Despite the Department's progress to date in implementing TLCM, there remain significant barriers to the continued development of this approach. These include:
• complexity of organisational structure impeding transition. To many participants in the acquisition community, the complexity of what is intended appears significant, and there are concerns that the desired outcomes, whilst theoretically valid, are a level of change too great for an organisation that has been in "change mode" non-stop for a decade. In particular, the role of Programme Boards appears to be unclear for many outside MoD Centre or the senior management of DE&S. The changes that underpin the "Unified Customer" appear to be coming from the MoD Capability Sponsor with varying degrees of vigour, depending on the capability area.
• effective management of so many bilateral interfaces by the subordinate IPT (i.e., with PB, CPG, CMG, MoD Capability Sponsor, FLC, DE&S operating centre, DE&S corporate centre) whilst delivering large, technically challenging projects;
• divided budgetary responsibilities across the capability area. Management of money between budgets to optimise for capability will remain very challenging either in-year, or in planned future years;
• accounting systems and management information not currently aligned to "capabilities";
• the incremental administrative overhead incurred by DE&S operating centres and IPTs because of the new programme oversight bodies (in addition to existing MoD structures); and
• the perceived relevance of TLCM to each of the parties involved.
Further to the concerns listed above it is worth noting again that the current level of overheat in the equipment programme as a whole militates against making short-term spending commitments which are easily justified by reference to long-term benefits. These local difficulties prevail against the principles of TLCM.