The United Kingdom: Local Authority FM in the UK

This paper describes organisation, tasks and functions of local authorities in the United Kingdom. It identifies and describes the public services delivered by different types of authority and introduces key issues related to property and facilities management services. The paper presents research work to investigate the extent to which facilities/property management is an integrated function within local government and assesses the impact of the concept of best value upon facilities managers. The paper describes relevant legislation and standard procedures for public procurement in the United Kingdom. Results of a random sample of local authorities are presented to provide a comparison of contemporary FM sourcing practice in the United Kingdom. The paper provides sources of information for further reference and identifies a number of relevant research projects and government sponsored studies that address property and facilities management issues in the United Kingdom. The results of a recent international study of outsourcing in Government are summarised to promote discussion