WS Atkins is to provide programme and project support services to GCHQ for up to five years, to support the construction of its new centre for 4,000 staff near Cheltenham, to be built by the Integrated Accommodation Services (IAS) consortium comprising Carillion, Group 4 and BT.

The GCHQ facility in Cheltenham, locally known as the Doughnut

WS Atkins has some 130 professional staff engaged at Cheltenham. The expectation is that in the early stages of the programme this will peak at 170 and subsequently reduce to a steady state of 135.

GCHQ has opted for a managed service contract established within a framework of performance measurements. WS Atkins Chief Executive, Michael Jeffries, says: "This is a unique contract to set up and staff a programme support office on a managed service basis. We are providing our own IT infrastructure and software as well as the programme and project support staff to ensure the programme is managed effectively."

Richard Byatt