Recommendation 13

FCDO’s overseas estate is diverse, including not just offices and residences but also churches, schools, cemeteries and amenities for staff.33 The overseas estate must also adapt to a wide variety of conditions, including different local laws and requirements, the presence of locally skilled labour and access to material supplies. Consequently, FCDO’s delivery models for day-to-day management of its overseas estate vary across its posts: 84% have responsibility for maintaining their own estate. This is done through in-house teams or local contractors with support provided from FCDO’s central estate function, ESND, in Whitehall. The remainder are managed through two regional facilities management contracts in Europe and Asia.34 FCDO told us it wants to develop a centrally owned but locally flexible strategy that allows it to make the best use of its assets.35