The International Facility Management Association Ghana Chapter (IFMA-GH) has implored both public and private institutions to ensure that they have askilled manpower and an understanding of the value of facility management in their organisations.
Facility management is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology.
Mr Sampson Opare-Agyeman, President, IFMA-GH, speaking at the launch of this year’s International Facility Management (FM) Day in Accra yesterday said ensuring proper facility management would safeguard the health, productivity and well-being of people who utilise the built environment.
To be marked on May 11, the country’s chapter would be celebrating the World FM Day under the theme; “The Health and Wellbeing in a post-COVID-19 hybrid working environment in Ghana” which stemmed from the global theme;“Leading a Sustainable Future.”
Mr Opare-Agyeman indicated that the challenge today in our built environment was not just bad maintenance culture but the “lack of skilled manpower and the lack of understanding of the value of FM by governments, business owners and financial institutions.”
He said the role of government in achieving a sustainable built environment could not be over emphasised for which reason it was imperative for the government to establish appropriate legislations and ensure its compliance, ensure the design of public buildings through the use of environmentally compliant materials and enforce professionalism.
“Establishing a government FM department or agency for infrastructure management and regulation is critical,” he added.
He said there was the pressing need for Public Private Partnership (PPP) as that could guarantee long term maintenance and sustainability of the built environment, adding that “outsourcing facility management, to professional organisations is the best practice.”
Mr Opare-Agyeman said activities to commemorate the celebration included a facility tour at the Bulk Oil and Storage Transportation (BOST) and a round table discussion.
He said speakers would be speaking on topics including; “The strategic role of facility management in sustaining the built environment” and the “Health and Wellbeing in a post-COVID-19 hybrid working environment.”
The IFMA-GH is a group of facility management professionals in Ghana, and part of the largest group of facility management professionals in the world today called The International FacilityManagement Association.
Founded in 1980, IMA is the most widely recognised international association for facility management professionals, supporting 24,000 members in 104 countries.
IMA offers professional advancement through credentialing programmes and provides a range of educational courses, from entry-level programmes to those for highly experienced facility managers.
The Ghana Chapter represents IFMA in Ghana. In August 2009, the board of directors of IFMA, USA, approved the chapter and this gave it international recognition.
Currently,the chapter has over 250 members across the nation: working at various institutions, influencing change and changing the norm of the absence of facility managers in our institutions.
BY ABIGAIL ARTHUR
