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President's View
Firstly I want to welcome all readers to the new Hong Kong Chapter year which started on 1st July, and to my first “President’s View” column. Having spent two years as Director of Communications chasing the past president for his copy on time, I now find myself in the reverse position – being chased! It is a different experience to write copy to a deadline and find interesting topics for you, the reader. I hope you will judge I have succeeded at the end of a year.
The start of the Chapter year means we need to re-certify the Chapter with IFMA HQ, by providing the details of the preceding year and our strategy for the coming year. We held a board meeting in early August to confirm the strategy and, in particular to define the special objectives we will seek to achieve during the year to make this year a success.
One of our initial decisions is that, to maintain continuity of direction for the Chapter, my presidency will extend for two year, subject to satisfactory performance judged at the end of the first year. This will allow me to plan for improvements over a two year period instead of a single year.
A number of areas have been identified as important to progress: -
Education
Education is identified by IFMA as one of the main benefits that IFMA can provide to its stakeholders. We are working on a plan for improvement which may include aligning our education opportunities to the nine competencies identified by IFMA, working with other institutions to coordinate an extended program of talks and events throughout the year, and making on-demand use of the new iSessions 60 and 90 minutes web-based seminars to present interesting and up-dated topics to a group of interested FMs.
Networking
Networking is a key skill of any professional to open up their thinking to outside influence and extend their range of contacts within and outside their immediate circle of colleagues and friends. It is another of the main benefits of belonging to the IFMA community and one we want to expand and extend. Our ideas include extending the range of meeting times to include the early evening and holding at least one social networking event during the year.
Sustainability
Sustainability is an idea that has long been around but with the current concerns over global warming has reached a tipping point in the minds of the general public. As the custodians of a vast range of existing buildings of varying life and effectiveness, FMs in Hong Kong have a duty to use their skill and position to make this building stock as sustainable as possible in the individual circumstances. This will require extending our skill set and knowledge to cover new areas and understanding the latest thinking in areas we think we already know. IFMA HQ has started this process by introducing the “Green Zone” to the US web site and signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Alliance for Sustainable Built Environments (ASBE) to form a strategic alliance to provide sustainability education, information and solutions to facility management professionals. These resources are a good starting point for FMs in Hong Kong, however they suffer generally from the same problem as the education initiatives – they are US-centric.
However, Hong Kong has its own resource in this area – the Business Environment Council (BEC), an independent, non-profit organization set up by business for business as an environmental solutions provider. Kevin Edmunds, the COO of BEC was a speaker at the June Integrate conference and contacts have continued with the BEC from which two initiatives have come. Firstly the Hong Kong Chapter of IFMA will be joining the BEC as an associate member. This will provide benefits to members of the Chapter and extend the reach of IFMA in Hong Kong, related to sustainability in the built environment, to a far wider audience.
Secondly, BEC provides the secretariat for the HK-BEAM Society and the Chapter has been asked to nominate a representative to the executive committee of HK-BEAM, to assist in the development of the HK-BEAM building labeling system to cover existing buildings. This appointment will greatly extend the influence of the Hong Kong Chapter of IFMA in the community in Hong Kong and I am delighted to announce that our nominated representative will be Jon Seller. Jon was president of the Chapter in 2004 / 2005 and immediate past president for the past two years. As such he has an intimate knowledge of the Chapter and its current Board and will therefore be well able to work with us. He also has a passion for sustainability and will bring this to the committee.
The BEC operates by forming working parties to investigate areas of interest, as defined by the executive committee. I am sure that the Chapter will be asked to get involved in some of these working groups and in turn we will be seeking interested members of IFMA to represent the Chapter on these working groups.
China
A number of members have asked me what the Chapter is doing to promote FM in China. Various ideas have been proposed, including opening an IFMA office in major cities in China! Clearly the Chapter’s resources are limited and, as they are the resources of the members in Hong Kong, it would be irresponsible of us to direct much of this resource outside of Hong Kong.
We have discussed the opening up of IFMA Chapters in cities in China with HQ and received a very clear directive that any new Chapters in China are the prerogative of HQ to initiate and cannot be initiated from Hong Kong. HQ have also identified that their current energy is directed towards the development of the IFMA core competencies training and until this development yields results I do not believe they will take any action to initiate IFMA Chapters in China in China.
So what can we do as a Chapter to get involved and assist our members who already work in China? Firstly we can assist in the development of FM training in the PRC. You may have seen the e-mail request to members to volunteer to help with training trainers in China to conduct the 9 core competencies training and to assist with setting examination questions. The response has been encouraging with 13 people answering the call. If you are not one of the 13 and feel you can assist with these tasks, it is not too late to submit your response to fmptraining@ifma.org.hk.
The other area where I believe we can assist our members is to seek to identify facility managers working in China and to maintain a database to allow the Chapter to put others in touch with them, if they are willing to assist in an appropriate endeavour. I see this working in a similar fashion to a dating agency, where the Chapter holds details of the China FM in confidence and informs him or her that someone is seeking to use their knowledge of either their area of expertise or of their working location in China. Once both parties accept that contact is beneficial, the Chapter will place them in direct contact and let them work together. The idea is at an early stage but we hope to issue an e-mail soon to seek interest in being included in the database.
Charity Work
In the past the Hong Kong Chapter of IFMA has provided donations to a charity. We have tried to relate the charity in some way to the built environment and the last donation made was to the charity “Mother’s Choice” to help with the refurbishment of one of their buildings.
To make the charitable effort by the Chapter more relevant we now wish to work directly with a non-governmental organization (NGO) to assist them in their work. The NGO we have chosen is Environmental Advisory Services Ltd., (EAS) part of the ReHabAid Society. Their expertise is in access audits to ensure that the services delivered by a service provider are made available to all potential customers, including those with special needs. They do this by identifying existing or potential physical, operational and attitudinal barriers to access by all persons.
Hong Kong can be a difficult place for those with special needs and facility managers have a particular role to play in identifying existing and potential barriers to easy access within their buildings. We hope to work with EAS during the year to bring information to members on the sort of barriers they need to be looking for and how to overcome them. Alternatively, you can commission EAS to come and do an audit at your building.
Chapter Infrastructure
Besides bringing new programmes and initiative to members we need to ensure that the structure of the Chapter functions effectively to achieve what we want to do.
Although the Chapter finances over the years have been good we need ensure that they remain on a sure footing whilst we try to bring more to our members. For this reason we intend to formalize the sponsorship programme under a new committee and tie their work to the likely budget development times within FM companies. We want to be able to sell the idea of sponsorship to companies when they are developing their budgets for the next year and ensure they include adequate funding to help the Chapter. To do this we will need to highlight the benefits of sponsoring IFMA.
Currently we only seek sponsorship for the annual conference and the number of sponsors is limited. We want to extend sponsorship to cover an annual programme throughout the Chapter year, to cover each of our regular monthly meetings as well as to cover the annual conference. Sponsors will be given a choice of sponsorship programmes, each with a different range of benefits. This programme will be extended to more companies in the FM field, particularly to vendors with whom we currently have little relationship.
To get this programme off the ground we are seeking volunteers to manage the work of contacting companies and promoting the packages. If you have an interest in doing this very necessary work, please contact me at hk-ifma.president@ifma.org.hk.
The programme outlined in this column will need the current board and committee members to collaborate effectively, and to achieve this we are in the process of opening up a file storage web site, providing access over the Internet to common files for all out volunteers. This will be coupled with the use of Google calendar to coordinate all meetings. We also want to complete the unfinished re-vamp of the Chapter web site to incorporate new features to accommodate some of these changes.
This is quite an extensive programme of work to achieve; hence the increase in the term of office to give more time. On top of course we have our normal programme of monthly events, newsletters, scholarship awards and of course the conferences to complete. The more volunteers we have to assist the more likely we are to achieve the programme so please put you name forward to any of the Board directors or the Chapter Administrator if you feel you have some time to assist and would like to get involved.
During the year I will be reporting back on progress in these areas, keeping you informed on how we are getting on.
Each year some FMs from Hong Kong manage to get all the way over to the US to attend World Workplace. This year I am aware of at least 4 who will be there.
I will be attending to represent the Chapter, both at the conference and at the Annual Meeting and House of Delegates meeting, which takes place on the Tuesday 23rd October.
The Annual Meeting provides a forum for the IFMA HQ to identify where the organization is going and what has been achieved. The House of Delegates allows representatives from each Chapter to put questions to the IFMA HQ management on topics of interest in the management of IFMA and to FMs in general in their work.
I want to give the members of the Hong Kong Chapter the opportunity to identify any topics they feel need to be raised at the House of Delegates meeting.
If you have such a topic please e-mail me (hk-ifma.president@ifma.org.hk) with the details. Any questions identified will be discussed at a Chapter board meeting to confirm it is the type of question that stands a chance of being answered and all questions will be coordinated so we can be consistent in what we request.
I cannot guarantee that I will be able to get an answer, nor that I can even get the question raised, but I will do my best for the Chapter.
In keeping with IFMA’s goal of ensuring that the Certified Facility Manager certification is globally recognized as the most reliable standard for distinguishing the achievements of facility management, and in order to maintain its relevance to the practices of today’s facility manager, the CFM Exam has been updated. The exam was revised following proven psychometric principles under the guidance of professional exam development consultants, experts in the design, administration, and interpretation of quantitative tests.
This major revision of the CFM Exam began in June 2005, with a review of the roles of today’s facility manager. The initial group of participating Certified Facility Managers represented various areas of facility management as well as the public and private sectors. The initial three-day meeting included a review of the test definition document, a job task analysis workshop, creation of the exam blueprint, and the identification of the appropriate length and the number of questions in the revised exam.
The next step was a five-day Item Writing Workshop held in January 2006. Another diverse group of CFM subject matter experts convened to develop the exam questions needed to meet the objectives detailed on the exam blueprint. These highly-focused objectives reflect what it takes to be competent in the facility management profession.
By following modern psychometric principles, it is no longer necessary to have a lengthy certification exam. The length of the test has been altered to reflect typical industry-wide certification exams. The revised exam consists of 180 questions and will measure the same concepts as on the current exam only in a shorter form.
Beta testing was completed in March 2007, and the revised exam is currently being assembled using those items proven psychometrically sound through statistical analysis. In layman’s terms, “psychometrically sound” means that the item was answered correctly by those who should be able to answer correctly – such as current CFMs – but was not answered correctly by those who are clearly not qualified and who should not be able to answer correctly.
First and foremost, it’s important to remember what has NOT changed:
• The competencies are still the competencies.
• The revised exam will measure the same concepts as the current exam, only in a shorter form.
Test structure
The exam consists of 180 questions delivered in random order. There are no pre-set sections. Passing score is based on the total number of correct answers. Candidates may mark questions they wish to skip and return to later. In addition, at the end of the exam candidates will be alerted to any questions which have not been answered fully. If time allows, they’ll have the opportunity to return to complete those questions.
Breaks
There will be no scheduled breaks. Fifteen minutes have been added to the 3.75-hour testing period to enable examinees to take “bio breaks” as needed. Please note that the timer will continue to run.
More clear, concise language
To avoid ambiguity and vagueness, the new questions have been written, reviewed, and edited to ensure that the language used is as precise as possible.
No more long scenarios
In the current CFM Exam, there are a number of scenarios which are followed by a series of questions using the same set of circumstances. In the revised exam, each question stands alone and contains all the information needed.
Multiple response questions
The test is still composed of multiple-choice questions. Some items, however, will ask for two correct responses to be selected and some will ask for three. These questions will clearly say “choose two” or “choose three” and you will not be allowed to choose more than the required number. At the end of the exam, examinees will be alerted and given the opportunity to return to any questions that do not have the correct number of options selected. Each question counts as one right or one wrong regardless of how many options need to be selected. In order to have a question marked correct, all correct options must be given; there is no partial score.
Example — current exam format:
What animals might you see at the zoo?
A. Lions, tigers, and unicorns
B. Lions, tigers, and pterodactyls
C. Bears, unicorns, and lions
D. Lions, tigers, and bears
Example — revised exam:
What animals might you see at the zoo? (Choose three.)
A. Lions
B. Unicorns
C. Tigers
D. Bears
E. Pterodactyls
Updated material
Following IFMA’s continuing practice since the inception of the CFM Exam, material has been updated to include current technologies and FM topics such as sustainability.
Exhibits
Overall, there are fewer exhibits and all exhibits depict a single item or symbol. There are no large drawings such as the floorplans found on the current exam. However, in some cases, examinees will still need to scroll to the limits of the exhibit window in order to be sure they have seen the entire drawing.
Calculator
There will be no calculator needed or allowed for the exam. Candidates will be provided with scratch paper and pencil.
Glossary
For the current exam, IFMA provides a glossary which can be taken into the examination area. Once the revised exam is in use, this practice will be discontinued and no glossary or other written material may be taken into the examination area
Accessible Premises and Facilities Make Good Business Sense
How successful will your business be if it is not accessible to all your customers? In today’s highly competitive environment, businesses tend to only focus their services on individuals who have high physical mobility and financial wealth. Their main target groups are young, mobile big-spenders.
Businesses often overlooked the importance of the “hidden” group of customers. The “hidden” group is described as customers who have temporary or permanent special needs. Anyone of us can be in this group at any point in time. Have you ever been in the following situation? Your hands are full of shopping bags after a fruitful trip at the shopping center and nobody is willing to hold the entrance door for you. Wouldn’t an automatic door be helpful in this situation? What about mothers with baby strollers and people with heavy luggage in need of ramps to access parts of the premises so that they don’t have to labour up the stairs?
Accessibility apparatus such as ramps and automatic doors are once thought to be only necessary for the permanently disabled. Most businesses failed to realize that these facilities are helpful to ordinary able people as well and greatly enhance customers’ experiences on the business premises. Businesses are not capitalizing on the market for the “hidden” group and capturing their potential purchasing power.
Handrails not only help the physically disabled. They can also be useful to seniors. Lots of studies have shown that our population is growing older and in general, people are living longer. In 25 years, an estimated 24% of Hong Kong’s population will be over the age of 65. Creating an inviting premise and enjoyable experience for our aging population can also lead to great market potential. Another great example would be to install luminous or contrasting nosing tiles at entrances, which will benefit people from tripping, especially seniors and those with visual impairment or low vision.
With the installation of simple assistive aids such as ramps, automatic doors and handrails, building owners, property/ facilities managers and businesses can create a safe and welcoming environment for people using their facilities whether it’s the general public or physically impaired. Premises that are fully accessible can successfully attract the “hidden” group and widen businesses’ target market, giving a competitive edge over the competition.
Another great benefit of having a fully accessible facility is to enhance corporate image. In terms of law compliance, an accessible premise would be a way to demonstrate the business’s provision of non-discriminatory services to all customers, which in turn reduces the chance of DDO complaints, also as part of the society, displaying greater social responsibility to the community.
The market potential for providing services and environments to the “hidden” group is tremendous, inclusive of the friends and family of the customers with special needs. The benefits of having fully accessible facilities are too significant to ignore. It makes perfect business sense for building owners, property managers and businesses to incorporate accessibility as part of their planning, and implement these accessibility apparatus in their premises.
There are a lot simple and cost-effective ways for building owners, property/ facilities managers and businesses to improve their premises and to start making a difference:
▫ Identify physical and operational barriers in their premises via conduct of access audits.
▫ Review practices, policies and procedures to identify any potential discriminatory element.
▫ Provide auxiliary aids and services.
▫ Overcome existing physical feature by either removing it, altering it, providing a reasonable means of avoiding it or providing the service by a reasonable alternative method.
▫ Prepare access and escape strategy/ plan for people with disabilities.
▫ Establish accessible premises guidelines and implement the guidelines in all forthcoming building renovation and improvement projects.
▫ Participate in induction programs and regular staff training programs to raise the disability awareness and the available facilities for the people with a disability.
▫ Speak to disabled customers and seek expert advice as necessary.
Barclays Bank in UK sets an outstanding example in adapting their premises and facilities in recent years. There are 1700 branches across UK. Adapting their branches with accessible facilities posed a big challenge, as some of the branches are located in listed buildings and reserved areas. With the help of accessibility experts, the bank was able to improve most of the facilities and making their services accessible to a boarder group of customers, which include people with disabilities. The improved facilities can provide services to a wide spectrum of people with different special needs.
▫ Directional signs to show the location of accessible entrance.
▫ Automatic entrance doors. ▫ Ramps for people traveling on/with wheels.
▫ Low counters for people on wheelchairs.
▫ Audible queue announcer for people with visual impairment.
▫ Visual queue display for people with hearing impairment.
▫ Induction loop for people with hearing impairment.
▫ Sign language interpreter for people with hearing impairment.
▫ Check books with large print for people with visual impairment.
▫ Bank information on available services described in simple terms for learning disabilities.
As Hong Kong strives to become a “World City” of Asia, building owners, property managers and corporations can make a difference and improve the facilities of Hong Kong so that they are accessible to all groups of the population, demonstrating hospitality to tourists and visitors, and social responsibilities to the community. At the same time, increasing target market for businesses and enhancing corporate image, as well as benefiting all groups of consumers. It is truly a win-win situation for the individual, the businesses and to society.
Kitty Au
Consultant Architect
Environmental Advisory Service
Rehabaid Society
The Funny Side of FM
TRIRIGA Announces the Funniest Facility Find
TRIRIGA Wants to Celebrate the Fun-Aspect of Managing Facilities and Real Estate
IFMA World Workplace 2007
CoreNet Global Summit
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
TRIRIGA®, the global leader in Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS) for facilities,
real estate, and operations management, announced the “Funniest Facility Find” contest. The
winning entries will receive $500.
“We know facilities and real estate managers work hard, so we wanted to add some sport to the
field,” said Michael Daffer, Chief Marketing Officer at TRIRIGA. “At TRIRIGA, we not only love to
improve our customers' experiences in facilities management, but also like to hear their unique
stories about their careers.”
Facility and real estate managers can enter the contest until October 1st, 2007 at http://www.tririga.com/IWMS/facilityfind_IFMA.jsp. The winners will be announced at IFMA World
Workplace 2007 in New Orleans and at CoreNet Global Summit in Atlanta. The winners and
winning stories will also be published on TRIRIGA’s website and IFMA’s FM Today online section
at http://www.ifma.org.
About TRIRIGA
TRIRIGA®, the global leader in integrated workplace management, provides enterprise solutions
that drive your workplace processes through advanced technology and business expertise.
TRIRIGA solutions centralize and coordinate the management of all workplace locations, assets
and services to offer a consolidated environment for decision-making and support of space
occupancy and utilization, real estate, capital projects, operations and maintenance.
Built on TRIRIGA's Momentum Platform, these solutions enable the effective management of
people, processes and data across partners as well as legacy boundaries and geographic
borders. TRIRIGA's solutions provide centralized control, improved process efficiency and a
reduction in the total cost of ownership of an organization's key assets.
One of the discussions held frequently at board meetings relates to the benefits that the local Chapter IFMA and the International headquarters provides to members. It can sometime take a little time to understand just what is available from IFMA and how useful it can be.
One benefit that I am really only just coming to understand is the training in leadership skills the organization can provide.
This clearly comes to members under the overt heading of training courses, for instance the training for CFM provides a course for each of the 9 competencies defined by IFMA, and one of these covers leadership and management competency. However once you have obtained your CFM credential, what next?
IFMA have followed the CFM with the Leadership Institute. This is envisioned as the capstone to a career of professional development. The Institute's focus is on experienced professionals who want to increase their leadership capability, are interested in maximizing career development strategies, are in need of a network of senior facility professionals that will act as a business resource, and are willing to give back to the profession as a mentor to others.
Of course the drawback for FMs in Hong Kong is that you will need to travel to the USA to take part. One can anticipate that the course will become available in Asia in the future, just as FMP courses are now starting in China, to be followed one hopes by CFM courses. However it will be well past my retirement when this comes to pass.
So what is available to FMs in Hong Kong who want to practice and hone their leadership skills and equip themselves for a step up the career ladder? You could do a lot worse than getting involved in the local Chapter and becoming a leader within the Chapter.
You may ask – how does this benefit me? My answer is it benefits you, as a person, in many ways.
Firstly you are involved with a fellow group of professionals with FM skills who have probably been involved in the Chapter for longer and can help you find your feet, build your confidence and develop your contribution.
As a Leader within the Chapter you will have responsibility for both setting and achieving your own objectives, using resources available within the committees and recruiting new resources to assist you. You will need to manage those resources effectively, all the more so as they bear no allegiance to you as a leader in the way your down line colleagues at work do.
Each year IFMA HQ runs the Leaders Conference, which provides strategies, networking and leadership development for IFMA volunteer officers. Most years the Chapter will send one of the up and coming leaders on this 3 day conference to pick up the skills of leadership for the Chapter. Held in the USA 3 times during the year, the conference is a major opportunity to network with like-minded professional across the globe and develop your own leadership skills.
OK you may say – there are benefits, but what is the difference to the normal job I do? I get the opportunity to develop my leadership skills there. The difference is subtle and probably only noticeable when you take up the challenge.
Firstly the turnover of volunteers is quite high within the Chapter, so the opportunity to progress will probably come that much faster than in your normal job, unless you have a staff retention problem! The main difference though is that you are on your own. There is no one “up there” to set the objectives for you.
I have been in a position of senior management and leadership within different companies for a number of years and consider that I am as free to take the business decisions I feel are right as any one. Yet I still feel constrained to make the person I report to aware of what I am doing and report the problems that arise. As president of the local IFMA Chapter that constraint has gone and I truly feel that the decisions are mine. This is about the closest I can get to being my own boss without actually taking the risk of starting a business. That is a rich leadership experience that I will treasure for the period of my presidency, and afterwards.
Please don’t misunderstand me. This is not megalomania speaking. I recognize the constraints placed on me by budgets and the responsibility I have for the other leaders, committee members and the overall membership. But these after all are the responsibilities of leadership and all part and parcel of the experience.
Also, it is not as lonely as it sounds as I have the advice of a number of past presidents, the contact with other Chapters around the world and contact with the HQ organization to seek advice.
So if you have aspirations to become a leader of people, why not volunteer your time to the IFMA Chapter. Use the experience to your benefit and take it as far as you want to go.
We have all been on the receiving end of an “office loudmouth” - someone who cannot speak in normal tones into a telephone but has to raise their voice to a level the whole office can hear. It seems as if they think that the louder they speak the further the signal will go down the telephone wire or through the mobile ether!
I am indebted to the FMLink magazine for reporting on a UK company that specializes in electronic sound masking systems. Cambridge Sound Management manufactures systems to generate a background noise within an office space. This masks much of the general noise that is endemic within open-plan office spaces, and that can distract staff and reduce productivity. However even their systems are unable to cope with the above phenomenon and they have published an acoustic etiquette. They say that “the following recommendations will go a long way toward enhancing acoustical privacy and ensuring fewer disruptions in open office environments:
1. Never use a speakerphone. Not only is speakerphone sound an annoyance in itself, but people usually speak louder when using a speakerphone, causing further annoyance to their neighbors. The office noise transmitted to the external p rty by a speakerphone is also an annoyance to them, and may even degrade their ability to hear the conversation. Pick up the telephone handset or use a headset.
2. Develop a softer telephone voice. Many telephones have an adjustment called "sidetone" which can help with this. Sidetone is the amount of the telephone user's own voice that he hears in his receiver. If it is set too low, the user usually speaks louder than necessary, annoying his neighbor. Many telephone vendors do not take the time to adjust the sidetone properly during installation, and they may have to be called to make the adjustment. There are also "stoplight" type monitor devices available that remind the user to keep his or her voice down.
3. Adjust telephone ring loudness. If your phone has an adjustable ring loudness setting, make sure it is only as loud as necessary.
4. Set cell phones and pagers to minimum ring volume, or better still, vibrate mode. If vibrate mode is not feasible, make sure the ringtone setting is subtle and that the phone is as close to the user's work position as feasible so that it is audible at a low volume setting. Do not leave the cell phone when going to lunch – take it with you so that ringtones don't annoy neighbors when there is no one to pick up the phone.
5. Take cell phones to a break room or other private space if a call is likely to be protracted. Also consider letting voicemail take a message and return the call from a landline. One of the worst breaches of office etiquette is those people who make long, loud personal calls at their cubicle desks instead of stepping outside (or into a more private area).
6. Listen to any music over headphones, not loudspeakers. Music listening in the office is increasingly acceptable, but remember that one person's music is another's noise. If it is frequently necessary to hear colleagues entering your office while listening to music, use "open air" type headphones, or even a single ear bud, rather than one in each ear. Don't hum or sing along to the music.
7. Use Instant Messaging. IM is also becoming commonplace in the office. Do you really need to go and have a verbal conversation with a colleague or would a brief IM do just as well, or maybe even better?
8. Don't make unnecessary noise in the office. Gum-cracking, coffee-slurping, ice chomping, pen-tapping and, most offensive of all, full-bellied belching potentially annoys all your neighbors. A cubicle is a public area, and those working inside should act as they would in any other public area.”
So there you have it – how to maintain an enlightened undisturbed office environment in your buildings. I am sure that practicing these simple rules will reduce the opportunity for discord in the office – they may also work for the MTR on the way home!
The people covered by this section of the newsletter will vary, from senior and well-known members of the industry to graduates just starting in the industry. The intention is to provide information on a cross-section of the industry covering how they first became involved in the industry, what they do, how they relax etc. The interviews are conducted and reported by Santa Raymond for the Hong Kong Chapter of IFMA.
This month we interview David Forshaw FRICS about his role as Facilities Manager for the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.
Q.
How do you describe the job you do?
A.
My job is to manage the facilities of the 22 hectare waterfront Science Park including the preparation of tenders for leases and capital and improvement works and overseeing our out-source facilities manager, Jones Lang LaSalle(JLL).
The completed Phase 1 offers over a million square feet of high-tech offices and laboratories together with shops, a convenience store, medical clinic, restaurants, a coffee shop, a gymnasium and service apartments. There will be a further million square feet in Phase 2 to be completed during 2007-2008 and Phase 3 is now being planned.
I source potential tenants for the retail, food and beverage outlets, prepare tender documents, award tenders, instruct lawyers and advise on the design briefs and fit out works (on the grand opening days, I even arrange for flowers to be provided). I continuously monitor the services provided, and organise regular hygiene audits of the Food Court.
The three year facilities contract with JLL is awarded through tender, and I work closely with them on the security, cleaning, landscaping, lease administration and rent collection and maintenance and operation of the Park.
Q.
What is your background?
A.
I am a Liverpudlian, and I studied surveying at the former Liverpool College of Building which is now part of the John Moore’s University (and proudly represented the College at rugby playing alongside English International, Mike Beese).
After graduating I worked in Merseyside in both the public and private sectors in property valuation, acquisition and management. One of my jobs was to manage Exchange Flags where the Battle of the Atlantic was planned in World War 2.
In 1981, I came to Hong Kong, and for the first five years was an Estates Surveyor for the Hong Kong Government working mainly on the development of Tsing Yi Island.
Since then, I have held a number of senior positions carrying out complex valuations and negotiations and often attending court as expert witness. As Property Manager for Cathay Pacific I was responsible for negotiating with the Airport Authority for the four hectare Cathay City site at the Hong Kong International Airport.
In addition to being a Chartered Surveyor, I am a Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and in 1999 I became a member of IFMA. I thoroughly enjoy the IFMA activities, especially the superb Integrate 2007 Conference.
Q.
Why did you apply for your current job?
A.
I have always been interested in Science Parks, and in 2002 I visited the Aston Science Park managed by my old friend and former colleague. So, when there was an opportunity soon afterwards at the Hong Kong Science Park, I applied for the position.
It has been fascinating to be involved near the beginning of the project, and see the Science Park rise from the reclaimed seabed.
Q.
What are your current key projects?
A.
Currently, I am taking over the management of Phase 2 comprising eleven buildings including an auditorium and amphitheatre, laboratories, roads, a man-made lake, food courts and a leisure centre with swimming pool.
Pre-handover and handover site meetings and follow up on the defects lists are all a part of this. I have just taken over two energy towers where cooling towers, chillers and heating plants are all centralised, instead of being located in separate buildings. This has saved on project costs, will save on operation and maintenance, and also ensures that no vibration is caused to the hi-tech laboratories.
Transport is another key project. I am continually looking at improving the Park’s facilities. We have adequate car parking, and we encourage cyclists by providing showers. We have good public transport, and a contract recently granted to a bus company to run a non-franchised service for our tenants will enhance links to the Park. I am presently in discussions with the Transport Department for the grant of the licence. The new buses will meet the Euro IV emission standards.
I am extremely conscious of the environment and am investigating various measures to reduce our carbon footprint in the existing buildings, and the improvements we can make in the new ones.
Q.
What do you see as the future for FM?
A.
The FM profession is growing rapidly and there are tremendous opportunities as property owners realise the value of their assets being effectively managed. The Facilities Manager has intimate knowledge of managing properties and knows what works, and what doesn’t, as well as understanding the needs of the occupants.
FMs should be in at the beginning of a project, and work together with the design team to ensure the building is functional, as well as architecturally pleasing. Project, and resultant maintenance costs, would be reduced as well as there being energy savings.
Q.
What do you do to relax?
A.
I am a member of the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce and the Hong Kong Cricket Club - which has fantastic facilities. I enjoy the gym and swimming pool and - in winter - I love hiking in the Country Parks.
I am involved in community service, and have assisted families of Downs Syndrome children raise funds and find premises for a day care centre. I helped them set up their own company called ‘IDEAL’ (Intellectually Disabled Education and Advocacy League) so they can run as a registered charity. Last year, I received an award from the Government to show appreciation for my services.
Q.
If you didn't work with facilities what would you like to do?
A.
I am outgoing, and enjoy meeting and being involved with people, so would like to work in a job which takes me out and about, and where I can put something back into the community.
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