Community‐based facilities management

Purpose To introduce and define the concept of community‐based facilities management (CbFM) and to identify and discuss processes and responsibilities in practice, in order to explore opportunities for the development of a socially inclusive approach to facilities management. The paper raises issues of governance, empowerment and socio‐economic development. Design/methodology/approach The paper addresses issues arising from action research in the North West of England and identifies case examples from current practice to illustrate application of the principles. The paper draws upon literature from the fields of facilities management, new economics and sustainability. Findings The paper presents the results of an initial exploration, draws tentative conclusions and offers a framework for evaluating the performance of organisations. Originality/value Introduces novel concepts, an evaluation framework and tools for the assessment of FM processes for sustainability.