CFM® receives ANSI National Accreditation Board accreditation

The ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) recently granted initial accreditation for IFMA’s Certified Facility Manager^® (CFM^®) credential, effective June 16, 2020, under the ISO/IEC 17024:2012 standard.

IFMA’s CFM credential sets the industry standard for ensuring the knowledge and competence of practicing facility managers. The certification process assesses competency in the field through work experience, education and the ability to pass a comprehensive exam that covers the 11 competencies that compose the facility management body of knowledge.

Accreditation provides assurance to customers that the IFMA Certification Commission operates according to internationally accepted criteria. ISO/IEC 17024:2012: Conformity assessment – General requirements for bodies operating certification of persons is an international standard that specifies criteria for the operation of a Personnel Certification Body, including requirements for the development and maintenance of the certification.

“IFMA’s CFM program was the first, and remains the only, globally respected certification in facility management,” said IFMA President and COO Don Gilpin. “Because ANSI accreditation is internationally recognized as a mark of quality, it offers CFMs and their employers elevated assurance that IFMA’s certification meets the highest industry standards. It takes the CFM to a whole new level in validating professional excellence.”

The CFM program joins two other ANSI-accredited IFMA credential programs: Facility Management Professional™ (FMP^®) and Sustainability Facility Professional^® (SFP^®). IFMA is accredited by ANSI (accreditation #1057) under ANSI/ASTM E2659-09 to issue the FMP and SFP certificates to those successfully completing the programs.

“IFMA’s Certification Commission has been working diligently toward achieving this accreditation,” said Dean Hitchcock, Chairman of the Certification Commission. “The Commission would like to extend their appreciation to the IFMA global board of directors for their leadership and commitment in supporting this critical strategic initiative.”

“This significant milestone represents years of dedicated work by both professional staff and members and reflects IFMA’s continued focus on our strategic initiative to advance the FM profession,” noted Gilpin. “Individuals who earn the CFM join an elite group of global peers who demonstrate the highest degree of commitment to the industry. We are proud to be a part of their professional achievement.”

ANAB is the first personnel certification accreditation body in the United States to meet internationally accepted practices for accreditation, and the first to become a signatory of the Pacific Accreditation Cooperation (PAC) Multilateral Arrangement (MLA) for ISO/IEC 17024. ANAB's international involvement ensures the CFM credential is globally recognized.

About the CFM

IFMA’s Certified Facility Manager^® (CFM^®) is an internationally recognized credential that sets the standard for ensuring the knowledge and competence of practicing facility managers. It is a competency-based certification that requires ongoing professional development and periodic renewal. Since the CFM program began in 1992, more than 7,300 FMs from 46 countries have achieved this prestigious recognition. Visit www.ifma.org/credentials/certified-facility-manager-cfm/.

About ANSI

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is the official U.S. representative to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ANSI has served in its capacity as administrator and coordinator of the U.S. private sector voluntary standardization system for more than 100 years. Throughout its history, ANSI has maintained as its primary goal the enhancement of global competitiveness of U.S. business and the American quality of life by promoting and facilitating voluntary consensus standards and conformity assessment systems and promoting their integrity. The Institute represents the interests of more than 1,200 company, organization, government agency, institutional and international members. Visit ansi.org.