Corporate report

Dstl Quality Policy

Updated 5 August 2025

© Crown copyright 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/dstl-quality-policy/dstl-quality-policy

1. Purpose

To support the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory’s (Dstl’s) strategic objectives and the delivery of products, services and advice that are trusted, valued and consistently meet and deliver customer expectations, Dstl operates a certified management system. Dstl’s management system comprises policies and processes which are both statements of leadership intent and the system of core business activities that deliver our business needs.

This policy sets out the Executive’s commitment to the standards of quality that support successful delivery of our strategy, including review of performance measures to identify and proactively implement actions for improvement.

2. Scope

This policy applies to all aspects of our business, across all sites and hubs, and is communicated to staff, contractors, suppliers and partners through our management system and GOV.UK, thus enabling everyone to comply with our quality requirements.

For Dstl employees, it should be read in conjunction with Dstl’s Science and Technology (S&T) Technical Quality Policy, which is specific to the required technical quality of Dstl’s S&T outputs.

3. Statement

It is Dstl’s policy to:

  1. Operate and maintain an ISO 9001 certified management system.
  2. Demonstrate compliance with Joint Service Publication (JSP) 940 Part 1 (MOD Policy for Quality), that ensures business requirements are fulfilled, delivering consistent quality of operation, output and service that meet stakeholders needs.
  3. Engage and communicate with interested parties, ensuring we understand their requirements and challenges and enabling us to meet their current and future needs, while seeking feedback to enhance customer satisfaction to improve the quality of our products, services and advice.
  4. Comply with all legal, statutory, regulatory and ethical requirements and standards relevant to the products and services we supply.
  5. Ensure that the skills and resources needed to fulfil business requirements are available, maintained and developed.
  6. Identify, use, review, and act upon metrics to establish the effectiveness of the management system, thereby providing an overview of business performance together with opportunities for improvement to support the quality of our products and services.
  7. Ensure that this policy and associated processes are communicated and accessible to all employees, thereby empowering people to eliminate ineffective practices.

4. Responsibilities

The Chief Executive and Executive Team are responsible for:

  • demonstrable leadership and commitment in support of this policy and the management system
  • ensuring that the policies and processes that support our management system enable us to deliver against our strategic objectives and outcomes
  • improving the customer’s overall experience by reviewing the effectiveness of the management system and through identification and implementation of improvement opportunities

Leadership roles are responsible for:

  • demonstrating leadership and commitment to this policy
  • implementing and enforcing this policy and the requirements of the management system
  • ensuring that all relevant parties who are required to comply with this policy understand its requirements and are competent and able to conduct business activities
  • designing, publishing and reviewing processes that promote effective working practices in accordance with this policy
  • taking accountability for the effectiveness of the processes under their direction and how they contribute to the success of Dstl
  • empowering staff to challenge ineffective and inefficient practices in consultation with the process owner to promote improvement

Everyone is responsible for:

  • promoting awareness and championing the daily application of quality across the organisation
  • conducting activities in accordance with policies, processes, temporary instructions and or flash notices
  • recognising and communicating inefficient or ineffective activities and helping to develop or implement improved ways of working
  • challenging any behaviours or practices that fall short of the expectations of this policy
  • reporting any breaches of this policy to the appropriate line management

The Policy Owner or Sponsor is the Chief Executive.

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