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In many cases, organizations do not have well documented or benchmarked facility operations. The person designated as the "facility manager" may be more coorectly termed the facility mechanic. Essentially, there is often a disconnect between leadership, business operations, and facilities. FM today is more of a business function than a mechanical function.
A business operation would not think of running without an operation plan, metrics on key functions & financials, or best practice processes. Facilities, on the other hand, is rarely funded to this level of support. Whether it is the inability of the facility managers to adequately articulate their needs, or shortsightedness on the part of leadership - the net effect is the same.
The act of pursuing LEED certification forces the participants to confront gaps in their operational processes. Individuals who pursue LEED accreditation quickly discover the gaps in their own skill and knowledge set. While LEED alone will not close all of these gaps, but I fundamentally agree with the assertion that it fosters facilities education.
mdstanberry:
Thanks for the comments. You make some great points throughout. Have you tackled a LEED project at your facility? If so, I'd be interested to hear how it went. Feel free to message me directly if you'd like. Have a good one.
Chris