The Department for International Development is now operating out of a new location, in previously unused government offices at 22 Whitehall in London.
The agency made its move ahead of schedule in a cost-efficient manner that is expected to save a cumulative 63.5 million pounds ($98.2 million), U.K. Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan said Feb. 19.
“The move is now complete and, by driving the best deal and managing the project tightly, we have saved more than £1 million on the original estimated costs of relocation,” Duncan said.
The relocation is said to accompany a shift in DfID’s new “flexible working practices,” in part supported by video conferencing facilities and fewer outside office meetings, and a “new, more business-like approach from the department.”
The move comes amid increased scrutiny on how the department spends its money as it is due to have its largest budget increase: U.K. spending for official development assistance this year will rise from 0.56 percent to 0.7 percent of gross national income.
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