Metropolitan Police Estate Programme Delivery
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) cover the whole of the Capital’s policing needs with 33,000 officers 24/7, 365 days a year in one of the world’s greatest capital cities. Their remit now covers an increasingly wide scope from burglary to anti-terrorism providing nationally and internationally recognised services.
In common with many large programmes of this type the time elapsed between the development, sign off and funding of the estates strategy and the implementation inevitably leaves a period where operational changes are needed. In the case of the MET, an extensive review of how Police Boroughs operated was undertaken, and a new model to combine Boroughs into larger Business Operating Units was decided upon. This impacted the estates strategy as the new BCUs needed to operate across old borough boundaries and combine forces together under new command structures and operational processes. No review of the estates strategy against the new operating model was undertaken, and the designs, blue prints and designs were not adjusted to the new locations of operation, headcount numbers or operational roles being under taken (i.e. some previously central teams and roles where now added to the BCU organisation).
Inevitably, once physical workspace designs, along with construction costings were at an advanced stage, even with the introduction of smarter working and desk sharing, the balance of supply of space and demand of FTE and new operational demands was snowing as an issue.
EventMAP were commissioned to provide both post occupation and optimisation studies on key site sites crucial to delivering the estates strategy, in particular the relocation of staff out of Empress State Building (ESB) in West Brompton to four flexible accommodation model (FAM) sites.
EventMAP provided optimisation studies on New Scotland Yard (Post Occupancy Survey), Hendon Training Centre (Post Occupancy Survey), and part of Lambeth Offices (Post Occupancy Survey. These have all added to the decision-making processes for the Estates Programme and identified and suggested solutions to the current supply and demand pinch points between two programmes in delivery.
The modelling and option development for Hendon saved significant money in planned furniture provision (£150K) and a greater amount of space for use by the programme supporting the exit of ESB. Achieved by providing accurate utilisation data, along with face to face engagement with directorate leaders and teams with options for workplace design to continue to meet the current staff needs and the future demand from staff from ESB.
The study of New Scotland Yard proved that against the perception of the buildings use, it was in fact under-utilised and provided and opportunity with some moves within the building, and engagement with occupants to act as a ‘Business Centre’ or touchdown place for officers and staff to use as a central London location in addition to their base FAM site. EventMAP showed that this would relieve pressure on both other London locations (like Lambeth) and make better use of NSY for the period of transition needed in the delivery of the full Estates transformation programme, and allow a refresh of the smarter working approach at a key and important building in enabling the cultural changes needed to support the MET’s new operating model.
