INTRODUCTION

Background & Context

Facility management (FM) has traditionally focused on optimizing buildings and workplaces for operational efficiency, safety and cost-effectiveness. However, as businesses increasingly align themselves with broader sustainability and ESG (environmental, social, governance) agendas, there is growing recognition that FM can play a transformative role far beyond the physical workplace.

While environmental and economic aspects of sustainability are now firmly embedded in FM strategies, the social dimension remains underdeveloped. Social sustainability is often equated with internal efforts such as workplace well-being, DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) policies and employee experience initiatives. Yet these efforts tend to reflect an inside-out approach, starting with internal priorities and extending outward.

This study introduces a different perspective: an outside-in lens for FM. It challenges facility professionals to look beyond organizational boundaries and consider the social realities of the communities that interact with, work in and live around the facilities they manage. It builds on early ideas of “community-based FM” first introduced in 2006 by one of the pioneers in FM thinking, Prof. Keith Alexander1, modernizing and expanding the concept to meet today’s ESG and social impact priorities.

This study is titled FM Beyond Walls to reflect a shift in mindset: from FM as a purely operational discipline to FM as a strategic contributor to social impact.

The Challenge

FM already creates social impact, but only some of that impact is converted into recognized social value, and even less is made socially sustainable.

Social sustainability in FM is typically understood through an internal lens, addressing employee welfare, workplace safety and organizational inclusion. While essential, this view is narrow and often disconnected from the broader communities and regional systems in which FM operates.

FM professionals and organizations frequently overlook the wider social ecosystem that sustains the workplace. There is a need to redefine FM’s social role by exploring how facilities, and those who manage them, can actively contribute to community well-being, infrastructure, inclusion and economic resilience.

Why an Outside-in Lens Matters in Social Sustainability

The inside-out approach to social sustainability focuses on internal programs and policies, benefiting employees but often ignoring broader structural inequities.

An outside-in lens, by contrast, begins with understanding the external environment. It positions FM teams as enablers of social value by asking:

  • Who is entering the workplace, and from where? Many FM and service workers face long, expensive or unsafe commutes due to poor regional transport and housing inequality.
  • What is the socioeconomic profile of those employed or contracted? Are hiring and procurement practices inclusive of underserved or low-income communities?
  • How does the facility interact with its local context? Does it contribute to neighborhood safety, public space and shared infrastructure — or isolate itself?
  • What local or national disparities exist? In some regions, FM may provide services (like private transport, sanitation or access to food) that are vital to worker security and dignity.

Why This Research Matters to IFMA Members

This research invites IFMA members to reimagine the role of FM in a socially conscious world. As organizations increasingly prioritize ESG outcomes, facility managers are uniquely positioned to be “social generators,” delivering value not only within their organizations, but also the communities and regions in which they operate.

This research supports IFMA’s strategic ambition to be a truly international organization, serving and representing a globally diverse FM community. As IFMA’s membership continues to grow, with an increasing presence in low-income countries (LICs) and newly emerging economies (NEEs), there is an increasing need for research that reflects and responds to the varied social, economic and cultural contexts in which facility managers operate.

Social sustainability means different things in different regions. In high-income countries (HICs), it may focus on hybrid work, employee mental health or community investment. In LICs or NEEs, FM can have an even more foundational role, providing stability, security, transportation, sanitation and access to work in regions where public infrastructure is limited.

This research will provide actionable frameworks and regionally grounded insights that IFMA members worldwide can use to drive change.

Methodology Overview

This study adopted a qualitative research design to explore how FM contributes to social sustainability beyond the workplace boundary. Thirty-six (36) interviews were conducted with FM leaders and practitioners across six (6) global regions. Participants represented a mix of sectors, roles and organizational contexts. Interviews followed a semi-structured guide aligned to the research objectives.

Interview transcripts were produced and analyzed using thematic analysis. Initial themes were derived from the interview questions. Themes were iteratively refined through cross-case comparison. A dedicated integrative analysis explored regional variation.

Clarifying Terminology

Throughout this report, the terms “social impact,” “social value” and “social sustainability” are used to describe closely related, but distinct, aspects of facility management’s contribution beyond the workplace boundary. In practice, these terms are often used interchangeably by organizations and practitioners. The interviews conducted for this study reflected this reality.

To support clarity of interpretation, this report applies the following distinctions:

Social impact = What happens to people because of FM activity

  • Refers to actual, lived effects on individuals, households and communities
  • Often unplanned or emergent
  • Experienced directly by workers and communities

Social value = What organizations choose to recognize, measure and reward

  • Refers to codified and captured social outcomes
  • Often linked to procurement, contracts and reporting
  • Translates impact into organizational legitimacy

Social sustainability = The long-term conditions that allow social impact to endure

  • Refers to durability and systems, not individual actions
  • Focuses on whether social outcomes are repeatable and protected over time
  • Closely linked to governance, procurement and capability

International Facility Management Association (IFMA) supports over 25,000 members in 140 countries. Since 1980, IFMA has worked to advance the FM profession through education, events, credentialing, research, networking and knowledge-sharing.