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Facilities Management Institute


The Facilities Management Institute (FMI) exists to help facilities management professionals thrive in a rapidly changing environment. FMI provides easily accessible online tools and resources explicitly designed to advance your skills, knowledge and professional development.

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What is FBPTA?Learn the Basics & Map Training

Plan your career in industry or prepare for a government role. Show that your firm’s employees are qualified to work on federal facilities. Discover how to become an FBPTA aligned training provider.

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Test Your Knowledge Basic FBPTA Compliance

Start by identifying your basic knowledge gaps with our free, online assessment. We’ll direct you to free resources you can use to fill them.

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Demonstrate Competence Advanced Career Planning

See how your current training and credentials prepare you for your current job or your next job. Make a training plan to advance your career.

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View TRAINING RESOURCESTraining Videos

Watch short, on-demand videos to learn more about sustainable procurement, technologies, and other resources.

About FMI

FMI brings together government, industry and academia with the goal of integrating, aligning and innovating all aspects of the Facilities Operations and Management profession through continuous collaboration on core competencies, curriculum, and continuing education.

Legislative Intent

Taxpayer investment in Federal facilities must be protected and leveraged through the cost savings involved in maximizing building performance. Achieving this level of performance requires a government wide program that stresses training and continuing education in the implementation of industry best practices and life cycle operations and management.
- Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Report (paraphrased)

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Facility control systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks and it is important for facilities personnel to increase their cybersecurity knowledge. The FBPTA competency model includes several cybersecurity competencies specific to facilities personnel. This is a great foundation for understanding what facilities personnel need to know about cybersecurity. In addition, learn more about how facility professionals can protect facilities from cyber attacks in this document and the video below.

The following video of a presentation conducted during the NIST National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education National cybersecurity career awareness week provides an overview of cybersecurity issues for facilities personnel. Two experts in the area of cybersecurity, Daryl Haegley, the Director of Mission Assurance & Cyber Deterrence with DOD and Wanda Lenkewich, CEO of Chinook Systems Inc. share their thoughts and experience on cybersecurity risks and the role facilities personnel play in cybersecurity management.

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Program Points of Contact

AskFMI@gsa.gov

All feedback on FMI documents and notices that are open for comment should be sent via email to AskFMI@gsa.gov. Comments through other avenues will not be accepted.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is required to comply with the Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act; are there specific occupational series?

All personnel directly involved in building operations and maintenance or energy management at the building level are impacted by the Act. Given the different approaches that each Federal agency takes to these functions it is not possible to list the functions by occupational series, however, in general this will apply to personnel performing facility management, building or installed-equipment operations, energy management, and safety and design functions related to facility or energy management. Personnel in these categories are frequently, though not always, in the GS-8XX, 11XX, and 16XX series, or, wage grade positions involved in building or installed equipment operations. Consult your supervisor, or, send questions regarding your specific situation to AskFMI@gsa.gov.

The Law

The Federal Buildings Personnel Training Act (FBPTA) of 2010 requires all federal personnel providing building operations and maintenance services to demonstrate competencies necessary to effectively operate government facilities.

  • When: FBPTA became law in 2010
  • Why: U.S. Federal Government is the largest property owner in the world and increased operational effectiveness can save up to $2 Billion annually.
  • How: FBPTA requires individuals managing federal properties to have necessary “core competencies” to effectively operate government facilities.
  • What: Facilities Management Institute (FMI) was developed to identify those required skills and create a roadmap for necessary training required to meet the needs of the affected professionals.

The Program

The FBPTA program can help you develop or enhance your workforce development program by giving a complete model of what competencies are needed for those who run buildings.  Even if you are not part of the federal workforce, the FBPTA program can be a great resource.

Start with FEDSAT. Completing it is a great way to see if you have the basic knowledge required by the FBPTA. As you take this open-book test you will see where you need additional training and find links to free, online resources to help. At the end you can print a certificate of completion that demonstrates basic compliance with this Act. How can you and your organization move beyond basic and set yourselves apart? Accelerate FMopens in new window takes you to advanced compliance.

Training Providers

FMI does not develop training but rather connects federal agencies and their employees with relevant resources. Learn how to align your training to the FBPTA Competency Model here.

Resources and Documents

Training Videos

Want to learn more about SFTool sustainable procurement and plenty of other strategies and resources to create healthier buildings? Use the video resources provided on this page to get an introduction to these topics, brought to you by GSA and the Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP).

For a larger video, click the YouTube icon in the player.

FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Take Five: What is Energy Efficiency?

This training offers a concise explanation on the concept of energy efficiency. We break down the ideas, explain key metrics in easy-to-understand terms, and describe how to apply them to acquisitions. Download the one-page training summary hereopens in new window, and view the full transcript by visiting the FEMP site hereopens in new window.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

SFTool Building Decarbonization

Learn how to use SFTool to address building decarbonization through both embodied carbon and operational carbon. Follow along using SFTool's Building Decarbonization page.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

SFTool Sustainable Procurement, IEQ, Cost-Effective Upgrades, and More

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Take Five: Procuring Custodial Services Training

Learn how to use SFTool to build sustainability into your custodial services procurements. This video addresses why custodial services are a priority, relevant federal procurement requirements, and the steps to acquire these services. Follow along using SFTool's Custodial Services page.

FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Take Five: Energy Efficiency Requirements for Acquisition

This training focuses on energy efficiency requirements for federal acquisitions. We'll show you how to find the energy efficient purchasing requirements for a specific product or service and introduce you to the Paths to Energy Efficiency Requirements (PEER) Toolopens in new window. Download the one-page training summary hereopens in new window, and view the full transcript by visiting the FEMP site hereopens in new window.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

SFTool and Sustainable Purchasing

Learn more about SFTool and sustainable purchasing using GSA's Multiple Award Schedule program. The SFTool introduction starts at the time stamp 39:42non government site opens in new window.

FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Take Five: Buying Energy-Efficient Lighting

This training focuses on energy-efficient lighting for federal, commercial, and industrial applications. We cover what's mandatory for federal facilities and what else you need to know about LED lighting to select and buy the product that best meets your facility's needs. Download the one-page training summary hereopens in new window, and view the full transcript by visiting the FEMP site hereopens in new window.

FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

Take Five: Buying a Heat Pump

This training created by FEMP focusses on air source heat pumps. It covers reasons that efficient heat pumps can be a great choice for federal facilities, ways to select a model meeting federal requirements, and ways to buy the chosen model. Download the one-page training summary hereopens in new window, and view the full transcript by visiting the FEMP site hereopens in new window.

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

Intro to SFTool

Learn more about SFTool and watch a step-by-step breakdown of how to navigate each main page of the website (Learn, Plan, Explore, Procure, Apply, Train).

To view more GSA training videos, please visit this playlist on YouTubenon government site opens in new window that offers a selection of other video training resources.