Manage sustainable workplace and facilities services

This standard covers managing sustainable workplace and facilities services. The ability to monitor the energy and water efficiency in workplace and facilities services is a key requirement of this standard, including the management of business efficiencies and sustainable practices.
This involves monitoring energy and water usage for the organisation with the aim of managing sustainable practices. This will include usage controls and the introduction of efficiency measures to reduce cost, waste, and usage of  energy and water. It covers the environmental and sustainability considerations involved when managing utilities.
It is important that you know and understand your responsibilities under the current environmental and health and safety legislation, codes of practice and policies of your organisation.
This standard is applicable to those who deliver workplace and facilities management services, this can be to an internal client (within your organisation) or to an external client, both are referred to as the "organisation" within this standard.
This standard is for managers working in the workplace and facilities services environment.
This standard has links to the standards suite Facilities Management and the standards suite Management and Leadership managed by Instructus.

1. carry out your work in accordance with the current environmental and health and safety legislation, risk assessment requirements, codes of practice and policies of the organisation, including business efficiencies and sustainable practices
2. investigate techniques or strategies that could be followed to reduce the consumption and waste of energy and water in line with the organisation's business efficiencies and sustainable practices
3. confirm that a system is in place for the metering of energy and water consumption and for the collection of the data 
4. analyse metering of consumption data provided by the utilities companies at agreed intervals to identify energy and water efficiency and manage use
5. utilise the metering and consumption data to make recommendations for improvements to business efficiencies and sustainable practices policies for the organisation
6. target opportunities to put in place measures to save energy and water wastage for workplace and facilities services
7. communicate with all those involved in, or affected by, your work and raise awareness of the importance of the organisation's business efficiencies and sustainable practices policies
8. reduce reliance on energy by identifying and advocating more sustainable practices in workplace and facilities services
9. organise and oversee tendering and procurement of utilities contracts in-line with the organisations business efficiencies and sustainable practices policies
10. confirm that the use of utilities complies with the current regulations and legislation and the organisations business efficiencies and sustainable practices policies
11. confirm that the organisation operates within the current legal requirements and social responsibilities
12. instigate changes to strategy and policy to reflect improved sustainable practices
13. confirm that considerations of climate change and sustainability are incorporated into the organisations business efficiencies and sustainable practices policies
14. complete records as required by the current legislation and procedures of the organisation

Business efficiencies

This relates to the sustainable management of resources such as water, energy efficiency and waste management in line with the organisation's business efficiencies policies which aim at improving operational efficiency. In business, efficiency refers to the production of goods or the offering of services by using the smallest amount or resources, such as capital, energy etc. Efficient businesses can create products, offer services and accomplish their overall goals with the minimum effort, expense or waste.

Operational performance

An organisation's performance can be measured against a standard or prescribed indicator of effectiveness, efficiency, and environmental responsibility such as, time, productivity, waste reduction, and regulatory compliance.

Sustainable practices

Sustainable business practices are characterised by environmentally friendly practices initiated by an organisation for the purposes of becoming more sustainable. Organisations aim to reduce their environmental footprint through initiatives that cut down on waste, poor environmental stewardship and unethical environmental practices that offer a reduced level of sustainability within the organisation's policies and practices.

Sustainable business practices differ among industries and are often specific to the type of organisation and the product or service it produces or provides.

Social responsibilities

Social responsibilities refer to a type of self-regulatory business plan and the efforts made by a company to improve society and contribute towards sustainable development. It describes initiatives run by a business to evaluate and take responsibility for their impact on issues ranging from human rights to the environment.

The business plan will focus on achieving economic, social and environmental benefits for all stakeholders involved (employees, consumers, investors and other groups).

The purpose of it is to encourage businesses to conduct their companies in an ethical manner and work towards having a more positive impact on society through ensuring sustainable growth.

Workplace and facilities services

Workplace and facilities services is "the organisational function which integrates people, place and process within the built environment with the purpose of improving the quality of life of people and the productivity of the core business." Workplace and facilities services professionals are responsible for services that enable and support business performance.

All organisations have responsibilities under the current health, safety and welfare regulations to ensure the daily health, safety and welfare of their employees. This includes ensuring provisions are made for:

Workplace and facilities services (soft services)

•           Soft services are ones that make the workplace more 
            pleasant or secure to work in.

Examples of soft services are cleaning, catering, security.

Facilities Management (hard services)

•           Hard services are ones that relate to the physical fabric of the
             building and cannot be removed. They ensure the safety and
             welfare of employees and generally are required by law.

Examples of hard services are plumbing, heating and lighting.

Hard services are covered in the Facilities Management suite