IFMA FMCC Live Webinar – “Evolving FM in Saudi Arabia- It’s old, it’s new, and it’s different!”

Date: December 3^rd, 2015

Time: 1:00 – 2:00 PM Eastern Time Zone (USA)

Register today @ https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1126155363085791234

Presenter(s):
Stephen Brown, CFM, FMP, SFP, CPE, CBCP, CESCO, REM CEO, FM-adviso, Ltd.

Evolving FM in Saudi Arabia- It’s old, it’s new, and it’s different

Overview:
To share overview insights from my FM experiences in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The webinar will cover a quick background about the founding of the country and initial development driven by oil industry. The transition from a culture of loose alliances to one of large-scale urbanization combined with 10x population growth from 1960 to 2010. This expansion faced huge challenges to match utilities and availability of labor resources to deliver quality facilities for more than 30 years. In the past 15 years, the paradigm shift to higher quality construction practices has also promoted energy management and improved Facility Management practices.

The site of my FM activities (KAUST) will be summarily reviewed with some focus on the responsibilities on the academic campus. Established for contracted pro vision of MRO (Maintenance, Repair, Operations) services, western-influenced contract language collided with the typical contractor mindset and methods. Daily and on-going challenges to align concepts of premium reliability and high quality results to support cutting edge research were faced from the outsourced workers who were under-qualified, not familiar with the systems’ technology, and were not supported to deliver service/support.

A review of steps taken toward delivery of more proactive operations, a culture of safety, and better overall results will be discussed. This will lead to review of KSA government programs to reduce the expat worker population in efforts to increase opportunities for young Saudis. This review will include discussion on the increased cultural implications.

Learning Objectives:

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a rapidly changing market.
The KSA rapidly evolved from a nomadic/tribal society to an urbanized society. The facilities impact was a felt from a 10x increase in population during 50 years. The pace of change required significant construction but often failed to meet standards for maintainability. The current program of new buildings is amazingly aggressive. Buildings containing more than 42 million sq. m. proposed for LEED-qualification are under construction in KSA.
There is a large demand for expat labor and qualified Facility Managers – especially with contract management experience.
KSA has historically relied on huge numbers of non-Saudis for laborious tasks and for engineer-focused management. The number of technicians and managers to maintain and operate current and planned sites will continue to require expat support both for FM and to train persons to meet evolving technology demands.
One must be very aware of the differences from other cultures – religion, business, and style.
Working in Saudi Arabia involves keen awareness of cultural sensitivities. These relate to religion, matters of historic and now national pride, and also respect for the Kingdom’s position of leadership in the GCC – even as the Kingdom works to become more self-sufficient and less reliant on external support.

Presenter(s) Biography:

Stephen Brown, CFM, FMP, SFP, CPE, CBCP, CESCO, REM CEO, FM-adviso, Ltd.

After a successful career in stateside facilities management, Stephen Brown assumed a position with an international portfolio. Since that time, Brown has held senior posts in the Caribbean, UK/Europe, and the Middle East. After more than 20 years managing the built environment for both private and public sector organizations, Brown founded FM-adviso to support organizations with specialist and credentials training in addition to consulting on operational efficiencies, outsourcing, policies and procedures, contract management, environmental matters, and emergency response / business continuity.

Brown earned an MBA after undergraduate work that combined studies in Architectural Technology and Business Management. Qualified as a trainer for IFMA and DRII credentials programs, he has been published and has been an instructor for other environmental, emergency response and disaster preparedness training programs.

For more than eight years, exceptional studies have been applied to refining two key facility assessments – IAQ (indoor air quality) and Business Continuity Management.

Active in IFMA program development activities, Brown has earned IFMA Certified Facility Manager^®, Facility Management Professional^®, and Sustainable Facilities Professional^® credentials. He also holds Certified Plant Engineer, Certified Business Continuity Professional, Registered Environmental Manager, and Certified Environmental and Safety Compliance Officer credentials.

With more than 25 years managing and advising on the built environment for corporate, public, and academic settings in the US, Europe, Caribbean and Middle East, he has a diverse background of successes to draw from.

Recognized as a Subject Matter Expert in the field of Facilities Management, he has contributed broadly to professional credentials and certification programs.

In parallel, Brown has devoted efforts toward Disaster Planning, Emergency Response, and Business Continuity activities as well as keen attention to environmental matters, energy conservation, and to maximize efficiency in all aspects of the delivery of Facility Management services.

Credentials and Certifications held include:
- Certified Facility Manager
- Facilities Management Professional
- Sustainable Facilities Professional
from International Facilities Management Association

- Certified Plant Engineer
from Association for Facilities Engineering

- Certified Business Continuity Professional
from Disaster Recovery Institute

- Registered Environmental Manager
- Certified Environmental & Safety Compliance Officer
from National Registry of Environmental Professionals