Background
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) manages an overseas estate of over 6,000 properties in nearly 180 countries and territories. This includes around 450 Embassy, High Commission, Consulate or office buildings, and 4,200 staff housing units. The overseas estate is shared by other UK government departments with an overseas presence and is supported by local and global maintenance teams. FCDO also has a global programme of capital projects, including recently completed projects in Washington DC, Paris and Ottawa.
FCDO has been funding its estates capital programme through asset sales since 2010, including £685 million from a partial sale of the Tokyo compound in 2022. In December 2023, FCDO estimated its estate maintenance requirements to have a cost of at least £250 million.
In his report Making public money work harder the Comptroller and Auditor General identified asset management as one of the biggest opportunities for spending public money more efficiently and effectively.
Scope
This study will examine how FCDO is managing and maintaining its overseas estate. It will consider whether FCDO:
- has a clear overarching strategy to meet its current and future overseas estate requirements
- is set up to manage its overseas estate effectively
- is managing its maintenance programme and capital projects effectively
NAO Team
Director: Leena Mathew
Audit Manager: Stephanie Woodrow