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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
3
Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management
In 1990, C.K. Prahalad and Gary Hamel introduced the concept of core competencies as a significant component of effective management. They defined “core competency” as an area of specialized expertise that is the result of harmonizing complex streams of technology and work activity (Prahalad and Hamel, 1990). As the concept has evolved, so has its definition, and it is now variously thought of as “the sum of learning across individual skill sets and individual organizational units” (Hamel and Prahalad, 1994); “aggregates of capabilities, where synergy is created that has sustainable value and broad applicability” (Gallon et al., 1995); and “a combination of complementary skills and knowledge bases embedded in a group or team that results in the ability to execute one or more critical processes to a world class standard” (Coyne et al., 1997).
In this study, the committee has defined core competencies as an organization’s essential areas of expertise and the skills base required for achieving its missions. The operational unit for which core competencies are being defined here is the facilities asset management division. The mission is specific to the organization (department or agency) for which the facilities asset management division provides support. Within the division, a facilities asset manager’s competencies include any skill, knowledge, behavior, or other personal characteristic that is essential for performing the required functions.
To help identify the core competencies required by such divisions through 2020 and beyond, the committee (1) reviewed relevant articles, publications, and reports; (2) conducted interviews and discussions with representatives of facility management professional organizations and reviewed organizational information; (3) reviewed higher education and professional development programs; and (4) interviewed federal staff. The information it gathered is summarized below.
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES LITERATURE
The committee’s literature search centered on facilities management at a strategic level, where the practitioners would be considered as having professional standing. A common theme is that facilities asset management is evolving as a business management discipline and will not remain rooted in operational and cost-centric issues (Price, 2004; Rodgers, 2004).
Markus and Cameron (2002) characterized the competencies of facilities management as follows:
Operational maintenance. A technical function concerned with maintaining the practical utility of the physical infrastructure to ensure that it supports the core activity of an organization.
Financial control. An economic function concerned with ensuring the efficient use of physical resources by controlling costs.
Change management. A strategic function concerned with the forward planning of physical infrastructure resources to support organizational development and reduce risk.
User interfacing. A social function concerned with ensuring that the physical infrastructure of work meets the legitimate needs of users within their organizational role.
Advocacy. A professional function that includes social responsibility for people in the workplace.
Others predict that facilities asset management divisions will be staffed by knowledge workers, who are able to assimilate business, people, processes, and property knowledge in order to develop innovative facilities solutions (Nutt and McLennan, 2000). In this model, a resource-based approach described as “four trails to the future” provides a framework for evaluating the tensions that occur at the interfaces between the trails (Figure 3.1).
A report by the Center for Construction Industry Studies (CCIS) found that the categories of knowledge and skills needed to manage work on projects from the owner’s side have changed dramatically (CCIS, 1999) (Table 3.1).
Additional competencies identified in the literature can be categorized as follows:
Strategic management and business knowledge (Lopes, 1996; Hinks, 2001; Cotts and Rondeau, 2004).
Service management (Rodgers, 2004).
Human resources and people management (McGregor, 2000).
Performance measurement (PCA, 2000).
Procurement strategies (Price and Akhlaghi, 1999).
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
FIGURE 3.1 The resource model of strategic facilities management. SOURCE: Nutt (2000).
Another paradigm for facilities asset management divisions focuses on the need to be informed by clients to be able to deliver customer satisfaction and achieve best value for the resources expended. In Total Facilities Management (Atkins and Brooks, 2005), the authors list the key attributes for facilities managers as follows:
Understanding the organization, its culture, and its customers and their needs.
Understanding and specifying service requirements and targets.
Brokering services among stakeholders.
Managing risk.
Managing contractors and monitoring their performance.
Benchmarking the performance of outsourced service(s).
Developing, with service providers, strategies for delivering service(s).
Understanding strategic planning.
Safeguarding public funds, where relevant.
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
TABLE 3.1 Knowledge and Skills Required for Facilities Asset Management Divisions
Category of Knowledge
Skill Set
Business
Writing and managing contracts
Negotiating
Managing budgets and schedules
Communication
Coordinating/liaising
Managing conflict
Cultivating broad network of relationships
Influence
Mentoring
Motivating
Managing change
Managerial
Building teams
Delegating
Gaining political awareness/seeing the big picture
Problem solving
Continuously analyzing options/innovations
Planning
Considering all sides of issues, risk management
Technical
Understanding entire construction process
Having multidisciplined knowledge of several areas of engineering
Having information technology skills
SOURCE: Adapted from CCIS (1999).
Developing in-house skills through education, training, and continuing professional development.
FACILITIES MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES IDENTIFIED BY PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
The committee also reviewed materials related to core competencies for facilities asset management published by professional associations, including the International Facility Management Association (IFMA), the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers (APPA),1 the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM),
1
This organization was formerly called the Association of Physical Plant Administrators (APPA). When the name was changed to Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers, the acronym APPA was kept. See Web site at <www.appa.org>.
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
the Association of Facility Engineers (AFE), the British Institute of Facilities Management (BIFM), the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and the Facility Management Association of Australia (FMAA). Table 3.2 summarizes the definitions of facilities management from three international organizations and their related core competencies.
TABLE 3.2 Facilities Asset Management Competencies
IFMA
BIFM
FMAA
Facility management is “a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the work environment by integrating people, place, processes and technology.”
Facility management is “the integration of multidisciplinary activities within the built environment and the management of their impact upon people and the workplace.”
Facility management is “a business practice that optimizes people, process, assets, and the work environment to support the delivery of an organization’s business objectives.”
Core competencies
Core competencies
Competency standards
Leadership and management
Human and environmental factors
Planning and project management
Operations and maintenance
Finance
Real estate
Communication
Quality assessment and innovation
Technology
Understanding business organizations
Managing people
Managing premises
Managing services
Managing the work environment
Managing resources
Use organizational understanding to manage facilities
Develop strategic facility response
Manage risk
Manage facility portfolio
Improve facility performance
Manage the delivery of services
Manage projects
Manage financial performance
Arrange and implement procurement /sourcing
Facilitate communication
Manage workplace relationships
Manage change
Focus
Focus
Focus
Multidisciplinary profession
Functionality of the work environment
Integration of resources (people, place, and technology) and processes
Multidisciplinary activities
Relationship between built environment and workplace
Relationship between people and the workplace
Driven by business objectives
Coordinating management function
Supporting business function
SOURCE: Then (2004).
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
Interviews with representatives of other professional facilities management organizations yielded similar insights into competencies. Looking at similar data, Warren and Heng (2005, p. 12) concluded that such similarities
[bode] well for the continuing growth of the [facilities management] profession globally as a single discipline and for its recognition as a valuable contributor to organization’s profitability [sic]. The skills also reveal the very broad basis of facilities management practice, emphasizing the need for practitioners to obtain specific qualifications to enhance their knowledge and ability to perform in this competitive business discipline.
REVIEW OF EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
The committee also identified colleges and universities offering degrees and professional certifications in facilities management. The research included U.S. institutions and some international universities recognized by IFMA. Not all universities identified as providing facilities management courses were evaluated and included in the results.
The committee’s research into educational programs in this country was conducted by reviewing information made available on the Web sites of facilities management programs and in academic syllabi. Where Web sites did not provide adequate course details, follow-up interviews were conducted. From this research, the committee developed a matrix summarizing competencies by institution and program.
Table 3.3 lists core competency courses currently available in facilities management educational programs. The programs include those that award B.S. and M.S. degrees and certificate programs. Check marks indicate that the educational program offers a course whose title generally reflects the listed competency or that the primary content of the course is similar to the corresponding competency. An argument can be made that the educational programs cover more competencies than are identified in the table. Some programs may in fact cover most or all of the listed competencies. For simplicity, however, the table is limited to primary course titles and objectives.
IDEAS OF FEDERAL AGENCIESS ON COMPETENCIES REQUIRED FOR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT
The committee also focused on the culture and needs of existing federal facilities asset management divisions. Briefings and interviews were held with representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Department of Defense (DoD), the General Services Administration (GSA), the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), and the
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
TABLE 3.3 Core Competencies Based on Current Facility Management Educational Programs
FM Intro/Fundamentals/Theories
General Administration
Operations & Maintenance
Planning & Design
Project Management/Const. Mgmt.
Construction Documents
Cost Estimating/Quantity Takeoffs
Contracting and Procurement
Technology - IT
Real Estate
Strategic Planning/Organization
Risk/Business Continuitya
Communication
Leadership/Ind. Effectiveness
Building Systems/Const. Materialsb
Energy Mgmt. and Utilities
Finance and Accounting
Human & Environmental Factors
Environmental Issues/IAQ
Quality, Innovation, Performance Measurement
Asset Management
Ethics/Law
Leasing
Marketing Management
Future Issues/Trends in FM
Code Compliance/Safety
Office and Furniture Design
Space Planning/Interior Design
Human Resource Management
Associations
IFMA
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
APPA
•
•
•
•
•
•
BOMI
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
RICS
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
IREM
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
B.S. degree programs
Brigham Young
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Ferris State
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cornell (also M.S. deg.)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Wentworth Institute of Tech.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
North Dakota State University
•
•
•
•
•
M.S. degree programs
Georgia Tech
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Texas A&M
•
•
•
•
•
•
Arizona State University - FMRI
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Certificate programs
George Mason
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
UC Berkeley
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
UC Irvine
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
University of Washington
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
International programs
Hong Kong Polytechnic
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
FHS Kufstein Bild. (Austria)
•
•
•
•
•
•
Hanze University (Netherlands)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
United Kingdom (Various)
Several universities offer FM specialties within the Building Surveying curriculum (Leeds, UWE, Reading, Manchester, University College, etc.)
Textbooks
APPA FM Manualc
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The FM Handbookd
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
NOTE: Bullets indicate only core competency course title and primary content. Additional competencies may be covered in each course but are not designated in the matrix. Other topics include engineering systems processes, sustainability, CADD, building safety, EH&S, benchmarking, cost estimating, property development, public FM.
aIncludes disaster recovery and emergency preparedness planning.
bMay include design, evaluation, operation and maintenance of HVAC, MEP, FL&S, security, conveying, structural, and waterproofing systems. IFMA-recognized programs.
cAPPA, Facilities Management: A Manual for Plant Administration, 2nd Ed., 1989.
dD. Cotts, The Facility Management Handbook, New York: AMACOM, 1999.
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Emerging from these discussions were three issues of critical importance:
Defining the skill sets needed to build leaders.
Developing a flexible model for facilities asset management divisions to meet differing organizational missions (one size does not fit all).
Identifying requisite business skills and general competencies.
Further discussions revolved around the future of facilities management as a profession and the skills that would be possessed by an ideal facilities asset manager. When comments amassed in the interviews were carefully considered, they seemed to suggest that a good federal facilities asset manager would have the following attributes:
A financial perspective and understanding the time value of money, facilities, and other resources.
Leadership abilities and initiative and ability to manage risk and measure performance.
Understanding of customer requirements.
Good decision-making capability and ability to plan and to focus on outcomes.
Understanding of budgeting and allocation of resources.
People and communication skills.
A technical background in, or understanding of, building systems.
Ability to translate technical issues into business requirements.
Ability to assess and value real estate.
Technological savvy.
Program and project management skills.
One of the more established and comprehensive federal government educational programs evaluated was prepared for the facilities engineering (FE) career field by the Defense Acquisition University (DAU). The DAU provides assignment-specific continuing education courses for military and civilian acquisition personnel within the DoD. Its mission is to provide federal workers with the tools and knowledge to make smart business decisions.
The DAU’s development of the FE courses involved the identification of competencies, performance outcomes, learning objectives, and assessments. The learning objectives of the intermediate level, FE 201, include these:
Program management,
Contracting,
Design and construction,
Financial laws, regulations, and procedures,
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
Real estate acquisition, management, and disposal,
Environmental requirements,
Comprehensive and project planning,
Managing sustainment,
Restoration and modernization, and
Contingency engineering processes.
The advanced course, FE 301 (not yet implemented) (Baecher et al., 2005), identifies competencies required of federal facilities asset managers, who must be able to
Contrast approaches to FE and the facilities life cycle across the military services, both in concept and in practice.
Assess strategies for real estate acquisition and disposal.
Defend a funding and resource strategy to support FE-related mission requirements.
Judge the adequacy of specific program documentation, including documentation for acquisition baseline, risk management plan, budget estimates, acquisition plan, total ownership cost for the FE life cycle, antiterrorism force protection, including commercial best practices to support the facilities life cycle.
Distinguish among common cost, schedule, and quality risks; select appropriate risk handling options and metrics.
Defend an acquisition plan that supports an FE mission requirement.
Adapt non-DoD government and industry best practices for inclusion in DoD FE.
Evaluate total ownership cost (TOC) for the FE life cycle in an acquisition strategy.
Develop effective controls to manage variations from baseline plans for cost, schedule, and quality in facilities life-cycle activities.
Evaluate responses to external interventions in facilities life-cycle activities, including those by local stakeholders, congressional delegations, the public, and others.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS
One of the critical issues identified by federal staff was defining the skill sets needed to build leaders. Building leadership skills has also been identified as a key ingredient for a successful transformation of all federal programs and practices (Figure 3.2).
Testifying before Congress in 2005, David Walker, comptroller of the United States, identified committed, persistent, consistent leadership as a transformational factor in meeting 21st century challenges. He also said that leadership
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
FIGURE 3.2 Cultural change and key practices for meeting 21st century challenges. SOURCE: Adapted from GAO (2005).
must set the direction, pace, and tone for the transformation and should provide sustained and focused attention over the long term (GAO, 2005).
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has developed a set of executive core qualifications (ECQs) that are required for entry to the Senior Executive Service. The ECQs are used by many departments and agencies in selecting personnel for management and executive positions, then managing their performance and developing their leadership. The ECQs are intended to define the competencies needed to build a federal corporate culture that motivates for results, serves customers, and builds successful teams and coalitions within and outside the organization (OPM, 2007).
The ECQs defined by OPM include these:
Leading change. The ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals, and to establish an organizational vision and implement it in a continuously changing environment.
Leading people. The ability to guide people to meet the organization's
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
vision, mission, and goals and to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters professional development, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
Results driven. The ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations and to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.
Business acumen. The ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.
Building coalitions. The ability to build coalitions internally and with other federal agencies, state and local governments, nonprofit and private sector entities, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.
To fulfill the core qualifications, executives must have a set of fundamental competencies as well as competencies in particular areas (Table 3.4)
The committee also reviewed leadership competency models developed for the U.S. Army, a military organization, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), a civilian agency. Technical Report 1148, Competency
TABLE 3.4 OPM’s Fundamental Competencies and Executive Core Qualifications
Fundamental Competency
Leading Change
Leading People
Results Driven
Business Acumen
Building Coalitions
Interpersonal skills
Creativity and innovation
Conflict management
Accountability
Financial management
Partnering
Oral communication
External awareness
Leveraging diversity
Customer service
Human capital management
Political savvy
Integrity/honesty
Flexibility
Developing others
Decisiveness
Technology management
Influencing, negotiating
Written communication
Resilience
Team building
Entrepreneurship
Continual learning
Strategic thinking
Problem solving
Public service motivation
Vision
Technical credibility
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
Based Future Leadership Requirements, describes a competency framework for leadership requirements for the future Army (Horey, 2004). The authors defined a competency as “a cluster of knowledges, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs) that underlies effective individual behavior leading to organizational success.” On page 2, Horey and his colleagues noted that “competencies, if well defined and comprehensive, should provide individuals and organizational processes with the roadmap that identifies successful performance of leadership duties and responsibilities.” They compared leadership models from the USCG, the Army (USA), the Marine Corps (USMC), the Air Force (USAF), the Navy (USN), and the OPM (EQC) and synthesized their findings as shown in Table 3.5.
The constructs that appear in three or more frameworks of the various organizations are these:
Performing/executing/accomplishing the mission,
Vision/planning/preparing,
Problem solving/decision making,
Human resources management,
Process/continuous improvement,
Motivating/leading people,
Influencing/negotiating,
Communicating,
Teamwork/team building,
Building/developing partnerships,
Interpersonal skills,
Accountability/service motivation,
Values,
Learning (including components of adaptability, flexibility, awareness),
Technical proficiency,
Driving transformation/leading change,
Strategic thinking,
Diversity management,
Mentoring/developing people, and
Physical/health/endurance.
Based on this research, Horey et al. developed a core leadership competency framework for the Army with eight core competencies, as follows (p. viii):
Leading others to success.
Exemplifying sound values and behaviors.
Vitalizing a positive climate.
Ensuring a shared understanding.
Reinforcing growth in others.
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
TABLE 3.5 Comparison of Service Framework Constructs for Leadership Competencies
USCG
USA
USMC
USAF
USN
ECQ
Performance
Executing: operations
Accomplish tasks
Driving execution
Accomplishing mission
Results driven
Influencing others
Influencing
Influencing and negotiating
Influencing and negotiating
Influencing and negotiating
Working with others
Motivating
Leading people and teams
Leading people; working with people
Leading people
Management and process improvement
Improving
Initiative
Driving continuous improvement
Continuous improvement
Effective communication
Communicating
Keep Marines informed
Fostering effective communication
Oral/written communication
Oral/written communication
Develop vision and implement
Planning; preparing
Creating/demonstrating vision
Vision
Vision
Decision making; problem solving
Conceptual; DM
Make sound decisions
Exercising sound judgment
Problem solving; decisive
Problem solving; decisive
Group dynamics
Building; developing
Train team
Fostering teamwork
Team building
Team building
Self-awareness; learning
Learning
Know self and improve
Assessing self
Continual learning
Technical proficiency
Technical
Technical proficiency
Technical credibility
Technical credibility
Aligning values
7 values LDRSHIP
7 values
Leading by example
Integrity
Integrity, honesty
NOTE: DM, diversity management; LDRSHIP, loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity, and personal courage.
SOURCE: Horey et al. (2004).
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
Arming self to lead.
Guiding successful outcomes.
Extending influence.
NASA has also developed a leadership model that defines dimensions—highest level elements—for senior leaders:
Personal effectiveness,
Competency in particular disciplines,
Managing information and knowledge,
Business acumen,
Leading and managing others, and
Working internationally.
Similar to OPM’s EQC model, the NASA model identifies a series of com-
TABLE 3.6 NASA’s Competencies for Senior Leaders
Personal Effectiveness
Discipline Competency
Managing Information and Knowledge
Business Acumen
Leading and Managing Others
Working Internationally
Cognitive skills
Understanding of discipline
Awareness and use of information technology
Organizational culture
Leading and managing change
Cross-cultural relationships
Relating to others
Safety
Knowledge management
Organizational strategy
Leading and managing organizations
International
Personal capabilities and characteristics
Maintain credibility
Internal and external awareness
Leading and managing work
Communication and advocacy
Business development
Business management
Customer, stakeholder, and partner relationships
SOURCE: NASA (2007).
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
petencies required to fulfill each trait. Competencies are defined as measurable skills, knowledge, or personal characteristics that have been demonstrated to be essential to effective leadership in NASA (Table 3.6).
SUMMARY
The committee identified several consistent themes from its research:
Facilities asset management encompasses people, places, technologies, processes, and knowledge.
Facilities asset management divisions must integrate functions and resources to align them with the mission of the organization.
The operating environment for facilities asset management is dynamic and requires the capacity to innovate.
The skills base for facilities asset management divisions should include an appropriate balance of technical, business, and behavioral capabilities and enterprise knowledge.
Leadership capabilities require wide-ranging management skills, behaviors, and values that allow an individual to make effective decisions, influence others, and lead them to success.
Of all the stakeholders involved in funding, programming, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining facilities, the facilities asset management division is the only one involved throughout all phases, serving as the dominant player throughout the operations and maintenance phase, which accounts for 90 percent of the life cycle and facility investments (Figure 3.3).
Facilities asset management divisions are responsible for a wide range of functions, all using different technologies and involving different operational units (construction, design, energy, engineering, electrical, environmental, fire, forestry, historic preservation, IT, janitorial, landscaping, maintenance, mechanical, parking, power, safety, sanitary, security, space, traffic, and others). This diversity means that such divisions must serve as “connected integrators” of diverse stakeholders, functions, and services across the life cycle of facilities.
Facilities asset management divisions must also have people with capacity for strategic thinking and planning that leads to alignment of the facilities portfolio with the organization’s missions. In a dynamic operating environment, these divisions must be able to innovate across traditional functional lines and processes to address changing requirements and to take advantage of opportunities as they arise.
REQUIRED CORE COMPETENCIES
Based on its literature review, briefings, interviews, current geopolitical and socioeconomic trends, and the experience and knowledge of its members, the
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
FIGURE 3.3 Stakeholders’ involvement in various phases of a facility’s life cycle, as estimated by the committee.
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
committee concluded that three areas of expertise are essential for federal facilities asset management divisions through 2020 and beyond, as follows:
Integrating people, processes, places, and technologies by using a life-cycle approach to facilities asset management;
Aligning the facilities portfolio with organizational missions and available resources; and
Innovating across traditional functional lines and processes to address changing requirements and opportunities.
The required skills base includes a balance of technical, business, and behavioral capabilities and enterprise knowledge. Technical capabilities such as engineering and architecture provide the foundation and expertise for life-cycle asset management and include knowledge of facilities-related systems, their operation and maintenance; acquisition and project management processes; regulations and procedures; and technologies and analytical capabilities. Business capabilities focus on strategic planning and resource management to advance an organization’s missions. Behavioral capabilities involve the leadership, communication, negotiation, and change management skills required to integrate functions, people, and processes across traditional lines and the capacity to innovate within a dynamic operating environment. Enterprise knowledge includes an understanding of the facilities portfolio and how to align it with the organization’s missions; an understanding of the organization’s culture, policy framework, and financial constraints; agency inter- and intradependencies; and the workforce’s capabilities and skills. Facilities asset managers will require technical skills, enterprise knowledge, behaviors, and other personal characteristics that allow them to work in a team-oriented environment and to support achievement of a life-cycle approach for facilities asset management. Together, the three essential areas of expertise and the skills base make up the core competencies for federal facilities asset management divisions through 2020 and beyond.
IDENTIFYING CORE COMPETENCIES FOR FACILITIES ASSET MANAGEMENT DIVISIONS
To develop its essential areas of expertise and skills base, each facilities asset management division must first identify the functions it needs to perform in support of its organization’s current and future missions. For example, the facilities asset management division within DOE may focus on operations, maintenance, cleanup, and disposal of facilities; that same division within the Office of the Architect of the Capitol may focus on space management and historic preservation issues; and the Public Buildings Service of the GSA may prioritize real estate, leasing, and contracts/acquisition/disposal. Some similarities across facilities asset management divisions will surface, but the unique aspects of each organiza-
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Core Competencies for Federal Facilities Asset Management Through 2020: Transformational Strategies
TABLE 3.7 Examples of Functions and Skills That Might Be Required to Support an Organization’s Missions
Technical
Business
Behavioral
Enterprise Knowledge
Operations and maintenance
Planning and design
Building systems
Project management
Construction
Code compliance
Cost estimating
Space planning
Environmental health and safety
Energy management
FM technology
Sustainability
Commissioning
Security
Life-cycle analyses
Strategic planning
Asset management
Finance and accounting
Contract monitoring
Procurement
Real estate
Acquisition and leasing
Business lexicon
Risk management
Contingency planning
Ethics/law
Marketing
Human resources
Professional development
Organizational planning
Leadership
Teamwork/team building
Interpersonal relationships
Mentoring/coaching
Negotiating
Critical thinking
Communication
Change management
Quality and innovation
Future issues/trending
Performance measurement
Benchmarking
Mission
Vision
Strategic direction
Values
Culture/trust
Systems
Processes
Resource allocation
NOTE: FM, facilities management.
tion will become apparent only after a careful analysis of its current and future functional requirements. Examples of the types of functions and skills that may be required are shown in Table 3.7.
Once the required functions are identified, it should be determined if the division is structured to enable effective life-cycle facilities asset management or if some reorganization is required to better support a life-cycle approach.
The next step is to look at the individuals who will collectively be responsible for facilities asset management and as a group will need the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors to fulfill the required core competencies. Facilities asset management divisions will need to ask and answer the following questions:
What skills are possessed by the facilities asset managers who currently work in the facilities asset management division? Are these skills accessible/available in sufficient quantity for effective facilities asset management? What skills are found in people who are eligible to retire within 5 years?
Is there a gap between the current skills base and the skills required for effective facilities asset management in 2020?
What steps should be taken to close the skill gaps? What skills and capabilities are best acquired through new hires? Which by contracting out?
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Which by training of current staff? Which through a recognized career path?
The steps to be taken to close skills gaps will depend on the skills at issue and will require a comprehensive workforce development strategy. For example, technical skills might best be acquired by hiring recent college graduates with degrees in facilities management, architecture, engineering, business administration, public administration, or related fields. In contrast, business skills might be strengthened by hiring experienced professionals from private companies, which value individuals with financial and risk management skills. Or, to acquire leadership skills, experienced military engineering officers who have undergone leadership training might be hired. Enterprise knowledge might be best developed by providing an in-house career path that fosters the professional development of current and new employees through a variety of strategies over time. A comprehensive strategy for workforce development is the subject of Chapter 4.
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