How to become a CFM

CFM Preparedness

In the chart below, you will find the complete list of facility management competencies, areas, and the performances covered on the Certified Facility Manager Examination.

The nine competency areas are in the left-hand column. In the middle column are the competencies, and in right-hand column lists the specific performances for each competency. The exam questions were written to identify whether or not examinees are competent in each performance.

You can use this information as certification preparedness simply by reading each performance and asking yourself these questions:

Not all questions can or will relate to each performance. However, it's vital to thoroughly analyze your background in each performance. The majority of people who pass the exam have both breadth and depth of experience in most of the nine competencies. Most also have some exposure to the other competencies.

If you are weak in three or more competencies, you should wait until you have more experience before sitting for the exam. If you are weak in one or two competencies, you can take any courses or do readings that may help expand your knowledge in these areas. Remember that no course can give you a lifetime of experience and the exam does test experience and competency.

Download a .pdf version of this document - competencies.pdf - 139Kb

Competency Area Competency Performances
Operations & Maintenance 1. Oversee Acquisition, Installation, Operation, Maintenance and Disposition of Building Systems. 1. Assess a facility's need for building systems.
2. Recommend building systems.
3. Oversee the acquisition, installation and operation of building systems.
4. Recommend policies.
5. Establish practices and procedures.
6. Determine and administer the allocation of building systems' resources.
7. Monitor and evaluate how well building systems perform.
8. Manage corrective, preventive and predictive maintenance.
9. Develop emergency procedures.
10. Implement disaster recovery plans.
Operations & Maintenance 2. Manage the Maintenance of Building Structures and Permanent Interiors. 1. Evaluate building structures and permanent interiors.
2. Manage the maintenance and cleaning needs of building structures and permanent interior elements.
Operations & Maintenance 3. Oversee Acquisition, Installation, Operation, Maintenance and Disposal of Furniture and Equipment. 1. Assess needs and oversee acquisitions.
2. Recommend policies.
3. Establish standards, practices and procedures.
4. Evaluate furniture and equipment performance.
5. Manage the maintenance and cleaning of furniture and equipment.
Operations & Maintenance 4. Oversee Acquisition, Installation, Operation, Maintenance and Disposition of Grounds and Exterior Elements. 1. Assess the effect of climatic and extreme environmental conditions.
2. Assess the need for alterations in grounds and exterior elements.
3. Recommend policies.
4. Establish standards, practices and procedures.
5. Evaluate the performance of grounds and exterior elements.
6. Manage the maintenance and custodial needs of grounds and exterior elements.
Real Estate 1. Manage and Implement the Real Estate Master Planning Process. 1. Manage the development and implementation of a real estate master plan for the organization.
2. Maintain the real estate master plan.
3. Evaluate and recommend action on development decisions.
Real Estate 2. Manage Real Estate Assets 1. Manage the acquisition disposition of company leased and owned property.
2. Evaluate and recommend action on development decisions.
3. Direct highest and best use studies.
4. Evaluate the effects of economic change on real estate assets.
5. Evaluate the effects of proposed real estate changes on different business units.
6. Manage the real estate lease portfolio. Inventory, track and report real estate assets.
7. Maintain real estate documents.
8. Manage development support services for other functions.
Human & Environmental Factors 1. Develop and Implement Practices that Promote and Protect Health, Safety, Security, the Quality of Work Life, the Environment and Organizational Effectiveness 1. Evaluate and manage the facility's support of organizational goals and objectives.
2. Monitor changes in laws and regulations.
3. Assure the facility and its operation comply with laws and regulations.
4. Monitor and assure changes in the facility function and services.
5. Monitor changes in the people who use and visit the facility.
6. Monitor information and trends about human and environmental concerns.
7. Provide training to maintain safe and effective use of the facility.
8. Direct the development and administration of environmentally conscious programs.
9. Conduct due diligence studies.
Human & Environmental Factors 2. Develop and Manage Emergency Preparedness Procedures. 1. Develop emergency plans.
2. Assure people are trained in emergency procedures.
3. Assure all emergency systems and procedures are tested as planned.
4. Assure emergency drills are conducted.
5. Develop disaster recovery plans.
Planning & Project Management 1. Develop Facility Plans. 1. Interpret the overall business goals and the corporate strategies used to accomplish those goals
2. Develop long-term, interim and short-term facility plans.
3. Maintain long-term, interim and short-term facility plans.
4. Evaluate long-term, interim and short-term facility plans.
Planning & Project Management 2. Plan and Manage all Phases of Projects. 1. Define the scope of the project.
2. Identify the project team.
3. Develop the project plan.
4. Generate alternative strategies.
5. Identify needed resources.
6. Develop bid specifications.
7. Set compliance and performance criteria. Secure necessary resources.
8. Develop and coordinate the approval process.
9. Coordinate project tasks.
10. Monitor the project.
11. Identify and evaluate changes.
12. Control change orders.
13. Evaluate the results of the project.
Planning & Project Management 3. Manage Programming and Design 1. Manage the programming phase.
2. Evaluate the adequacy of the program.
3. Manage the design phase.
4. Evaluate the design.
Planning & Project Management 4. Manage Construction and Relocations. 1. Manage construction projects.
2. Evaluate how well construction projects meet business needs.
3. Manage relocation projects.
4. Evaluate how well moves are performed.
Leadership & Management 1. Plan and Organize the Facility Function. 1. Create a mission for the Facility function.
2. Assess business trends.
3. Plan facility function activities.
4. Organize the facility function.
Leadership & Management 2. Manage Personnel Assigned to the Facility Function. 1. Plan staffing needs and requirements.
2. Hire, contract, reassign, retrain, right-size.
3. Coordinate personnel assignments.
4. Coordinate work performed as contracted services.
5. Evaluate performance.
6. Support personnel development.
7. Provide leadership.
Leadership & Management 3. Administer the Facility Function. 1. Administer policies, procedures and practices.
2. Administer the acquisition, distribution and use of material resources.
3. Maintain documentation systems.
Leadership & Management 4. Manage the Delivery of Facility Services. 1. Plan for the delivery of services.
2. Assure services are delivered.
3. Evaluate service delivery.
Finance 1. Manage the Finances of the Facility Function. 1. Analyze financial Information.
2. Manage chargeback systems.
3. Prepare budgets.
4. Manage the budget.
5. Monitor revenues and expenditures to contain costs.
6. Manage the financial obligations of the facility function.
Quality Assessment & Innovation 1. Manage the Process of Assessing the Quality of Services and the Facility's Effectiveness. 1. Assure customer surveys are conducted.
2. Assure processes are documented.
3. Select methods to collect data.
4. Establish standards.
5. Analyze data.
6. Improve the facility and service delivery processes.
7. Monitor and promote the quality process.
Quality Assessment & Innovation 2. Manage the Benchmarking Process. 1. Establish benchmarks.
2. Determine the potential for improved performance.
3. Integrate findings into the facility management function and business goals.
Quality Assessment & Innovation 3. Manage Audit Activities. 1. Comply with laws and regulations.
2. Conduct internal audits.
3. Conduct mandatory audits as required by regulation.
Quality Assessment & Innovation 4. Manage Developmental Efforts of Facility Services to Make Innovative Improvements in Facilities and Facility Services. 1. Investigate ways to improve facility services.
2. Assess risks and opportunities.
3. Conduct pilot tests when developing new procedures.
Communication 1. Communicate Effectively 1. Use effective communication strategies.
2. Give directions.
3. Actively clarify Interpretations and confirm understanding.
4. Make oral presentations.
5. Actively listen.
6. Present information visually.
7. Communicate in writing.
8. Use communication technologies.
9. Conduct effective meetings.
10. Comprehend written and graphic information.
11. Comprehend financial and technical information.
12. Negotiate for services, resources, information and commitments.
13. Establish personal and professional networks.
Technology 1. The competent facility manager is able to Plan, Direct and Manage Facility Management Business and Operational Technologies. 1. Monitor information and trends related to Facility Management technologies.
2. Identify and interface with internal and external accountable resources. E.g., External Vendors, Internal or External IT systems owner.
3. Identify evaluation criteria, evaluate, and recommend Facility Management technologies solutions.
4. Assess how changes to Facility Management technologies will impact current infrastructure, processes and building systems.
5. Oversee the acquisition, installation, operation, maintenance and disposition of components supporting Facility Management technologies.
6. Recommend and communicate policies.
7. Establish practices and procedures.
8. Develop and implement training programs for Facilities staff and ancillary resources.
9. Monitor Facility Management technology performance and make appropriate recommendations if modifications are needed.
10. Manage corrective, preventative, and predictive maintenance.
11. Develop, test and implement, when necessary, emergency procedures and disaster recovery plans.
Technology 2. Plan, Direct, Manage, and/or Support the Organization's Technological Infrastructure 1. Monitor information and trends related to technological infrastructure.
2. Identify and interface with internal and external accountable resources; e.g., external vendors.
3. Contribute a facility management perspective to the identification of evaluation criteria, the evaluation, and recommendation of the organization's technological infrastructure.
4. Assess how changes being made by other resources to infrastructure technologies will impact current infrastructure, processes, and building systems.
5. Direct, Manage, and/or Support the acquisition, installation, operation, maintenance and disposition of components supporting infrastructure technologies.
6. Manage or participate in the development of policies, practices and procedures.
7. Manage or participate in the development and implementation of training programs for Facilities staff and ancillary resources.
8. Manage and/or support corrective, preventive and predictive maintenance efforts.
9. Manage or participate in testing, and implementing when necessary, emergency procedures and disaster recovery plans.

Please visit www.ifma.org/learning/fm_credentials/cfm_applications.cfm for more information

 
 

MilliCare Turner

 

Affinity Energy Management, LLC Allied Barton Security Services BHH Tait Interiors CADapult FM Certified Clean and Polish Contract Environments, Inc. EMCOR Facility Services MGZA Mitchell Associates, Inc. Tri-State Carpet Inc.

 
 
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