Assessment of facilities management performance in higher education properties

In the general facilities management literature, it is assumed that there is a causal link between facilities management practices and performance. The role of facilities management in facilitating organisational performance, and thereby in providing competitive advantage, is widely acknowledged. However, the mechanisms of how this happens in higher educational establishments are quite unclear, prompting performance evaluation researchers to question whether performance evaluation in fact does add value, and enhance organisational performance. Assessment of performance of buildings of institutions delivering higher educational services has become a matter of particular interest to governments seeking to increase the effectiveness of educational provision and maximise value for money. This paper presents initial findings of the characteristics of important aspects of a performance evaluation approach related to higher education properties, and discusses the development of a framework based on the balanced scorecard to measure performance relating to higher education establishments.