InFocus: News and views from the GPA (March 2023)
InFocus brings together news and views from across the Government Property Agency
News and views from across the Government Property Agency
WELCOME TO INFOCUS, March 23
Yvette Greener, Client Director
These past three months have seen us celebrate many great achievements and milestones across the GPA: Minister Jeremy Quin broke ground at our Manchester Hub in February, and our Peterborough Hub at Quay House was officially opened on Tuesday; the CSOB property technology mandate is progressing well with great engagement from many of you sharing your occupancy monitoring data with us; and we announced our new strategic partnership with JLL as our Workplace Performance Partner as part of our Workplace Services Transformation Programme.
This Programme is also rapidly progressing as we get ready to shortly announce our new security delivery partners.
Finally, I’m pleased to say our client satisfaction scores continue to increase, with Q3 results being our strongest yet. It’s great to see the majority of departments recognising continued progress in Q3 and acknowledging this in your scores. We continue to collaborate with many of you to ensure improvement plans progress in order to further improve on some key areas. Your ongoing support in providing us with your quarterly feedback is ensuring we identify what’s working and where we need to improve. Delivering great places to work across the UK is only possible with your support and feedback.
I look forward to sharing more updates, improvements and achievements with you in the coming months. 23/24 is going to be an important year for the GPA and its maturity as more partner and transformational workplace contracts are awarded and we introduce some key corporate systems to improve how we work with you and in our financial management.
In this issue:
- Transforming workplace services for greater cost savings and improved service standards
- Property Technology mandate builds momentum
- Cyber corridor plans accelerate as Manchester Hub construction begins
- Peterborough’s Hub reaches a momentous milestone
- The GPA partners with JLL for Workplace Services Performance
Transforming workplace services for greater cost savings and improved service standards
The Workplace Services Transformation Programme (WSTP) exists to evolve how the Government’s office estate is managed and operated. WSTP is transforming workplace services to ensure they are optimised for resilience and supported by enhanced commercial and customer service capability and performance. It’s also driving UK-wide economic growth through engagement with local economies; Civil Service modernisation through improved productivity and engagement with civil servants; zero carbon through improved building conditions; and better value through improved service quality.
WSTP has moved into a critical phase of delivery. New contracts are being finalised and mobilised, while incumbent suppliers are demobilised.
There will be some phased adjustments to processes as new partners and suppliers blend into the GPA. But we are all committed to ensuring business continuity, and our dedicated programme team is on hand to support with any questions or concerns at wstp.enquiries@gpa.gov.uk
Workplace Services Performance Partner
Last month we announced our new strategic partnership with JLL for workplace services performance. This new strategic partnership will enable us to drive forward a more client-focused suite of contracts which will deliver cost and space reduction initiatives, while enhancing energy efficiencies within the Government’s office portfolio.
More details on our new strategic partnership are provided in the update here
Workplace Services
We continue to pay due diligence and evaluate the tenders received as part of the wider FM supply chain. We will share more information with you as we progress through the commercial sensitivities.
Security Services
We have transformed the way we procure our security contracts. We have designed regionally disaggregated agreements, which will provide a more customer-centric, dynamic and agile delivery model. This will allow:
- focus on performance outcomes that are aligned to our strategy for space optimisation
- data-led decision making
- greater flexibility for our customers to support improved productivity user experiences
The security contracts have now been awarded and the successful suppliers have been informed. We are now working with these suppliers to finalise our agreements and formally announce the partnerships
Digital Platform
Our digital platform continues to be developed with our partner, Planon. It will be used by JLL and our Workplace Services delivery teams, and will interface to the new regional disaggregated supply chain contracts. Your interaction with the platform will be through your Customer Service Portal which will include a new ticketing feature. This will allow you to raise service requests that will be automatically sent to the correct service partner, and to track its progress.
Looking ahead
We are entering a very exciting phase of the Programme. As progress rapidly picks up pace, our Client Managers will continue to be your first point of contact. They will regularly share updates and information with you.
We understand this may feel like a lot of change. We are committed to ensuring business continuity throughout. And are confident the end result will create service solutions that will generate cost savings for you, while improving service standards and overall satisfaction.
Property Technology mandate builds momentum
Many of you will be aware of the Civil Service Operations Board’s (CSOB) mandate covering the use of common property technology across the Government’s office portfolio. This will enable greater portfolio efficiencies, as well as better-informed, strategic decision making across government property. It also supports a transformed, shared, sustainable and value for money government estate that supports civil servants to work productively in every nation and region of the UK.
We have been appointed by CSOB to lead the implementation of these technologies. This includes capturing, managing and reporting on property occupancy data.
Occupancy monitoring
The data captured from property technology provides a comprehensive dataset for better-informed, strategic decision making at macro and micro levels: from portfolio planning, estate rationalisation, building management and budgeting to tenancy structures, workplace optimisation and space planning.
Occupancy monitoring data dives deeper to understand how a space within a building is being used to identify efficiencies within workplace optimisation, space planning and location planning. Information captured during occupancy monitoring informs us about the space, rather than how often individuals are attending a building (attendance monitoring). More information on occupancy monitoring and how it supports decision making can be found in our recently published blog on gov.uk.
Looking forward
We have been engaging with many government departments and making great progress towards gathering data. Currently, we are focusing on capturing Perimeter Level Occupancy Data. This is macro level data that looks at the entire building as a single space to monitor the number of people within it at any given time.
Capturing this data includes collaborating to identify and install the most suitable solutions, as well as agreeing how to share and report on data already being captured.
We understand there are some concerns from only a few departments with sharing occupancy data, and we are working with you to resolve this. However, we have mostly received a positive and engaging response, and are pleased to report our progress is on track to meet the CSOB mandate requirements - thank you for your ongoing collaboration.
Talk to our Property Technology team today to find out more about your options proptech@gpa.gov.uk
Cyber corridor plans accelerate as Manchester Hub construction begins
Minister for the Cabinet Office Jeremy Quin joined us and our partners on site at First Street in Manchester on 28 February to break ground at our new Government Hub.
The Hub will provide a home for 2,500 civil servants including 700 roles relocating from London as part of the Government’s focus on Levelling Up Britain. Minister Jeremy Quin announced more than 1,000 government roles have moved to Manchester from London since the programme began.
Clive Anderson, our Director of Capital Projects said: “The Government Hubs Programme is creating a smaller, better and greener office estate which supports the Government’s ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The hubs provide modern, inclusive environments where departments are collocated in shared buildings across the UK. This is supporting the Government’s Levelling Up agenda and Places for Growth initiative, encouraging the relocation and creation of jobs outside of London. While returning money to the public purse through cost savings.”
The First Street Hub, which was announced last summer, will be designed to inclusive and accessible design standards to ensure it can be accessed and used by every UK civil servant.
Peterborough’s Hub reaches a momentous milestone
Our Government Hub at Quay House in Peterborough reached a momentous milestone in January as the build was completed, and we began inducting people into the building. Minister Alex Burghart was on site to officially open the building on Tuesday 14 March.
Quay House is our first new-build Hub, and is providing flexible, digitally-connected workspaces for more than 1,200 civil servants from Defra, three of its ALB’s and HM Passport Office to support greater productivity, create cost efficiencies and enhance carbon reduction.
Across seven floors, and more than 10,000 square metres, Quay House includes a mix of workspaces including collaborative spaces, focus desk areas, meeting rooms and private spaces. It also offers a Business Events Centre with meeting rooms, conference suite and reception.
The ground floor provides a public caller centre for the HM Passport Office. And the Environment Agency is benefiting from the state-of-the-art Flood Forecasting Room.
Four existing offices in Peterborough will close as the departments relocate to Quay House. This is expected to save £9.1million (based on a 20Yr NPV) in operating costs, returning money to the public purse.
Quay House is the newest addition to the Government Hubs Programme which exists to create a portfolio of regional office buildings for multi-departmental use. The programme is rationalising the government office estate across the UK to realise greater efficiencies and reduce carbon emissions. The Hubs also play a pivotal role in the Levelling Up agenda supporting the relocation of 22,000 roles from London and the south-east.
Quay House is the 17th Hub to open, joining Belfast, Birmingham (x2), Bristol, Cardiff, Croydon, Darlington, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Canary Wharf, London Old Admiralty Building, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Nottingham and Stratford.
The GPA partners with JLL for Workplace Services Performance
Last month we announced our new strategic partnership with JLL for workplace services performance. This new strategic partnership will enable us to drive forward a more client-focused suite of contracts which will deliver cost and space reduction initiatives, while enhancing energy efficiencies within the Government’s office portfolio.
Following a robust and comprehensive procurement process via the Crown Commercial Services Estates Management Services framework (RM 6168), we have entered into an initial three and a half year contract, plus up to two one-year extension options, with JLL to enhance our customer service capabilities through transformed workplace services.
This new strategic partnership is a key feature within our Workplace Services Transformation Programme (WSTP) which exists to evolve how the Government’s office estate is managed and operated. WSTP is transforming workplace services to ensure they are optimised for resilience and supported by enhanced commercial and customer service capability and performance. It’s also driving UK-wide economic growth through engagement with local economies; Civil Service modernisation through improved productivity and engagement with civil servants; zero carbon through improved building conditions; and better value through improved service quality.
We will work together with JLL as one team to understand and meet your needs, responding accurately and at pace delivering great places to work with your people at the heart of delivery.
As part of the procurement process we included improved KPIs and have been clear on client satisfaction being a key priority. The new contract sets out critical success factors to ensure service improvements and innovations are achieved across the contract lifecycle.
A key part of this strategic partnership is a new national helpdesk operated by JLL to streamline customer support processes for greater efficiency and satisfaction. It will have next-generation technology and will be staffed by specialists, who will be proactive in delivering a consistent and customer-centric service across our estate.
This is an exciting opportunity for us to evolve service standards and implement innovations, while further combining Civil Service know-how with commercial acumen..
Our WSTP team is available today at wstp.enquiries@gpa.gov.uk to find out more about the programme.