Value for Money
Improving Single Living Accommodation
Published 3 February 2021
7 recommendations
Ministry of Defence
Defence and national securityMilitary equipment, logistics and technologyPeople and operationsProperty and estates
nao.org.uk
This report examines whether single living accommodation meets the needs of the Ministry of Defence and service personnel.
Recommendations (7)
Source: NAO Recommendations Tracker · PAC follow-up below
Ministry of Defence
Rec 1
Accepted
Implemented
The Department should raise the profile given to SLA by appointing a senior sponsor within Defence to oversee, champion and coordinate the efforts of the Commands and defence organisations. A further review of the governance processes for SLA should be undertaken to ensure the new oversight bodies have the powers needed to manage SLA effectively.
Ministry of Defence
Rec 2
Accepted
Work in Progress
The Department should give priority to developing a more comprehensive overview of its SLA provision. This should include a more complete picture of what it costs to manage and sustain the estate, bed space availability and wider asset management data. Any systems introduced must be integrated or compatible with existing platforms and reduce any duplication of data collected. The Department must also ensure that controls are in place so that data on SLA are of a robust quality.
Ministry of Defence
Rec 3
Accepted
Implemented
The Department (and specifically, DIO) should work with the Commands to introduce, as soon as possible, a booking system that is easy to use and reduces costs. It must ensure lessons have been learned from its previous experiences and from overseas defence bodies which have developed similar systems.
Ministry of Defence
Rec 4
Accepted
Implemented
The Department should carry out and make use of work on the ‘lived experience’ to better understand what personnel want from SLA and inform future accommodation plans. The Department should look at how it can regularly collect data on experiences of SLA. The Department should also make better use of available data such as AFCAS, to understand how SLA provision links to retention, where necessary amending survey questions to capture the data required.
Ministry of Defence
Rec 5
Accepted
Implemented
The Department should agree and set out what a reasonable standard for SLA would look like, drawing on building condition standards but also the ‘lived experience’ work. Progress in both improving SLA to a reasonable standard and then maintaining it, should be reported on regularly. This includes making use of current and future performance metrics and holding contractors to account for delivering against these.
Ministry of Defence
Rec 6
Accepted
Work in Progress
The Department should review the grading system used for charging and ensure that charging policies do not discriminate between people in different circumstances. The implementation of a minimum standard should be accompanied by a simplified and less burdensome grading system.
Ministry of Defence
Rec 7
Accepted
Work in Progress
The Department should ensure all SLA plans are coordinated with other projects which impact on the SLA estate. As the DEO Portfolio and FAM will take time to deliver, decisions need to be taken about what ‘quick wins’ can be made to provide adequate SLA to the greatest number of service personnel, including so that those on sites marked for disposal are not forgotten.
Parliamentary Committee Follow-Up
The Public Accounts Committee examined this NAO report and published its own recommendations. The government responds to PAC recommendations via Treasury Minutes.
Fifty-Fourth Report - Improving single living accommodation for service personnel
Public Accounts Committee
· 23 April 2021
· 15 recommendations