This book presents six papers focusing on the application of the strategic assessment model (SAM) to the management of higher education facilities. The papers are part of an ongoing effort by the Association of Higher Education Facilities Officers to provide comparative cost and staffing information and to develop a benchmarking process. The papers explain the origins of SAM, the core competencies related to facilities management, and how these can be affected by SAM. The papers also relate SAM to the Baldrige National Recognition standard and suggest ways of using SAM as a management tool. Following an introduction by Douglas K. Christensen, the individual chapters are: (1) "Understanding the Strategic Assessment Model" (Margaret P. Kinnaman); (2) "Linking the Balanced Scorecard to Your Strategy" (Jack Hug); (3) "APPA's Four Core Competencies" (Gary L. Reynolds); (4) "More Than a Feeling: Deployment of SAM within Baldrige" (Tom Harkenrider); (5) "What Is Benchmarking?" (Mohammad H. Qayoumi); and (6) "Conclusions: Where Do We Go from Here?" (Margaret P. Kinnaman). Appendixes include: "SAM Survey Results" (Laura Long); a list of institutions responding to the SAM survey; the original SAM metrics and definitions; and "The Formal Benchmarking Process" (Mohammad H. Qayoumi). (Contains 62 references.) (DB)