InFocus: News and views from the GPA (March 2024)
InFocus brings together news and views from across the Government Property Agency.
InFocus: News and views from the GPA
WELCOME TO INFOCUS, March 2024
Yvette Greener, Client Director
This is our first InFocus of 2024 and already so much has happened.
Our Workplace Services Transformation Programme (WSTP) winds down at the end of this month. This brings to a close one of the most ambitious change programmes in the industry. The WSTP has laid the foundations for creating people-centred workplaces through innovative contract management approaches.
By introducing new disaggregated regional supplier contracts we have ensured that we will be able to produce long-term enhancements in satisfaction and productivity whilst delivering greater value to you, with expected savings of £40 million over the next five years.
Supporting each of you, and your people, across the Government’s office estate remains our priority and we are committed to enhancing performance across our services in the months and years to come.
Last month we were granted planning permission for the new European Medium-range Weather Centre at the University of Reading. This world-leading scientific research centre will house state-of-the-art facilities which will ensure the UK stays at the forefront of the global science and technology sector.
We also closed the doors at 1 Victoria Street in London, relocating many civil servants to existing modern Hubs in Whitehall. This closure is expected to generate substantial savings of approximately £30 million in annual running costs as we progress towards our target to reduce the Government’s Central London office estate by 55%.
These two milestones highlight the tremendous progress we are making towards delivering a transformed, shared, sustainable and value for money government estate which supports growth across the UK.
Last month I was proud to host our first GPA Client Conference, bringing together senior government property experts in London to discuss, share and collaborate on workplace trends, challenges and insights. You can read more about these discussions and our reflections on the next steps in this newsletter.
Finally, I’m pleased to share the news that our Chair Pat Richie CBE has agreed to extend her term by three years to 2027. Pat will continue to work closely with the wider board and executive team to support our mission to create a better-connected, better-quality and greener government property estate.
I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing her the best for the challenges and successes to come.
In this newsletter I’m pleased to bring you a range of articles which highlight the work we’re doing to deliver greater interoperability, provide valuable data and create meaningful workplace experiences that meet diverse employee needs.
In this issue:
- Working smarter: how we can set the new standard for Civil Service workplaces
- Our Helpdesk team visit the London estate
- WSTP update: Navigating towards a Transformed Civil Service
- Coming soon.. the launch of the GPA Client Portal!
- New ‘test and learn’ space helps to provide a better customer experience
Working smarter: how we can set the new standard for Civil Service workplaces
In February, property leaders from across government and the industry came together at our first Client Conference to discuss three core themes: partnership working; the workplace experience; and leveraging data.
There was a common thread through all the discussions: the importance of partnership. As traditional ideas about the workplace are disrupted, it was acknowledged that regular dialogue between all parties is paramount.
We were joined by industry leaders - Lohan Presencer, Chair at the Ministry of Sound, and Despina Katsikakis, Global Head of Total Workplace at Cushman & Wakefield, who led discussions on the future workplace and what data is really telling us.
There was fantastic engagement across the day, and we will shortly publish a full write up about it.
Our relationship with you - our clients - is unique compared to others in the world of real estate: you are likely to have a closer, shared interest with us than a purely commercial agreement. And with the world of work changing at such a rapid pace, it’s crucial that we keep the conversations going. We will continue to discuss, share ideas with and learn from you, as well as from the wider property industry, to deliver better outcomes for the Civil Service and ultimately the people we all serve.
Our Helpdesk team visit the London estate
One of the ways we’ve been working to deliver an improved experience for our clients and customers is through the launch of the GPA Helpdesk in November 2023, as part of our Workplace Services Transformation Programme.
The Helpdesk is delivered in partnership with our Workplace Services Performance Partner JLL and provides a single point of contact for workplace services enquiries across our estate (except for our PFI workplaces). Since its launch the Helpdesk has received over 12,000 emails, 4,000 calls and over 8,300 work orders.
The Helpdesk team have worked tirelessly throughout this period to support customers by recording, processing and handling operational queries whilst developing their understanding of the facilities provided across the estate.
Recently the team conducted an extensive tour of some of our London estate to experience first-hand the operational realities of our buildings.
The buildings visited included:
- 10 South Colonnade
- Gwydyr House
- Dover House
- 3-8/55 Whitehall
- Sanctuary Buildings
- Old Admiralty Building
- 10 Victoria Street
- 70 Whitehall
The London estate has the highest concentration of ministers, client HQs and separate client organisations combined.
By conducting this tour our Helpdesk team were able to get a feel for our London workplaces, their services, our new Regional Supply Chain Partners (RSCPs), the building profiles and our customers on the ground - including in ministerial buildings. The outcome is that the team will be able to get better at understanding and logging requests.
The team spoke with members of the GPA Workplace Services teams, our RSCPs, and with customers who wanted to share their experiences once hearing that the Helpdesk were visiting!
Ashley Wykes, Performance, Data & Helpdesk Lead at JLL said:
The visit to the London Region has provided invaluable insight for the GPA Helpdesk team. The insights we have gathered will help us support the wider GPA Helpdesk team to understand the practicalities of some of these buildings. The London estate is definitely diverse!
Understanding the day to day operations of the GPA Workplace Services Team will mean the GPA Helpdesk are better equipped to support our customers, clients and GPA colleagues on a daily basis.
These visits will be expanded out over the coming weeks & months to other regions and members of the team so we can develop our understanding of the whole estate.
Apart from PFI workplaces, all Facilities Management or Helpdesk queries can be raised through the GPA Helpdesk at:
Phone: 08000 136 672 Email: gpa.helpdesk@jll.com
WSTP update: Navigating towards a Transformed Civil Service
The Workplace Services Transformation Programme (WSTP), launched in 2022, has been driven by its vision to create a people-centred and digitally supported workplace and to enhance engagement, productivity and customer satisfaction through innovative contract management approaches.
Since its launch, the WSTP has achieved significant milestones, including:
- Welcomed JLL as our Performance Partner - February 2023
- Procuring and mobilising new Security contracts - 1 October 2023
- Procuring and mobilising new Facilities Management contracts - 1 November 2023
- Launching our GPA Helpdesk - 1 November 2023
- Transitioning from a Total Facilities Management solution to new disaggregated regional contracts.
Our commitment to delivering the best possible service to you is evident through securing these new contracts. These contracts were procured based on quality, adopting a local approach, and providing value to you. Some key statistics of the Programme include:
- £40 million in expected savings over the 5-year contracts
- Providing workplace services to over 42% of the Government’s general-purpose office estate, 160 clients and over 150000 customers
- We’re investing £1.2 billion in Civil Servants through these contracts
As we progress, the WSTP continues its commitment to realising its long-term goals, which align with our vision. Looking ahead, we are dedicated to:
- Creating a contract management approach that attracts, retains and engages talent within the Civil Service
- Providing a higher standard of workplace services, driving consistency in FM contracts and increasing the percentage of government departments wanting to use our services
- Ensuring data consistency through B2IM (Building information modelling), providing consistency in building and asset data, leading to improved management, monitoring and reporting, driving a more sustainable approach to property management and operation
- Increasing the capability of our supply chain
The GPA Helpdesk
Our Helpdesks utilisation continues to rise steadily and provides support across our estate, with over 12000 emails, 4105 calls and over 8300 work orders created since its launch. Our digital team continue to make improvements to make reporting more accessible for its customers, and later in the year, the introduction of an online reporting function to the Customer Service Portal will enhance our service to you.
Moving forward
As the WSTP enters the next phase of its transformation journey, the Programme will end in March 2024. Rest assured, our commitment to supporting you remains our top priority. The Workplace Services team will continue to support you, ensuring the level of service you receive remains unchanged.
All Facilities Management or Helpdesk issues should continue to be raised through the GPA Helpdesk.
Phone: 08000 136 672 Email: gpa.helpdesk@jll.com
We will continue to provide you with monthly client engagement sessions until the end of March, focused on the key themes and feedback you have provided.
Coming soon.. the launch of the GPA Client Portal!
Later this month, we will be launching the GPA Client Portal, in order to enable our Portfolio Services clients to self-serve access to some of the main information in relation to their GPA-managed estate. This portal is powered by the data from within our internal Client Relationship Management (CRM) system, creating a single source of truth for information.
Who will access the portal?
The GPA Client Portal will be launched to all our Portfolio Services clients (i.e those that receive Client Management services).
What information will the portal contain?
The GPA Client Portal will contain a wealth of core management information and files, categorised by the following three areas:
- Client Information - including an overview of your department, GPA Client Team and list of services provided to your department. Your Managed Service Agreement and Client Quarterly Reports will also be available here.
- Occupancies - a summary of the GPA-managed spaces that your department occupies. The latest Occupancy Agreements for your occupancy will also be held here.
- Cases - a detailed view of the open (and closed) queries that you have reported to the GPA, including updates on progress.
In addition, there will be reports relating to Cases, available in the system to enable your department to view a snapshot summary of the information categories above.
Please note, the portal will contain only specific information / enquiries relating to your portfolio services. This portal does not contain facilities management or helpdesk issues or information.
What support or information is available?
Prior to launch, those who take Portfolio Services have been invited to attend a training session, including a walkthrough of how to access and navigate the portal. There will be several options available.
Following launch, there will also be support available for if users have any questions / issues.
What if I don’t have Portfolio Services?
The new Portal is available to those of you who have transferred your assets to us, and is designed specifically to support the client management services that we offer.
Reach out to our Business Development team if you’d like to find out more about our Portfolio Services: business-development@gpa.gov.uk
New ‘test and learn’ space helps to provide a better customer experience
Our Capital Projects and Customer Experience teams supporting the new Hub development at 2 Ruskin Square in Croydon have recently introduced a new concept to help Home Office staff prepare for moving.
The team has created a ‘test and learn’ space in the Home Office’s Lunar House, which includes a variety of furniture and workspace layouts. Home Office staff who will work from the new building have been encouraged to experiment with different workspace configurations and types of furniture.
This has provided an opportunity for them to determine what suits their specific needs and is helping them to develop the right mindset for flexible working, while building excitement for the move.
The designated area has already proved to be a success with the order for some furniture items being altered or developed to accommodate their preferences.
The introduction of QR codes has made it easier for Home Office staff to provide feedback so they can have more direct input into the final design.
Our Project Director, Danny King, said:
We are always looking at how we can provide a better experience for civil servants using Hubs and government offices. The development of this ‘test and learn’ space is helping us to create the best working environment for them. It means they can make more informed choices and can feel more involved in the design and decision making process. The aim of this pilot is to learn from the concept so we can look at rolling it out across our other developments so more people can benefit from this process as we deliver great places to work.