Recommendation 7

Improve the ability of DE&S to deliver efficiently on new equipment and support

a) Scope and management structure of DE&S

i. Scope of DE& to be rationalised. DE&S to focus on programme management of acquisition of new equipment and support of in-service equipment.

ii. Other functions, including dockyards, Joint Support Chain, and certain aspects of communications to be hived off into separate entities.

iii. Management structure of DE&S to be revised. Two joint COO 3* positions created to handle IPT workload, CoM roles to be abolished. CDM to be a very senior civilian Programme Management position, recruited externally. Chief of Staff and Chief of Corporate Services roles to be merged.

b) Develop better skills in the workforce

i. Significantly increase programme and project management skills within DE&S at all levels of the organisation.

ii. Increase in resources of central technical staffs available to individual projects as needed.

iii. No person, civil or military, to be appointed to a post of 1* or above without extensive programme management experience.

c) Ensure greater independence from the customer

i. Hard charging interfaces to be created between DE&S and DCDS(Capability) for future equipment programme, and any change requests, and Front Line Commands for in-service support. Full reporting on output delivered for budget input required.

ii. Level of resources and skills of independent cost estimators to be substantially increased.

iii. CDM and the joint COO 3* posts to have full control over appointment of 2* Cluster heads and 1* team leaders, with this control cascading down through DE&S.

iv. Military personnel may be seconded to teams to provide advice on user needs without programme management experience, but may not occupy line management positions in this guise.

d) Institute a regime of strict financial discipline

i. Levels of resources and influence of Finance Function to be substantially increased. DE&S FD to be recognised as de-facto and de-jure second in command to CDM. DE&S FD to have strong dotted line to MoD DG Finance.

ii. Carrying forward into new FY of planned activity in excess of annual budgets (currently running at over 10% of DE&S spend) to be banned.

e) Improve accountability for project performance

i. Assurance process to be reduced and potentially removed as duplicative of Scrutiny role.

ii. Consistent programme and project management tools to be used across DE&S to ensure transparency of management information and easy migration of staff across teams.

iii. IPT leaders and above to be retained in post for a minimum 4-year double tour. Military officers seeking to serve as line managers must also follow this rule.

iv. Empowerment of cluster heads, and then IPT leaders, to be reinstated, as envisioned in Smart Acquisition.