2.4 On the other hand, it is equally clear that some aspects of Defence work well and are widely respected. Since the 1998 Strategic Defence Review the MOD and Armed Forces have achieved a great deal in difficult circumstances. While sustaining the highest level of operational activity since the Second World War, the MOD has delivered at least £5 billion of efficiencies since 2004, reducing the civilian workforce by 45,000 and the Armed Forces by 22,000.
2.5 Our engagement with senior representatives of other ministries of defence was very useful in this regard. It both highlighted aspects of the way the UK MOD is run which allies view positively and are looking to adopt in their own organisations and also produced some interesting ideas and lessons which we considered in the UK context.
2.6 Drawing on this and our own analysis, we concluded that the MOD's particular strengths include:
• the level of integration between MOD civilians and Service personnel across the organisation, including in Head Office;
• a new joint generation of officers who have primarily trained and operated in a joint environment, and have a more joint outlook than their predecessors;
• its focus on delivering Defence outputs, including in very challenging operational and financial circumstances, drawing on very strong single Service loyalties and high levels of commitment to the organisation amongst civilian staff; and,
• the model for conducting operations overseas, centred on the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), which is widely admired internationally.