Defence Related Environmental Assessment Method (DREAM)

Basics

What is it?
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) specific online environmental performance assessment tool applicable to MoD new buildings and refurbishments.

Useful where?
At four specific stages of the building process; survey, design, construction and operation.

What else does it do?
Is useful as an educational vehicle for developing understanding environmental issues and options to address them.

Related activities
Is part of the MoD's Sustainability and Environmental Appraisal Tools suite along with the Sustainability and Environmental Appraisal Tool Information Database (SEATID), DEEP (q.v.) and MoD specific DQI. Could be seen as similar to BREEAM (q.v.) in terms of assessment methodology.

In what sectors?
Defence.

Relevance
To ensure that applicable MoD buildings meet a mandatory high standard in terms of design and performance. It also acts as an audit tool where material relating to critical environmental decisions can be collated and stored.

Development status

Who developed it?
Defence Estates Property Directorate.

Stage of development
Was developed in response to UK Government requirements set down in 2005. It was launched April 2006 and is currently in use online.

Examples of its use
The tool is built around the criteria of the government sustainability targets. Any MoD project that meets specified construction activity criteria since DREAM was introduced must be assessed under it.

Further development happening?
Annual reviews to update for legislation, regulations and standards. Last update Autumn 2009, currently at version 3.2. Platform refresh autumn 2009.

Development contacts
Martin Warman 0121 3113870 martin.warman@de.mod.uk.

How it works

Brief description
An online tool designed to be completed by MoD project teams and assessors. Each project is registered and assessed according to building type and whether it is a new build or refurbishment. At each stage there are criteria to satisfy in terms of:

Biodiversity,
External environmental quality,
Energy,
Internal environmental quality,
Procurement,
Travel,
Water,
Waste.

Credits are awarded if the requirements are successfully met and evidence is submitted where appropriate. A report is produced once each stage is complete and the rating achieved is fixed. A final rating is determined one year after occupation and is based on all four previous submissions. Unlike BREEAM, there are no weightings applied to each question or category; one credit for water at survey stage is worth the same as one credit for transport at operation stage. A final report is also produced.

Is there software?
Yes.

How long does it take?
It runs for the duration of the project from survey stage to one year post occupation.

Can I do it myself?
Yes, but only if you are working as part of a project team for the MoD. It is designed to be completed by MoD project teams but allows for consultancy support if necessary.

Can someone else do it for me?
Yes, if contracted to work on specific MoD projects.

References
DREAM user handbook.
MOD Sustainability and Environmental Appraisal Tool handbook which references the appraisal tool methodologies applied to MoD estate developments. (See links and PDFs).

Is the technique in the public domain?
Yes.

Are the methods open to inspection with technical support papers?
Yes.

Cost
Dependent on how resourced but no assessment fee is payable to MoD/DE.

Are the results in the public domain?
Overall results are published annually in several Government and MoD sustainability reports. It is a requirement that all DREAM rated projects (both new build and refurbishment schemes) achieve an ‘excellent’.

Is there an accreditation system?
There is no requirement for assessors to be accredited. A random sample audit of assessments is undertaken.

Organisations offering
n/a.