Impact on Organisation and Workplace

About this award - entries CLOSED

The Impact on Organisation and Workplace award celebrates working environments that in addition to being functional and desirable also make a positive contribution towards job satisfaction and people’s productivity.

Submitting your entry

Submissions can be made at any point in the evolutionary cycle of FM activity. Entrants should clearly explain the FM strategies adopted on a range of key issues, including:

• Measuring individual and organisational needs while allowing for future change.
• Reflecting management style in the creation of appropriate on-floor layouts.
• Recognising social needs by removing barriers to communication.
• Encouraging interaction through the formation of effective working groups.
• Improving the efficiency and comfort of workplace tools.
• Influencing people’s attitude towards work by improving the environment in which they spend so much time.
• Reflecting organisational aspirations in the overall style and ‘feel’ of the space provided.

Entrants should also describe any other areas where the processes of facilities management have made a positive impact on the organisation and workplace.

Judging criteria

Entrants must present their completed submission via email in the order that addresses the following judging criteria.

1. Determinants of change including rationale, stakeholder involvement, organisational objectives, and FM input.
2. Project organisation and brief, including assessment of needs, location strategy, project team organisation, and communication strategy.
3. Quality, flexibility and cost, including the assessment of options, in-built flexibility, cost-effectiveness, quality of end result, and maintenance considerations.
4. Space planning, including group layouts, interaction between groups, meetings at the workplace, configuration of work positions, and the use of space standards.
5. Safety and comfort, including conformity with health and safety regulations, control at the workplace, quality of working environment, staff’s sense of well-being and recognition of their ergonomic needs.
6. Design, including overall ambience as well as success in creating conditions for achievement and individual expression.
7. Shared facilities, including on-floor service areas, personal storage, formal and informal meetings, central/localised catering and after hours provisions.
8. Project success, including contribution to people’s self-esteem and creativity, support for the application of skill and responsibility, contribution to job satisfaction and increased productivity.

Additional information

Facilities managers are in a prime position both to recognise the needs of people in organisations and to ensure working environments are made fully responsive to these needs. The task is continuous; sometimes it spearheads radical change i.e. when organisations occupy a new building or undertake a major re-fit of existing premises. Always it is part of an evolutionary process in which FMs strive constantly to meet changing needs and expectations.

Previous winners

2011: Telefónica UK, supported by ISS; see winning case study here
2010: Sandwell Primary Care Trust and Plan B Solutions
2009: Department for Children, Schools and Families with EC Harris

From the lead judge: Keith Shields, MBIFM, Lend Lease

“I am looking for a proposal that has key deliverables around the areas of people, use of space, service, productivity and very importantly to see clear leadership from the facilities/estates teams and to see the full and expected impact of this strategy in operation. I welcome entries from across the whole range of facilities operations, both public and private sectors, in-house teams and service providers.”