Allocate and manage space in workplace and facilities services
Overview
This standard covers allocating and managing the use of space in workplace and facilities services. It relates to the management of property space with single or multiple occupations and concerns the identification of space requirements and entitlements, their allocation and their optimisation. It also identifies how space utilisation contributes to business efficiencies and sustainable practices.
Space management considerations should be embedded in the planning and decision-making processes of the organisation and within your area of responsibility.
It is important that you know and understand your responsibilities under current environmental and health and safety legislation, codes of practice and the policies of the organisation.
This standard is applicable to those who deliver workplace and facilities services, this can be to an internal client (within an 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.
Performance criteria
You must be able to:
- 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
- confirm that the space requirements of all workspace users in workplace and facilities services are identified, prioritised and updated as agreed with the organisation
- confirm that the criteria used for allocation of space takes into account the organisation's and the users' requirements and priorities
- confirm that space allocation is compatible with other uses of the workspace and current legislation
- identify opportunities to introduce business efficiencies and sustainable practices in the planning and allocation of space
- engage users in the organisation's business efficiencies and sustainable practices in the planning and allocation of space
- identify where space cannot be provided as requested and develop and propose alternative solutions
- assess the costs, risks and opportunities of planned actions
- identify your personal responsibilities and liabilities for the allocation and management of space under the organisation's policies and procedures
- carry out consultations on space management issues with those involved and affected by your work
- identify and make use of specialist expertise in relation to space management
- confirm that space allocation is contractually agreed with the organisation and those involved and affected
- establish and maintain systems for monitoring and reporting space management performance in your area of responsibility
- complete records as required by the current legislation and the procedures of the organisation
- communicate with all those involved in, or affected by, your work
- confirm that the organisation operates to the current legal requirements and social responsibilities
Knowledge and Understanding
You need to know and understand:
- your responsibilities under the current environmental and health and safety legislation, codes of practice and policies of the organisation, including business efficiencies and sustainable practices
- the issues to consider when allocating space in workplace and facilities services
- how to identify opportunities to include business efficiencies and sustainable practices in the planning and allocation of space, as well as the control systems that are developed, implemented and reviewed to monitor the allocation and management of space
- the methodology for the regular review of options for occupancy, use, facilities, servicing and maintenance and the ways of advising the organisation and those involved and affected where potential benefits may occur from planned change
- when to initiate action and report a variance from the planned use of property, facilities and systems so as to maintain operational performance in line with the contract
- the costs, risks and benefits of the planned actions
- the ways of engaging the organisation and those involved and affected in the introduction of business efficiencies and sustainable practices
- the need for insurance cover that meets the relevant legal and statutory requirements, types of use, categories of occupier and user and complies with the organisation's requirements
- how to maintain the required inspection certificates and approvals and how to communicate outcomes of inspections to those involved
- how to conduct reviews of contractual terms and conditions at agreed intervals and the corrective action to take in response to any deviations from contractual agreements
- the importance of communicating with all those involved in, or affected by, your work and how this should be done
- the responsibility of managing workplace and facilities services
- in accordance with the current legal requirements and social responsibilities
Scope/range
Scope Performance
Scope Knowledge
Values
Behaviours
Skills
Glossary
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 efficiency 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**
This refers to an organisation's performance measured against a standard or prescribed indicator of effectiveness, efficiency, and environmental responsibility. These indicators could include time, productivity, waste reduction, and regulatory compliance.
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 the 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.
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 so that they offer a reduced level of sustainability within the organisation's policies and practices.
Sustainable business practices differ between industries and are often specific to the type of organisation and the product or service it produces or provides.
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