4.2 The Department has historically struggled to staff programme teams with the personnel required to deliver programmes successfully. In 2019, we reported on skills shortfalls in the Department's civilian workforce, including commercial and portfolio and programme management staff.27 Within Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) and the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA), the number of outside contractors taken on to fill vacant posts temporarily increased from 230 people in 2018-19 to 730 in 2019-20. DE&S accounts for a majority of the staff involved in programme delivery. During 2019-20, 94% of its posts were filled, but the project management and commercial functions were prominent among posts vacant. The number of people who leave each year is also above industry norms.
4.3 As at March 2021, the availability of SQEP to programme delivery teams was mixed among 19 projects and programmes we examined. Six teams reported they had no vacant posts, with all filled by either a public servant or temporary contractor.28 Figure 7 (overleaf) shows to what degree projects and programme delivery teams are reliant on contractors to fill their posts. Around half of the projects and programmes had little or no reliance on contractors, but some were dependent on them. In particular, all three of the digital programmes in our sample face significant challenges (paragraph 4.6). Among the programmes we examined, lack of SQEP was the risk most frequently cited (across nine programmes on 12 occasions) as being 'high' or 'very high' probability; five programmes expected seven SQEP risks would remain 'high' or 'very high', even after proposed mitigating actions.
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27 Comptroller and Auditor General, Reforming the civilian workforce, Session 2017-2019, HC 1925, National Audit Office, March 2019.
28 The six programmes without any vacant posts were the Ajax armoured vehicle, Crowsnest radar system, Morpheus, Type 26 frigate, Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol aircraft and Complex Weapons.