CBPM Conference 2026 · Vol. 2026, Issue 1

A socio-ecological transition framework for regenerative facilities management: thinking beyond operational efficiency

Faranani Gethe, Prisca Simbanegavi, Pride Ndlovu, Yewande Adewunmi, and Matthew Ikuabe

Keywords: Facilities Management, Operational Efficiency, Socio-Ecological Transition, Sustainability.

Abstract

Traditional facilities management (FM) is attributed by regime-bound performance metrics such as asset optimisation, service reliability, maintenance management and cost control etc. This yardstick tends to constrain the capacity to address complex socio-ecological challenges such as resource depletion, climate vulnerability, and other key sustainability indicators. This study drives the concept of repositioning FM from the perspective of operational efficiency to regenerative practice through the lens of sustainability transition theory, using the Multi- Level Perspective (MLP). A qualitative, theory building approach is deployed for the study. This is achievedmthrough the critical synthesis of interdisciplinary literature with informed insights for the development of a socioecological transition framework for regenerative facilities management. The study reveals that traditional facilities management limits sustainability outcomes because it focuses too much on efficiency. A socio-ecological transition framework, based on the Multi-Level Perspective, allows for a shift toward regenerative practices by combining changes in institutions, innovation, and the ability to adjust. This approach improves resilience, ecosystem restoration, and long-term value in the built environment. The developed framework articulates pathways for reconfiguring traditional FM systems and scaling regenerative functions across institutional, organisational and technological dimensions. Furthermore, there is the proposition of FM deliverables beyond conventional efficiency metrics through the infusion of regenerative parameters such as adaptive capacity and ecosystem restoration.