WIFI Academy for Facility Management (WIFI FMA)

Project implementation period: 01.09.2014 – 31.08.2017

The project is funded by ERASMUS+ Programme

Key Action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Action: Strategic Partnerships

Field: Strategic Partnerships addressing more than one field

Mostly represented field: Vocational Education and Training

The project aims at developing and piloting an innovative, multilingual platform for online distance training in FM - WIFI Facility Management Academy (WIFI-FMA). It will present comprehensive online training materials in English, Bulgarian, German, Hungarian and Serbian languages applying trainee-friendly learning methods.

The project will use as a foundation the good Austrian practice for training in Facility Management, which will be adapted for online distance training and upgraded with two additional FM disciplines (courses) for the needs of the innovative multilingual online training platform WIFI-FMA. It will allow the FM professionals, who are not able to recede from work for long time to maintain and increase their professional qualification. It will also allow people with disadvantages, to get easily included in lifelong learning programme that doesn’t insist on daily attendance.

The project is implemented in a partnership between: WIFI Bulgaria Ltd. (Leading partner); WIFI Austria, WIFI Hungary, Kala consulting Serbia, The Bulgarian Facility Management Association (BGFMA), Public Policies Watchdog Forum (Monitoring partner).

The project envisages the following project activities:

1. Project Management - The activity is carried out by a team consisting of Project Manager, Accountant and Project Coordinators. Each partner participates in the Project management team with a coordinator responsible for the communication with the partners, sharing of tasks and tracking their implementation, giving feedback on internal monitoring, providing reporting information to Project Manager.

2. Adapting the innovative practice from Classroom FM training to Distance, online and/or self-education FM training. Within this activity, based on the Austrian good practice the Austrian and Bulgarian experts will adapt the training materials from classroom training to distance, online and/or self-education FM training and will develop appropriate training methodology. The experts will develop scripts, case studies, exercises, tests, presentations in PDF and/or PPT format and other relevant training materials and handouts for each course. The Austrian programme (7 courses) will be upgraded with 2 new courses covering European Standards for FM (Best practices) and Performance management and key performance indicators.

Methodology for different types of trainings will be developed as well – for self-education (without certifying), taking single course (including certificate), passing of all courses one-by-one, according to the individual abilities and wishes (certificate after each course, and final program certification), taking all FM program at once (final program certification).

Within this activity all project materials, which will be originally created on the project official language – English, will be translated in the other 4 languages – Bulgarian, German, Hungarian and Serbian. It is envisaged that the activity will cover about 8000 pages (2000 pages translated in 4 languages).

3. Development of Internet based innovative, multilingual platform for online and distance training and self-education in Facility Management - WIFI-FMA. This activity will be implemented by professional software company which will be selected after tender procedures according to the EU and local public procurement regulations. The platform will be originally developed with interface in English and Bulgarian language, with opportunities for further development and future changes and upgrade after the project end. In the second project year it will be translated in German, Hungarian and Serbian language.

4. Train the trainer. Within this activity, 12 tutors (4 Bulgarian, 4 Serbian, 4 Hungarian) will be trained by the Austrian experts. 4 Bulgarian tutors, who will work with the trainees during the pilot trainings, will be trained after the end of Activity 2. The tutors will be trained in FM methodology and instruments. They will be made well-grounded in the FM program and the content of each course - Program, Scripts, Case Studies, Exercises, Tests, Presentations in PDF and/or PPT, etc. handouts and training materials developed within Activity 2. After the platform and training materials get translated in Serbian and Hungarian, 4 tutors from each country will be trained in order to ensure sustainability and to allow platform’s use after the end of the project in those countries.

5. Test period and practical implementation of WIFI-FMA. Within this activity the platform will be used and tuned in real time. Pilot trainings with representatives of the target group will be organised. The activity will cover at least 400 trainees – representatives of the target groups - in self-education, single course, courses one-by-one, WIFI-FMA Program at once. The training will have 2 attendance days per group for those enrolling for the entire program during which the tutors will get known with the trainees, will assess their abilities and preparation and will teach the first course – Fundamentals of Facility Management.

6. Transnational project meetings. The meetings will cover all project countries – one in each country as follows: kick off meeting - Austria; second meeting for discussion of platform draft version and developed methodology and training materials - Bulgaria; third meeting after platform start, first tuning and clarifications related to the translation in the other 3 languages - Serbia; meeting for clarification and improvement of platform and trainings (if needed), discussion of the feedback received by the pilot trainings, plans for further development and future common projects – Hungary.

7. Publicity and dissemination. 4 multiplier events will be organised – 3 dissemination workshops: 1 per country - Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, and 1 final international conference that will be held in Bulgaria for presentation and dissemination of the final project results.

The expected main results after the project completion are:

- Developed and successfully launched and tested innovative multilingual platform for online and distance training and self-education in Facility Management - WIFI Facility Management Academy (WIFI-FMA);

- Developed training materials - scripts, case studies, exercises, presentations in PDF and/or PPT and other relevant training materials and handouts - in 5 languages - 4 EU languages and Serbian – for the following courses:

1. Facility Management Fundamentals. CEN FM Standards 15221 1-7;
2. The Facility Manager as a Manager. Management skills - Rhetorical fundamentals; Methods of meeting preparation and execution; Visualization techniques; Targeted display and presentation of complex topics;
3. Facility Management Services. Service Management - Procurement of services; Legal principles; Quality Assurance; In-house operation versus outsourcing for Janitorial, Hospitality, Disposal, Courier and messenger services; Grounds maintenance; Cleaning; Laundry & Hygiene Services; Textile Care; Special Cleaning; Catering services; Logistics and high-priority operation and maintenance; Security;
4. Project, Quality and Environmental management - A) Project Management: When is a project a project? - Contents of the PM - Project organization - Project Charter - Project operations - Project completion.  Quality Management: Basics of ISO, CEN and other standards - TQM - Quality Assurance - Customer satisfaction - Audits - Service Level Agreements. B) Risk Management: Risk Analysis. C) Safety management/Legal foundations: EU Basics; Guidelines; National implementation; Building Code; Normative standards and compliance; Responsibilities; Guarantee Management. D) Environmental protection, Waste management: Practical implementations; Disposal concept; Waste management concept; Construction and demolition waste;
5. Energy Management. New Construction, Reconstruction, Rehabilitation - Energy Management concepts and techniques. Basics facility planning, external planning factors for conversions, refurbishment and new buildings: Workplace standards - Planning areas: coordination of planners, procurement and suppliers - quality testing and factors of final acceptance;
6. Applied Economics, Budgeting and Finance for FM. Tenancy - A) Goals and goal conflicts; Consideration of FM in the project phases; FM as an applied economics: balance sheet, profit and loss accounting, cost and management accounting, cost management, cash flow, financial planning, budgeting; FM Budget; Life cycle costs; Building costs, Automated processes in FM - controlling: Cost Benefit analysis, Cost Effectiveness analysis, cost control in FM, continuous improvement process B)  Tenant and Contract Management;
7. Computer Aided Facility Management. FM Software Tools and Application - A) Computer Aided FM; Development of a company-owned CAIFM system: process design, data structure, the procedures for the procurement of a CAIFM system; Presentation of different systems and FM software. B) Practical software tools and applications;
8. FM Strategies and Best Practices - Facility Strategies; Primary processes; The organizational structures; Public procurement policy, outsourcing strategies; Risk Management; Acquisition of information; Law and standardization; Alternative workplace strategies; Benchmarking; Outsourcing; Contracting; Performance Management; KPI; Trends and best practices in FM;
9. Project Assignment - Repeats and deepens the content of the previous modules based on practical examples. In the form of project work trainees in team implement holistic solutions, with the involvement of as many FM aspects as reasonable.

- Successfully tested training platform within 2 years test period with 400 participants in the test in all forms – participation in one course, participation in the entire programme, self-education;

- Successfully introduced EU standards for FM which will prepare the business and training environment in EU for the requirements that the future EU Directives will introduce while translating the European standards in FM – CEN 15221 1-7 into the EU and country legislation;

- Successful project partnership among the 6 partners from 4 countries - balanced involvement of all partners according to their expertise and well organized and developed project on all stages of its implementation.

- Successfully launched online forum, which will allow exchange of ideas, knowledge, experience and information among stakeholders and interested parties by all sectors. Since the FM covers different competences and skills from diverse professions and sectors, the online forum will also support the cross-sectoral exchange and relations.

Project budget: 331 855 EUR

The sole responsibility for the content of this document lies with the authors. It does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the European Union. Neither the EU nor the Human Resource Development Centre of Bulgaria are responsible for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.