Dstl Corporate Plan 2023 to 2028

Question 1

Chief Executive introduction

Accepted Answer

As I reach the end of my first year as Chief Executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), I am delighted to introduce to you our corporate plan 2023 to 2028, which sets out our new strategy for the next 5 years.

Defence needs science, technology and innovation; more than ever before. The environment in which we deliver high impact science and technology (S&T) for the defence and security of the UK, has changed rapidly and dramatically. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent war has brought into sharp focus the need to support our modern armed forces with ingenuity, speed and a singular focus on exploitable solutions. As the refreshed Integrated Review makes clear, this comes with a backdrop of a resurgent Russia and the epoch-defining challenge of China to the international order.

I am implementing a new strategy for Dstl to ensure that we remain on the front foot, moving with even greater pace to deliver our cutting edge S&T. Dstl has made a great impact as a key provider of critical defence S&T for over 20 years, but we now need to go further. We must do more to understand, influence and deliver against the most important problems facing defence and security. We must be true partners for those grappling with the most difficult questions, and bring science right to the heart of defence and security.

We are long-standing partners with industry and academia, acting as a catalyst for innovation. The multidisciplinary, multi-dimensional, fast-paced nature of the modern world demands that Ministry of Defence (MOD), other government stakeholders, Dstl and our suppliers all operate as a single, coherent, and driven team; and Dstl itself must be more integrated, more focussed and more agile.

This Corporate Plan sets out how we will do that over the coming 5 years in line with our new strategy. This strategy aims to ensure Dstl is delivering greater impact at pace and is focussed on addressing the most important challenges for UK defence and security. It is based around 4 themes:

enabling operational advantage at pace
preparing for the future
shaping the defence and security landscape
leveraging and influencing internationally

These 4 themes are underpinned by improvements through investment in our people, estate and IT - ensuring we can continue to operate safely and securely. It is our absolute priority to operate safely and securely, and maintain the essential infrastructure that makes it possible to deliver advanced S&T and critical national capabilities.

Systemic competition and rapid technological change means our strategy critically underpins the UK’s security and prosperity. Much of Dstl’s work has long reflected these themes, but this plan sharpens our focus on them with renewed vigour and pace.

This plan will:

ensure we deliver S&T solutions with the most impact in addressing our key stakeholders priorities
that we manage and prioritise our work, effectively working with those stakeholders and through the leadership of our new Chief Delivery Officer and the Delivery Portfolio Office
ensure we are working effectively with industry, academia and international partners (both familiar and new) to draw in and integrate S&T capability needed to address stakeholders most challenging problems
ensure we have the skilled, motivated and world class staff that we need to deliver our output, and the infrastructure and IT we need to deliver

It is an exciting and energising challenge for the Dstl team and I am proud to be providing the critical support to the defence and security of the UK, ensuring we have the capability needed.

Dr Paul Hollinshead MBA OBE, Chief Executive

Question 2

Our role and impact

Accepted Answer

Dstl is a unique and irreplaceable provider of cutting edge S&T that underpin multiple aspects of defending and securing the UK within ‘a more volatile and contested world’

Since the First World War, scientific advice and development have been critical to keeping the UK and its armed forces safe, as well as in giving us critical advantages against our adversaries.

Dstl’s formation in 2001 built on this tradition by establishing a dedicated in-house S&T provider for the MOD. Now an executive agency of the MOD, Dstl continues its unique history of providing innovative, expert support to the UK’s armed forces and police by:

ensuring we provide cutting edge capability, and save the lives of our armed forces and police by equipping and protecting them so they can face the most sophisticated threats, in the most challenging environment
generating wealth for the UK economy by developing innovative solutions that can become viable products
saving money for the UK tax payer through providing cost-effective solutions to defence and security challenges
generating economic growth and prosperity by investing in skills, innovation and infrastructure all over the UK
strengthening international alliances through collaboration with our global partners
supporting the most critical decisions for defence and security now and in the future, including Generation After Next (GAN)

Dstl plays a fundamental role in the MOD S&T ecosystem, supporting the MOD Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) and other key stakeholders, creating unique partnerships between government, industry, academia and our international allies that underpin delivery of unique solutions for the UK’s defence and security challenges. With support from our MOD Defence Science and Technology (DST) colleagues, we built our external S&T supply base through increased contracting and partnering.

We directly support government, defence and security strategies and priorities, helping the UK to become a great science superpower.

Our experts understand, shape, integrate and deliver novel and cutting edge capabilities, concepts and impartial evidence-based advice, enhancing UK defence and security.

We are the guardian of vital sovereign capabilities and one-of-a-kind facilities, providing strategic advantage in key areas such as countering chemical and biological threats, responsible and democratic cyber operations as a core part of the National Cyber Force, and providing S&T instrumental to the Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD). These and our other specialist capabilities play a pivotal role in giving the UK operational advantage.

We work collaboratively with our international allies, providing defence and diplomatic influence around the world. At home, security and policing partners depend on our skills, deep understanding and facilities to keep the UK safe from current and future threats.

By working closely with industry and academia, we energise the innovation ecosystem to develop novel solutions at pace and accelerate generation after next technologies.

Our depth and breadth of expertise, operational awareness and wide-reaching networks means we have a unique ability to support major operations and crises in a rapid, innovative and impactful way. We have been integral to the UK’s response to Russia’s illegal invasion in Ukraine, providing an indispensable source of rapid and technical support across a multitude of areas.

Sustaining strategic advantage through S&T is recognised as an integral element of our national security and our experts at Dstl work tirelessly to support our government in providing a safe and secure environment for all in the UK.

In this ever changing world, Dstl is already working to continue to fulfil its unique role at a greater pace and urgency than before; delivering solutions to the next defence and security threats, going over the horizon to anticipate and develop high impact solutions that will give the UK the vital edge it needs to protect itself and our allies from a multitude of threats, now and in the future.

Our impact: supporting UK’s COVID-19 response

Providing critical laboratory and analytical capabilities to help to maintain defence outputs during the pandemic, Dstl was a key part in the UK’s largest national emergency in a generation. Establishing the defence COVID-19 testing facility allowed for operational deployments to go ahead, such as the maiden voyage of the Queen Elizabeth II aircraft carrier, with more than 12,000 tests carried out in total. Other tasks allowed for correct fitting of protective face masks for health care providers and modelling capability to demonstrate the spread of the virus, informing the government’s lockdown decisions.

Question 3

Our changing operating environment

Accepted Answer

Since the previous Dstl strategy was developed in 2018, there have been many changes to the factors that influence how we operate, what S&T we need to deliver and when it’s required.

Global instability leading to increased demand for S&T

In March 2023, the Prime Minister presented the Integrated Review Refresh (IRR): Responding to a more contested and volatile world to Parliament. The IRR reiterates that over the past 2 years there has been an unprecedented increase in global instability, including changes to the economy and trade, climate change, and an increase in threats such as ‘sub-threshold warfare’ (for example, sabotage), as well as in conventional warfare.

The IRR sets out the next evolutionary step in “delivering on its aims, against the backdrop of a more volatile and contested world. Its main conclusion is that unless democracies like our own do more to build our resilience and out-cooperate and out-compete those that are driving instability, the global security situation will deteriorate further, to the detriment of all states and peoples. As in 2021, it paves the way to greater integration across government in pursuit of the 4 campaign priorities that will guide our national security strategy in this changing context. And it does so with further investment in our national security.”

This has led to a greatly increased demand for Dstl’s special and unique decision support and analysis capability and its research and S&T delivery. For example our support to operations almost tripled in 2022 alone.

Supporting the delivery of government and MOD priorities

As MODs executive agency for delivering S&T we will continue to support government, defence and security priorities. In this role, we increasingly need to collaborate more and more with industry and academia, in order to deliver and to help grow the UK’s S&T capability.

We are aligned to supporting the government in its ambitions for the UK to become a ‘Science Superpower’ and to ‘level up’ the UK through economic growth.

We are also aligned to the MOD S&T strategy, National Cyber strategy, Defence in a Competitive Age and defence’s commitment to ‘sustain strategic advantage through S&T’.

Our impact: Type 31 Frigate - speeding up delivery

Developing new assessment tools and ways of working, Dstl has enabled Defence Equipment & Support and the Royal Navy to more rapidly bring a warship from concept to service. It means the T31 could be delivered in 7 years compared with the 20 plus years for previous frigates.

Pace of technology change

The ever-accelerating pace of technology development means we cannot continue to operate in the ways we have done. The diversity of the S&T needed is widening, including how technology is used, how technologies converge and our understanding of new and emerging technologies.

As well as ensuring Dstl is strong and capable in the areas it must lead, in order to keep pace, we must increase our focus on developing collaborative partnerships and enabling more delivery through the private sector and academia. We need to be more agile in how we shape our capabilities to keep pace with technology development and convergence, integrating across S&T disciplines and rapidly identifying where we need to develop new capabilities to address the challenges we face and provide opportunities to leap ahead of opponents.

Increased demand for S&T in a challenging economic environment

Finally, the spending review in 2021 has provided a significant increase in demand for Dstl products and services. This increase is set against a range of significant challenges:

inflation leading to increasing operating costs
need to modernise infrastructure and support facilities
continuing pressure on public finances
national science technology engineering and maths (STEM) skills shortages in government and industry

Our impact: Ukraine - providing operational advantage

Hundreds of scientists from all across Dstl have been responding to hundreds of urgent requests in support of the UK’s efforts to help Ukraine defend its territory. From counter-drone technology, counter electronic warfare and personal and platform protection, many of Dstl’s capability areas and the S&T it has done in the past and is doing now have been drawn upon to play a part.

Question 4

How we will respond to these challenges

Accepted Answer

Deliver greater impact at increased pace, focusing on our stakeholders’ most important challenges

Due to the increase in demand for our S&T and the challenges we face, we need to evolve to stay at the forefront of delivering high impact S&T, at an even greater pace, focusing on our stakeholders’ most important challenges.

Our new approach will be based on 4 strategic themes, which have been developed in consultation with our stakeholders and our senior leaders:

enabling operational advantage at pace
preparing for the future
shaping the defence and security landscape
leveraging and influencing internationally

These 4 themes are underpinned by a fifth theme: ‘business enablers’ which will ensure that we invest in all aspects of our operations, to deliver effectively, safely and securely.

Question 5

Our strategic themes

Accepted Answer

1. Enabling operational advantage at pace

Enabling operational advantage at pace focuses on how we can improve the speed at which S&T can be exploited into defence or security capabilities:

provide S&T support to operations at home and abroad
more rapidly integrate technologies for defence and security
faster exploitation of our S&T through greater experimentation, technology demonstration, prototyping and support for test and evaluation working across defence
greater focus on key MOD projects - directed energy weapons, hypersonics, space, artificial intelligence, cyber, and the global combat air programme

2. Preparing for the future

To maintain an operational advantage in the future, UK defence and security will need new capabilities. Dstl will:

work at the heart of delivering new capabilities and Generation After Next with industrial and academic partners
ensure our S&T informs future force capabilities that are genuinely new, not upgrades of current or old ones
establish diverse supplier networks focused on innovative, cost-effective and affordable solutions to defence and security challenges including access to niche skills

Our impact: dragonfire - shooting down a drone at 3.5km

Working with an industry consortium, Dstl has demonstrated a working prototype laser weapon system, providing a new capability to address the threat our forces face from an increasing number of drones used on the battlefield. A UK sovereign ‘centre of excellence’ staffed with experts from multiple fields has been established with the trial being the culmination of significant joint investment by the UK MOD and industry over a number of years totalling around £100 million of investment in this capability.

3. Shaping the defence and security landscape

Dstl responds to government requirements through being tasked to deliver cutting-edge S&T. Over the course of this plan we will play an increased role in helping our customers and partners to understand better the challenges, threats and priorities faced and work with them to deliver S&T solutions that will provide cost effective solutions to those challenges.

We will maximize the impact of the S&T we deliver by:

working with the MOD Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA), DST and other key stakeholders to ensure that defence and security ask the right questions and make cost-effective, evidence based decisions at the right time to ensure that the UK maintains strong capabilities
working with 2nd Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (PUS) for defence and the CSA to ensure that MOD becomes a great science department and makes the best use of S&T
working with our close partners across government to shape and deliver S&T solutions against our shared priorities

4. Leveraging and influencing internationally

Dstl is at the forefront of collaborating with international allies and partners in order to deliver shared defence and security S&T priorities. In order to successfully deliver our new strategy it will be imperative for Dstl to:

build strategic influence through targeted international research collaboration
continue to gain access to, and share work on allied S&T programmes
burden share to drive value for money and capability benefit
share solutions to enable trust and integrated allied partnerships
play our role in making the UK a science superpower
we will use our S&T strengths and capabilities to make the UK an attractive partner in international S&T and equipment procurement programmes

Our impact: F-35 Lightning II

Dstl’s expertise in combat air was instrumental in securing the UK highly privileged access and influence over the F-35 programme from the outset and has unlocked multi-billion pound opportunities for UK industry, with a net gain to the UK economy of around £35bn, sustaining up to 25,000 jobs per annum.

Enabling our business

To help us in our work and achieve our strategic themes, we will:

invest in our digital and physical estates
review our routes to market to reach our external supply chain
invest in our people by taking the actions required to attract, retain and develop the skilled people our organisation needs and ensure Dstl remains a great place to work
by investing in these areas and making these improvements we can be more effective in our work, whilst continuing to operate safely and securely - which is always our number one priority

Refreshing our delivery principles

In order to achieve our new strategic themes and complete the improvements we need to make to support S&T delivery, we must rebalance our workload to deliver the top priority work that Dstl must lead or do and deliver more through our partnerships by working more collaboratively.

Our S&T delivery principles exist to ensure that we only deliver S&T using Dstl resources where it is absolutely necessary.

Our refreshed delivery principles outline where Dstl inhouse S&T resources will be used.

for national security and sensitivity
where there is no market viability, now or in the future
where it’s key to government to government collaboration
where it supports impartiality at the heart of government decision making
where Dstl is directed to deliver strategic government or MOD priorities

Our impact: sepsis - making predictions to save lives

Dstl has pioneered a new method to identify blood infection (sepsis) earlier, dramatically improving a person’s chances of surviving. Dstl scientists, working with the NHS and internationally, developed a diagnostic tool that allows for the detection of sepsis in patients. The test is being developed by spinout company PreSymptom Health Ltd and, if successfully deployed, could save billions of pounds globally and help save lives.

Maintaining our unique capabilities and delivering high impact S&T

Dstl’s purpose is to deliver high-impact S&T, at pace, for the benefit of defence and security. To achieve this, Dstl delivers our portfolio of S&T programmes in a way that is carefully prioritised to deliver the range and scale of impact required by defence and the wider UK government. Our customers in defence and government oversee the prioritisation of our work to ensure that our programmes align with their priorities, particularly those set out in the recent Integrated Review.

In alignment with the MOD S&T strategy, the MOD (CSA) S&T portfolio is designed to provide an appropriate balance between meeting the demands of current S&T requirements and key future S&T for countering future threats. To keep aligned with the pace of technology change and assure future operational advantage it is increasingly important that we have effective plans in place that define where we need to invest in our future capabilities and associated infrastructure, as defined in our infrastructure development plan.

Successful delivery against current and future defence and security requirements is reliant upon proactive stewardship of our critical S&T capabilities, which is dependent on stakeholder funding and Dstl’s technical planning. Through this approach Dstl is able to sustain the vital sovereign capabilities that cannot be delivered elsewhere. For example, over £7M per annum is provided by DST to sustain the infrastructure needed by the chemical biological (CB) capability. This funding was critical to sustain the capability that was used to support the Novichok incident in Salisbury in 2018, as well as to support our national response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The breadth of S&T within defence and security is described by the S&T capability framework of 22 strategic capabilities. This simplifies S&T capability management, ensuring we are able to invest in and sustain critical S&T capabilities essential for the future. This Framework will be reviewed as new S&T areas may emerge and become more important, while others may become less critical, as our strategy unfolds.

Dstl aims to lead the way in providing transformative solutions to meet the needs of both today and tomorrow’s defence and security. We will do this by continually adapting our capabilities and thinking differently about the ways in which we deliver our work. Through our refreshed delivery principles, we will be clearer on what we deliver and also our role within the capabilities we steward.

Question 6

Science and technology capabilities

Accepted Answer

In order to maintain the necessary ccience and technology capabilities required for delivering our portfolio of work for our customers, Dstl and DST have developed a framework of 22 capability areas:

Above Water Systems*
Advanced Materials
AI and Data Science
Air Systems*
CBR
Communications and Networks
Cyber
Electromagnetic Activities
Explosives and Energy
Homeland Security and CT Systems*
Human and Social Sciences
Information Systems*
Land Systems*
Operational Research
Robotics and Autonomous Systems
Sensing
Space Systems
S&T Futures and Incubator
Strategic Systems
Survivability
Underwater Systems*
Weapons

The 22 Dstl S&T strategic capabilities support the 17 MOD capabilities, where the MOD ‘Systems Capability’ has been expanded out into 6 sub-capabilities as shown above with an asterisk (*).

Question 7

Our people

Accepted Answer

Our people are vital to the success and future strategic direction of Dstl so that we can deliver greater impact at increased pace, focusing on our stakeholders’ most important challenges.

Over the course of this plan we will welcome new recruits into Dstl, continue to invest in our amazing colleagues and ensure that Dstl remains an exciting place to work.

Our recruitment plan for 2023 to 2024 is designed to deliver campaigns for the variety of skills and experience we require to support our strategy. We will work with a number of specialist recruitment partners to attract and source harder to fill posts.

Graduates, students and apprentices make real contributions to our projects and the future of our organisation. We take great pride in recruiting talented and enthusiastic young people each year. We celebrated National Apprenticeship Week which highlighted the opportunity open to everyone at Dstl to build skills, knowledge and experience through the opportunities that apprenticeships give.

Hannah, a team leader who has recently graduated with a BA (Hons) after successfully completing the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship (CMDA):

“I would highly recommend taking advantage of the range of apprenticeships that are available to Dstl employees. It is a really valuable way to develop your career while you work.”

Our diversity and inclusion plan underpins our recruitment, setting our vision for the organisation, through 3 objectives: representation, inclusion, growth and development.

We continue to strive to create a more inclusive Dstl and to attract the widest range of candidates in an increasingly competitive pool to improve representation across the organisation.

We have continued to build on our previous activities; using a number of tailored measures to promote us as an inclusive organisation and make our application process more accessible for everyone, such as positive action statements and tailored candidate arrangements.

We have successfully achieved Level 3 status in the Disability Confident scheme this year and are now recognised as a Disability Confident leader. We have been awarded this rating for our ongoing commitment to inclusive recruitment and our efforts in keeping and developing our people. Nick, EnableD Network Lead, said:

“This award is the result of a lot of hard work from colleagues across Dstl. It’s fantastic to see how determined Dstl is to ensuring that this is a welcoming and inclusive place to work for people with disabilities.”

Our employee support networks and trade unions provide insight from within the organisation and we continue to monitor the diversity within our workforce. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) is fostered across the organisation through dedicated D&I networks. We strive to ensure that Dstl provides an environment where talent thrives and engagement within is high.

Our people have continued to succeed outside of the organisation and we were delighted that 2 members of staff were recognised in the 2023 New Year honours list.

Warrant Officer (WO) Class 1 Ian Barrett PARA, Dstl’s most senior non-commissioned military advisor, has been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal (MSM) in recognition of more than twenty years good, faithful, valuable and meritorious service throughout which he has set the highest standards of behaviour and performance for himself and others.

Dr Hilary Bird has received a VCDS Commendation for her outstanding contribution to the defence and security of the United Kingdom.

In addition to her exceptional scientific research output mainly supporting the development of fieldable biological detection capabilities, Hilary has been instrumental in the development and delivery of practical, operationally relevant training and exercise support. Hilary has worked closely with specialist military personnel and has directly supported multiple overseas and UK-based operations, providing scientific expertise on the front line of military and police operations.

Dr Paul Hollinshead, Dstl Chief Executive said:

“These awards are evidence of the varied breadth of expertise that can be found within Dstl. It is gratifying that both Hilary and Ian have been recognised for their tireless efforts in supporting defence and security. I am immensely proud of their achievements and offer my sincere congratulations.”

We have successfully secured a multi-year pay agreement with the Cabinet Office and Treasury for a 13% increase in our pay bill over 3 years from 2022 to 2025. Not only will this make a significant improvement in our pay offering and associated challenges within our pay structure, it will set a platform for Dstl to consider pay and reward in the long-term beyond the expiry of the current deal in 2025.

Our leaders are vital to the organisation and we will invest in the development of our team and group leaders as a learning and development priority for the coming years.

Question 8

Financial outlook

Accepted Answer

The spending review 2021 prioritised £6.6 billion of MOD’s settlement for research, development and experimentation for the following 4 years. FY23/24 represents the third year of a 4-year settlement, which Dstl is positioned to deliver against.

Delivery will be guided by our commissioners in DST, as we continue to deliver high impact S&T that will help modernise defence. The introduction of a new ‘single front door’, through our newly established Chief Delivery Officer, will ensure that we focus our resources and advise our customers to maximise their investment in strategic priorities.

The graph shows future demand, which is set to rise to a new high of £1,156m in 2023 to 2024, an increase of 34% from FY21-22. Post 2025 to 2026 demand will be reconsidered as part of the upcoming Integrated and spending reviews. Following the Chancellor’s budget announcement that there is an aspiration for defence spending to reach 2.5 per cent of GDP, it is highly likely that demand will outstrip illustrated projections which are based on the current settlement.

We will work closely with our stakeholders to ensure that we position our capabilities to meet demand, by developing our internal resource and capability and by continuing to work with our external supply chain to increase the volume of work delivered in collaboration with partners in academia and industry. To meet the demands of UK defence and security will require growth in both Dstl and the supply chain over the coming years.

Charge rate increases

Due to careful management and good housekeeping, our total charge rate increases over the past 3 years remain below inflation. The 2023 to 2024 charge rate increase of 5.6% reflects operational efficiency against headline (Consumer Price Index) inflation of just over 10%. We have absorbed additional infrastructure costs that have arisen from a spike in utilities and digital costs.

Financial year	Rate of increase
2020 to 2021	1.0%
2021 to 2022	3.3%
2022 to 2023	5.6%

Our capital programme

Dstl has been developing its 10 year capital investment plan to ensure that Dstl is able to maintain a safe, secure and sustainable estate. The plan aligns with Dstl’s strategy and will support the current and future S&T portfolio. The plan is prioritised into the following headings:

Safety and regulatory

Projects which ensure H&S and fulfil Dstl’s mandatory, legal and regulatory requirements.

Maintain and secure the estate

Enabling projects which provide the underpinning infrastructure.

Capability health

Projects identified in as improving Dstl’s capability health.

S&T portfolio dependencies

Projects required to deliver the S&T portfolio.

Efficiency

Projects whose likely benefits include efficiency from a financial or time saved aspect.

Staff engagement

Improvements to make Dstl’s staff easier and more productive.

To deliver the 10 year plan, a significant uplift in capital investment is required. Dstl will be submitting a business case for this funding as part of ABC24. The impact of not increasing Dstl’s capital investment will be limitations on Dstl’s ability to meet the current and future needs of S&T and an inability to provide timely support to the development and exploitation of emerging technologies that underpin defence and security priorities.

Question 9

Quality

Accepted Answer

Dstl is committed to providing quality to our customers and stakeholders.

We demonstrate this commitment through corporate certification to ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management Systems) and TickITplus (quality assurance of models / software), as well as complying with quality requirements necessitated for specific scientific or engineering disciplines. Dstl complies with all applicable legislation and regulations, and conducts its business in an ethical and professional manner at all times.

Dstl’s commitment to quality, set out in our quality policy, drives an ethos of continuous improvement, looking at ways to improve our processes and systems to make them more efficient and effective for our people and our customers.

Question 10

Sustainability and environmental protection

Accepted Answer

The Dstl sustainability strategic direction 2021 to 2026 was published in 2022, supported by Dstl’s sustainability policy, this sets out the landscape for sustainability, and how it will be developed and delivered over the coming years, bringing alive our 7 areas of action:

Governance, behaviour, culture and engagement
Sustainable use of resources
Net zero carbon estate and climate resilience
S&T research and capability
Natural capital
Sustainable procurement and improved generation of social value
Data and management information

Our sustainability goals support and closely align with the UK government’s net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 (NZ50) mandate, the Greening Government Commitments, and the MOD’s Science and Technology strategy.

We recognise we have a corporate, social and moral responsibility to manage our impacts on the environment, reduce negative impacts, and expand and enhance positive impacts. The importance of being climate resilient is becoming increasingly significant as we move forward with projected changes to the environment. It is critical for us to look to the future to anticipate how these changes will impact on us, and identify methods that can be implemented to reduce or mitigate against them.

Agility is essential in recognising and taking advantage of new opportunities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that will present themselves as technology progresses; this will provide benefits of reducing our carbon footprint and make business sense in reducing costs and consumption. Calculating whole life costing, including the analysis of embodied carbon, ongoing running costs and emissions, and end of life disposal will enable improved and informed investment management decisions.

We will enable the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions through improved management of the estate, seek new and developing technologies to support our ambitions, and ensure all new build and refurbishment projects are built to modern environmental standards in line with the UK government policy.

Question 11

Managing our risks and measuring our performance

Accepted Answer

Dstl recognises that effective risk management is critical to the delivery of the organisation’s strategic objectives and operations. Everyone, at all levels, is encouraged to make well informed decisions about risks.

Dstl’s risk management practices comply with the MOD’s wider risk processes and assurance arrangements, such as MOD’s Joint Service Publication 892, and adopts practices from the government Finance Function’s Orange Book.

We have a system of internal risk arrangements, registers and escalation routes, through which we are able to monitor and review the risk profile to the delivery of the organisation’s objective. This year we will update our risk management practices following issue of a new version of JSP 892. Risk assurance will be an important aspect, to provide confidence in our control environment.

Dstl’s strategic risks are owned by our Executive Management Committee, with oversight from the Dstl Board. Both the Board and the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee undertake regular reviews and deep dives of these risks and their mitigation plans. This gives understanding as to whether the level of risk being carried by Dstl is within its tolerance and delegated authority. Dstl regularly engages with MOD and other government departments to understand how it contributes to the mitigation of their risks where a dependency has been placed on Dstl.

Over the course of this plan, we will have a range of key performance indicators (KPIs) agreed with our Board and MOD. They will track a range of measures to ensure that the organisation performs against these 5 critical areas, on a quarterly basis: