keep up with the ever-changing profession and never stop learning.

No matter how long an FM has been in the profession, education plays an integral role in keeping up with industry developments. For an FM to be successful, he or she must take advantage of the learning opportunities offered to them, especially by IFMA, whose credentialing programs serve as statements from the association to the industry showcasing its commitment to its core values. These programs showcase the conscientiousness of the organization, promote excellence in professional development and provide well-deserved recognition of high achievers. They emphasize stewardship of the built environment and advancing the professional discipline of FM worldwide.

Facility Management Professional

Facility professionals can learn and apply skills for their role as FMs through IFMA’s credentials. The Facility Management Professional®(FMP®) certificate is a demonstration of knowledge in business and enterprise skills.

The FMP® program consists of four courses with content deemed critical to the foundation of knowledge required of facility managers. They are based on four of the 11 core competencies established by industry professionals through IFMA’s job task analysis. They are:

• Operations and Maintenance,

• Project Management,

• Leadership and Strategy, and

• Finance and Business.

The FMP® allows facility managers to build practical skills while they gain experience and establish competency in the profession. It enables them to be conversant with a common vocabulary amongst peers and sets a foundation of knowledge. It also provides them with a competitive advantage both in the workplace and the industry.

Sustainability Facility Professional

The Sustainability Facility Professional® (SFP®) credential was designed by experienced FMs active in the workplace. It is a knowledge-based learning system designed to assist FMs in developing a program that integrates sustainable practices and precepts to all aspects of an organization. It consists of courses that expand upon existing professional knowledge and experience and is an assessment-based certificate program. Achieving the SFP® certificate demonstrates that an individual recognizes and understands the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainability within FM. The SFP® shows how best to manage a sustainable facility through a continuous and holistic process.

The SFP® program is made up of three comprehensive modules: Strategy and Alignment for Sustainable Facility Management, Managing Sustainable Facilities, and Operating Sustainable Facilities. The lessons provide a complete picture of how FMs can improve the sustainability of their facilities in eight major categories of sustainable facility management:

• energy

• water

• materials and resources

• workplace management

• indoor environmental quality

• quality of services

• waste

• site impact

These focus areas will equip the FM to integrate their sustainability efforts with the organization’s values and strategic plan. It will provide them with the tools to present a business case for a sustainability initiative. It will also allow them the ability to evaluate initiatives from a financial point of view, while being able to track and report accomplishments.

Certified Facility Manager

The Certified Facility Manager® (CFM®) credential is the most well-known and respected certification program available today. This certification sets the industry standard for practicing facility managers. The program assesses a person’s competency in the field through work experience, education and the ability to pass a comprehensive exam. The CFM® exam covers the 11 core competencies that are critical to success. IFMA’s new independent courses serve as great sources of information where FMs can delve into the competencies. Achieving the CFM® designation through established experience and passing the exam is proof of an individual’s abilities and capabilities.

Governance & management

IFMA is a member-centric organization and a major focus is on continuing education for all professionals in the built environment. The association is acutely aware of how important it is to maintain relevancy and integrity in all of its educational programs.

An education committee works tirelessly identifying emerging trends and opportunities to deliver content and courses to those working in the profession. They utilize information gleaned from knowledge strategy, research, conferences, offerings from IFMA’s Councils and Communities and webinars. They follow best practices in content development by adhering to IACET 1-208 standards and the Facility Management Body of Knowledge (FMBOK) which is derived from the Global Job Task Analysis (GJTA).

Working alongside the education committee are the certificate and certifications commissions chartered with the governance of IFMA credentials. They each have their own set of roles, responsibilities and accreditation requirements in directing certificate and certification programs. The Certificate Commission deals with the FMP® and SFP® certificates. The Certification Commission is responsible for the CFM® certification.

The Commissions and the Education Committee are comprised of volunteers, normally FM professionals, with expert guidance from dedicated and knowledgeable staff. FM practitioners have the best ideas of what FMs need and want, supplemented by input and assistance from professionals well versed in education.

The Education Committee and the two commissions report progress to IFMA’s Executive Committee and Global Board of Directors. All three entities collaborate with the Board on initiatives to grow the number of credential holders globally, but the commissions work autonomously on their respective programs.

To ensure its continuing quality, IFMA’s educational endeavors have achieved accreditations from the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), the official representative to the International Organization for Standards (ISO). ANSI manages accreditation programs for certificates and certification. These standards direct the actions the commissions can take and dictates the parameters of their decisions.

Certificate Commission

The Certificate Commission is governed by ANSI/ASTM E2659-18. Its responsibilities include guiding and overseeing activities related to the FMP® and SFP® certificate programs. Commission members are responsible for ensuring that the certification reflects the current state of the profession by developing and updating body of knowledge and performance standards based on GJTA outcomes. They help determine the purpose and scope of the credentials as well as the optimal target audience.

Commission members handle disputes, concerns and questions regarding the credentials and improving the program. They establish intended learning outcomes and instructional design plans. In the past year, they released additional enhancements to the FMP® and created an interim FMP® virtual delivery model in response to the strictures created by the pandemic. The Commission is finalizing efforts to complete a translation of the FMP® into other languages. Simplified Chinese will be the first such FMP® course offered.

Some activities are ongoing for the commission. Members are committed to continued investment and strengthening of the Learning Management System (LMS) and just achieved a five-year ANSI 2659 renewal for the FMP® and SFP® with a specific commendation for innovation.

The Certification Commission

This Certification Commission is responsible for the CFM®, IFMA’s competency-based certification. The commission is governed by the ISO/IEC 17024 Standard. Members guide and oversee activities related to the CFM® certification, determining the performance standards against which FM professionals operate or are measured. The authority of the Certification Commission includes establishing certification and recertification eligibility requirements, amending the scope of the certification program as needed.

It provides oversight and guidance for exam related activities as well as leads the GJTA survey process. The Commission also reviews appeals, complaints and disciplinary actions related to the CFM® and it reviews and advise on any IFMA actions that impact the CFM®. The Commission is engaged in a pilot effort to incorporate the CFM® as a requirement for industry-recognized apprenticeships. The initial focus will be on one market to establish best practices to support future opportunities.

Since receiving accreditation in June 2020, ensuring compliance with their accreditation standards has become a major focus of the commission. This involves internal audits of the program management and an annual threat analysis which assesses any threats to the integrity of the credential.

It is important to note that the certificate programs focus on education and the Certificate Commission is involved in education development. However, the Certification Commission maintains a strict separation between any IFMA education development activities and is focused on exam development.

Global Job Task Analysis

IFMA’s credentialing efforts depend largely on its ongoing GJTA process. Through survey responses, the GJTA initiative helps to ensure exam specifications and courses offered by IFMA reflect the current state of the profession. Moreover, the process ensures IFMA’s body of knowledge is current while also developing an in-depth understanding of regional and industry-specific issues.

The GJTA executive summary is delivered to both commissions and summarizes the methodology used to develop the exam specifications for IFMA’s CFM® certification examination. The outcome of the study will also be used to make updates to the SFP® and FMP® certificate programs as well associated education course on each of the competencies.

The job task analysis process is typically performed every five to seven years so that the examination content outline represents the most current scope of practice. Because it serves as the primary basis for content validity as required by the standards, the job task analysis is a primary mechanism by which the commissions can ensure the accuracy and defensibility of any exam. It serves as the foundation of the tests and is critical to the success of the entire development process.

The development of the examination specifications by the commissions is based on the results of the Job Task Analysis. FMs are assembled by IFMA to serve as subject matter experts (SMEs). The individuals are selected to represent a wide variety of the demographic, identifying years of experience, areas of specialty, work setting and geographical location. This helps develop a scope of practice that is reflective of the varied roles and responsibilities of the profession and represents a relatively well-balanced approach. By analyzing the experiences and expertise of current practitioners, the results from the job task analysis become the basis for a validated assessment that reflects the competencies required for a comprehensive FM regimen.

The need to know

Most FMs understand that progress and improvement does not happen by trying to maintain the status quo. New developments in the profession can happen minute by minute. In order to keep up with change continuous education is paramount in effectively managing facilities. IFMA, through its Education Committee and two commissions, is striving to provide resources to help FMs cope with everything happening in the profession. Through the GJTA and the collective efforts of these three entities, IFMA is dedicated to providing the best possible resources in the industry. FMs owe it to themselves and those stakeholders that rely on their expertise to take advantage of all that IFMA offers, achieve the credentials, and dedicate themselves to their own personal development to the benefit of all.