At the Defence Estates Conference in March 2001, the then Secretary of State for Defence, Mr Geoff Hoon MP announced an additional £1bn of new funding over a 10 year period for raising the standard of single living accommodation (SLA) demonstrating the high value the MOD places on it’s Service personnel and it’s commitment to significantly improve living standards. Project SLAM (Single Living Accommodation Modernisation) is the tri-service project which is delivering modern SLA for our Armed Forces personnel across Great Britain.

The project is being delivered by Defence Estates (DE) in conjunction with Debut Services Ltd (DSL) a consortium led by Bovis Lend Lease and Babcock Support Services Ltd, acting as the Prime Contractor responsible for design, construction and initial 7 year maintenance of the new facilities. This project is a clear example of the DE’s Prime Contracting Initiative producing better value through collaborative working between the construction industry and MOD.

Objective
The Project's objectives are to:

• Deliver all projects within agreed cost, quality and programmed requirements.
• Deliver 18% capital cost savings in SLA provision by 31 March 2012
• Commit to a philosophy of innovation and continuous improvement though the adoption of measurable performance indicators that encompass time, cost, quality, health and safety and environmental parameters.
• Commit to a philosophy of innovation and continuous improvement though the adoption of measurable performance indicators that encompass time, cost, quality, health and safety and environmental parameters.
• Provide positive contribution in the recruitment and retention of Service personnel.

Outputs
Project SLAM’s objective to help Service personnel feel valued has influenced it design philosophy. ‘Model Standard’ designs have been developed for a range of accommodation types. The emphasis is on producing a homely environment, with most accommodation in a ‘flatlet format’, comprising of 6 or 8 en-suite bedrooms sharing utility and common room facilities.

Progress
Delivery momentum has built up considerably over the initial Phase of the contract as the integrated project team has developed strong relationships, refined delivery processes and improved the product. Since contract award 70 individual projects delivering over 12516 bedspaces have been completed as of 1 April 2009, equating to the provision of more than one new bedspace for every working hour. In addition a further 34 projects that will deliver some 6000 bedspaces are in the construction or design phases.

Performance
Key Performance Indicators have been developed to ensure maintenance of quality and quantity of output, whilst achieving cost savings. The projects delivered as of 1 April 2009 have generally been completed to programme, out turn costs are on average within 2% of the target price at contract award and health and safety statistics are better than industry norms. The scale of the Project, the repeat nature of the work and the use of standard designs has generated efficiency improvements and the opportunity to streamline processes.

Sustainability and Quality
SLAM aims to minimise any adverse effects of its projects and operations. Some 20% of products are from recycled sources and waste management processes are implemented across SLAM sites to ensure responsible disposal of waste and recycling where possible. SLAM aims to minimise the consumption of energy and water, and the discharge of substances harmful to the environment. Every SLAM project is assessed using the Defence Related Establishments Environmental Assessment Methodology (DREEAM).

To ensure that quality is measurable and is consistent across the SLAM programme the Project team has developed a Design Excellence Evaluation Process. This is applied to all SLAM projects to ensure optimal functionality, that buildings successfully sit within their environment and that materials are of the appropriate quality and robustness.