DSTL – Estates Strategic Plan

The Government's Defence, Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) required the development and implementation of a long term estates plan for the rationalisation and effective operation of its multi-site estate and the creation of a new and improved on-site evacuation plan.

Challenge: DSTL was in the planning stage of a major rationalisation project (HELIOS), but recognised it needed a longer term plan for the estate to support its critical work beyond HELIOS. atmaana was tasked to provide a plan which covered the built infrastructure, and options for how it should be managed cost effectively and flexibly in the context of an ever changing technical demand and then producing an effective evacuation plan, including an evacuation exercise to confirm the validity of the proposed plan.

Solution: atmaanaused its analytical and consultative skills to work closely with the leadership, science and estates community within DSTL and their FM partner, to provide a plan which yielded both immediate benefits and a blueprint for the future. The plan used practices such as flexible working and centralised storage to address issues including utilising buildings more effectively to support working with international, commercial and academic partners and to change the modus operandi to empower the Infrastructure Director to reduce estate overheads. To produce the evacuation plan, atmaana worked collaboratively with the client to conduct interviews, document analysis and workshop meetings with key stakeholders and emergency staff and management experts. A straightforward and capable plan was developed and agreement was reached with key stakeholders up to Director.

Result: The Estate Strategic Plan and Evacuation Plan were endorsed and adopted by the DSTL Board, bringing clarity to issues which had been holding up HELIOS planning. atmaana was then asked to support the development of the strategic plan to the next level of details going out to 2025; initiate the Smart (flexible) Working project (removing the need for a new office block); initiate the pilot for the Central Storage Service and to then develop a business case for its adoption across the whole business.