NEWS
RIcS launches free strategic fm advice campaign
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n 28 november 2013 rics launched its ‘think strategic’ campaign, which will provide free news and advice from industry experts directly to Facilities management
(Fm) practitioners. the campaign is designed to encourage Fm professionals to think and act more strategically by giving them the tools they need to develop an Fm plan that will directly feed into the wider corporate objectives of their organisations and clients. as a result, Fm leaders will be able to demonstrate the value of the profession to business and thus gain a competitive advantage. the launch of the ‘think strategic’ campaign is in direct response to the recommendations contained within rics’ ‘raising the bar’ report, published last year. it will run as a series of monthly articles offering practical advice from leading industry professionals. the articles, which will be freely downloadable from rics’ website, will address topical issues including: the risks of cost cutting • creating competitive advantage through strategic Fm • Performance benchmarking • talking the language of the boardroom Johnny Dunford, rics Global commercial Property Director, comments: “We understand the need for Fm to raise awareness of its value to the wider business community and we have therefore launched this free advice campaign to provide additional support to the value-added side of the Fm industry.” the first article ‘Why cutting Fm costs can have a business wide
impact’ is available to view here:
www.rics.org/costcuttingFM. the series of ‘think strategic’ articles and other Fm resources from rics is also available at
www.rics.org/fmhub.
new guidelines on green roof systems
the publication can be ordered through the cibse Knowledge Portal
www.cibseknowledgeportal.co.uk.
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Green roof systems, living vegetation installed on roofs, have been recognised as having the ability to perform a vital role in helping cities adapt to the effects of climate change by reducing the need for artificial cooling in hot weather and attenuating or capturing rainwater runoff, as well as providing a range of habitats for urban wildlife. However, the market for green roofs is still developing, and more information and understanding on their technical design, effectiveness and actual benefits are needed. these new comprehensive guidelines cover: scope, definitions, planning requirements, design considerations, construction methods, maintenance issues and project management for green roof systems. these guidelines will be of interest to building services engineers, architects, urban planners and designers considering implementing green roof systems options on new build or refurbishment projects. in the uK, green roof systems have been installed on homes, schools and office buildings. many of the scenarios described in the guidelines are based on experiences in both Hong Kong and china, and demonstrate how green roof systems have become embraced internationally as a new option for building services engineers to consider, particularly in city environments.
he new ‘Guidelines for the design and application of green roof systems’ by Dr sam c m Hui has been published by the chartered institution of building services engineers (cibse).
• news • news • news • news • news • news • news •
those interviewed as part of the research thought this gave Fm providers an unrivalled opportunity to demonstrate their increased value to organisations. to download the full
research paper and join in the debate online, visit www.mitie. com/themitiedebates
PENDLE COUNCIL PICKS UP PLAIN ENGLISH AWARD FOR RECYCLING MATERIALS Pendle council’s recycling materials have been recognised for being clear and well written in the annual Plain english awards. Judges for the Plain
english campaign praised the council’s annual refuse and recycling calendar leaflet and a special recycling edition of the council newspaper Pendle news. Plain english campaign
founder and director chrissie maher said: “although recycling is not the most exciting of subjects, staff at Pendle council have produced material that is well written and attractive. “if residents need encouragement to read anything about recycling, this is the sort of material that will get their attention.” Pendle council is the only local authority to receive a Plain english award this year. councillor John David, who represents recycling in Pendle, said: “these documents go out to all households in Pendle and have a very important message: to encourage people to recycle as much as they can using the right recycling container. “it’s vital that they are clear and easy to follow for all local residents, and our staff are committed to getting this right.
”it is very easy to talk in cliches and to use jargon. it is also very lazy and i am delighted that our staff take the extra trouble to write sensibly.” the annual refuse and recycling calendar leaflet is distributed to all homes in Pendle. this year’s leaflet has even more images to show clearly what can go into each recycling container. it’s been designed taking into account feedback from residents who gave their views through a Waste & recycling Focus Group. staff who work on the frontline, collecting Pendle’s refuse and recycling, give their input into how the leaflet can be improved each year too. Waste & recycling co- ordinator carole taylor said: “every year we aim to improve our leaflet to make the leaflet meaningful to all
residents and something that they will keep to refer to throughout the year. “this year, to encourage residents to read the leaflet we have used a competition which tackles one of our biggest problems of contamination in recycling loads. “this was another
suggestion that came out of our residents’ focus group – it’s great to be able to use their feedback to keep on improving our recycling communications.” this is the second time
Pendle council has been recognised for its commitment to communicating clearly using Plain english – the authority won a Plain english award in 2011 for a range of its communication materials.
www.pendle.gov.uk
Public sector sustainability • Volume 4 issue 1
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