3.1 Defence Major Projects are often large and complex procurement activities. They can be high cost and are generally very technical acquisitions which, more often than not, are delivered over a long period by domestic and/or overseas suppliers. These characteristics pose significant challenges to the effective governance of these projects and highlight the importance of applying a robust governance framework to them. Such a framework has the capacity to enhance transparency and accountability, and support consistent assessment of the progress of Major Projects across the whole portfolio of projects.