A close working partnership with the Ministry of Defence and Interserve is enabling specialist defence support services company ESS to deliver first-class hotel and estate services for the single living accommodation at HM Naval Base Devonport, Plymouth, during a major Private Finance Initiative (PFI) development programme.
Project Armada
The single living accommodation in the Fleet Accommodation Centre at Devonport – the largest naval base in western Europe – is currently being rebuilt through the ‘Project Armada’ PFI project by support services group Interserve, which has been awarded the £240 million contract to create, operate and maintain the new accommodation.
Interserve has chosen ESS to provide catering, cleaning, laundry, waste disposal and window cleaning services for the living and mess accommodation during the construction programme and for the completed facility. The site is continuing in operation during the construction phase using existing accommodation and the new accommodation as it is built. Each day ESS, with a staff of 276, feeds up to 1,650 officers, senior ratings and junior ratings living in the Fleet Accommodation Centre. The company also cleans facilities covering a total of seven square miles within the Devonport Dockyard.
Strong partnering relationship
ESS' five-year contract at Devonport started in October 2004 and was preceded by a three-month mobilisation period during which ESS operations support manager Phil Ryan was based full-time at the naval base. “My role during this time was to build up a solid partnering relationship with both Interserve and the Navy,” says Phil. “We held daily meetings throughout this period so that everyone knew what was happening at each stage and we were able to address any issues or problems at an early stage as a partnership.”
A major part of Phil's role during the mobilisation was to assess and order the equipment needed for the operation of the contract. He held detailed on-site discussions with the subcontractors who would be working for ESS at Devonport ensuring that they each understood every aspect of their role and were equipped to perform to the high standards set by ESS.
Phil continues to hold regular meetings with Interserve and the Navy. “We meet once a month with the Navy to review all our services and have day-to-day contact with Interserve. There are also weekly operations meetings,” he says. “It's vital we maintain open communication with our clients so that we keep abreast of any changes in their requirements.”
ESS' cleaning operation involves 126 staff and includes the daily cleaning of the Fleet Accommodation Centre; the offices and warehouses located within the area of Devonport and five houses including one belonging to an admiral and another owned by a commodore. The company also runs the Fleet Accommodation Centre's reception area, which is open 24 hours a day and deals with the allocation of rooms and their upkeep.
The ESS team prepare three meals a day for the base's 55 senior officers, 195 junior officers, 456 warrant officers and senior ratings and 947 junior ratings. Breakfast is a full cooked English breakfast or continental style light breakfast; lunch always includes healthy snacks, such as salads and fruit, and a vegetarian option and dinner uses fresh seasonal produce. “All our menus are approved by the Navy and are reviewed every 28 days to enable us to make the best use of seasonal produce and vary our meal options,” says Phil. ESS chefs are also careful to include some traditional Navy favourites on the menu such as ‘cheesy, hammy eggy’ (toasted bread topped with ham, a Welsh rarebit mix and a poached egg). The company also organises regular theme nights serving, for example, Thai cuisine.
ESS is also about to introduce a new facility, Pay As You Dine (PAYD), which will further enhance the company's catering service at the base. Under PAYD service personnel only pay for what they eat, rather than having a standard charge automatically deducted from their wages.
Performance monitoring
Maintaining excellent standards of service is a priority for ESS and the company has devised a series of key performance indicators (KPI) to ensure that service is of the highest quality. For example, officers must be served at the naval base's restaurants within ten minutes and served at the bars within five minutes.
The consistently high standards of ESS' performance have been acknowledged by the award of the ISO 9001:2000 accreditation, which is the internationally recognised standard for quality management systems, across all the company's defence units nationwide. This achievement follows the successful implementation of ESS' own quality system, ‘Directions’, which allows quality standards to be electronically assessed and audited in detail. ESS has also been awarded ISO 14000, which is the internationally recognised standard for environmental management systems, for its work at Devonport. Around 70 per cent of the site's waste is recycled; including all cardboard, tin cans and office paper.
For Phil, the key to ESS' success is its ability to understand its client's needs. “Like many of our senior managers, I have a forces background – I was in the Royal Navy for 13 years and this means I can relate to what the Navy wants from us. ESS is prepared to put in the time to talk with its clients and develop an understanding of their particular culture.”
Client comments
The redevelopment of the facilities and delivery of services under Project Armada for our people within the Fleet Accommodation Centre here at Devonport Naval Base is a hugely important and high profile initiative for the Royal Navy. ESS, as the operator of those facilities, provides the RN with excellent support; their commitment, responsiveness and professional approach have all played a significant part in the success of Project Armada to date.
Commander Frank Thomas, base logistics commander Devonport.
Interserve is delighted to be working with ESS at Devonport Naval Base. We are particularly looking forward to introducing the Pay As You Dine initiative which will enhance the catering service at the base.
Pete Thomas, operations director for Project Armada at Interserve.
