The RFCA logistics team, made up of Cadet Administrative Assistants and Cadet Quartermasters across our 6 counties welcomed the VIVO Defence Services Implementation team at the Waterbeach Cadet Training Centre on 7th May.
The RFCA logistics team meet twice a year at a central location like Waterbeach for a one-day training conference that includes updates from the Chief Executive, the Chief of Staff, the Head of Estates, the HSE Manager, the Soft FM & Fleet Manager and special guests of particular relevance to our colleagues, such as on this occasion, the VIVO team.
At the previous conference, RFCA Head of Estate David Routledge shared the outcomes of the Volunteer Estate Value for Money study (VE VFM); a new industry partner will be delivering all Hard FM services in EA including: statutory maintenance, inspections and testing, grounds maintenance, and new works. “Vivo are here today to share with you how the new contractual arrangements will work in practice, your role in the new arrangements starting on 1st August, and they will answer any questions you have,” said David, who visited the VIVO Helpdesk centre with other RFCA colleagues in March.
East Anglia RFCA is the first region to receive this briefing from VIVO! Darren, Paul, Becky and Gaynor from VIVO will be visiting all the relevant regions to build relationships and collaboration ahead of the 1st August In-Service Date (ISD) for new Hard FM arrangements. “VIVO is caring, collaborative and agile ,” said Becky Child, VIVO Communications & Engagement Director, as she shared the culture of VIVO and their aspirations for modernising the Defence Estate.
Darren Orr is our VIVO Operations Lead. He said: “a lot of what we did in building this operating model is based on understanding the differences between the built estate and the volunteer estate.” VIVO aims for reactive maintenance tasks to involve “single visit first-time fix using quality parts, from competent people.” To monitor and validate this is working in practice, VIVO’s Performance & Reporting team works alongside Helpdesk to demonstrate the standards of maintenance VIVO deliver are being upheld.
The presentation included a list of things our RFCA teams can do to support a successful Day 1. “We’re grateful to all RCA staff who will be supporting access requests & arrangements, as well as data collection requests over the first few weeks and months,” said Paul Morris, VIVO Transition Director. ” Remember, there’s no need to hold work orders back; all existing service requests to the existing RFCA 24/7 Helpdesk will be ported over on 1st August. There won’t be any need to duplicate Helpdesk requests either on 1st August.”
The RFCA team in the room leaned into the opportunity to ask questions:
- How will RFCA teams and site users know if a fault has already been reported?
- How will VIVO know if the regular site users are happy with the completed works?
- How will VIVO ensure appropriate DBS and security clearance for anyone coming onto site?
- Will multiple tasks to one site result in multiple access requests or will they be consolidated?
- What is the Inclusive Repair Threshold for reactive services?
- How do we know if a contractor has been at site, will there be a log book system?
Our Chief Executive, Col Leona Barr-Jones, thanked the EA RFCA team for their excellent questions about the FDIS implementation, which will be taken away and be answered ahead of the go live date, adding that “this is a positive change, which will certainly benefit our cadets and reservists.”
