2019/20 annual report published

The FCDO Services Annual Report and Accounts for 2019/20 has been approved by the Foreign Secretary and laid before Parliament.

The last 12 months have been FCDO Services’ most successful year in revenue terms as a Trading Fund. This is testament to the incredible efforts of the combined experience of our staff, and trust placed in them by our customers. In addition, we are pleased to have met and exceeded all of our ministerial targets for the year.

FCDO Services continues to expand the areas of work in which we excel, with major projects delivered for our defence and security colleagues across Whitehall and overseas.

Aside from our close support of the FCDO’s overseas platform, including the provision of estates, security and technological support for embassies and high commissions, we have worked with customers like the Home Office and Ministry of Defence on diverse projects, and provided secure services to colleagues from the ‘Five Eyes’ group of nations.

Highlights

The report highlights several projects and operations which demonstrate the organisation’s key strategic objectives: to be trusted, agile and global. These include a seismic retrofit for the Ambassador’s Residence in Yangon, a digital radio upgrade for the High Commission in Yaoundé, hosting a freight tracking application for Border Force and working with the RAF on a technical and security upgrade to support their Sky Sabre project. UK NACE will be celebrating 75 years next year, and the report includes a focus piece on their critical work from origin through to present day.

Delivering world class operations

In his foreword to the report, the Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for FCDO Services, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, thanked the organisation for supporting UK diplomacy throughout the year:

“The Trading Fund has grown from strength to strength over the past year, generating record levels of revenue and further enhancing its place in the family of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. On behalf of the Foreign Secretary and the staff of the FCDO around the world, I thank FCDO Services for delivering and maintaining the diplomatic platform through a pivotal moment in our country’s history.”

Sir Simon Gass, Chair of the FCDO Services Board paid tribute to the efforts of the staff working around the world.

“The successes of this last year have been all the more impressive given the challenges we have faced but the organisation has again shown its willingness to go to great lengths to serve the organisations we work with.”

Danny Payne, the Chief Executive of FCDO Services, said the organisation had demonstrated its strength in adapting quickly to fast-moving circumstances.

“The last year has demonstrated the incredible ability of FCDO Services and its dedicated staff in delivering world class operations in the most challenging of times. Our most successful year has given us the confidence to approach this uncertain time with the knowledge we excel at change. Our advantage is the ability to adapt and adjust to our customers’ needs.”

As a Trading Fund of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, FCDO Services is mandated to produce a set of financial reports to be laid before parliament. The report contains details of the financial records and governance arrangements for the organisation. These accounts were laid in the House of Commons and House of Lords on 16 July 2020.