As part of the package of reforms that have been introduced to the MoD the Projects of Concern list has had an airing this week.
The Major Projects Review Board is designed to hold the top 50 major projects to account.
Liam Fox made a point of stating that the list, or at least the process that gets to the list, is having a positive impact, saying this,
It is clear that the additional rigour and scrutiny being applied through the Major Projects Review Board is having a beneficial effect on the behaviours of our suppliers.
The first project out of the starting gates, with Falcon and Watchkeeper neatly sidestepping the list, was the Valiant Jetty. This is a building project that is redeveloping port facilities for the submarine fleet. The project is 4 years late and 70% over budget, self evidently something to be concerned about.
Australia has used a similar system to mark the cards of failing projects but I can’t help the feeling that it is rather a gimmick, we already have the Defence Select Committee, Parliamentary Accounts Committee and of course the National Audit Office providing elements of supervision and financial governance so what does the projects of concern actually add?
Surely it would make more sense simply to beef up the annual NAO Major Projects Report, extend its scope or lower the entry point for reporting.
The Major Projects Review Board will provide closer supervision and active management of these projects so there is a distinction and of course, is inside the organisational boundaries of the MoD so only time will tell if it can withstand internal pressures and be transparent.
The NAO 2010 Major Projects Report lists the following post main gate projects as forecasted to be over budget or over time
- Type 45 Destroyer
- Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers
- Nimrod MRA4
- A400M
- Lynx Wildcat
- Beyond Visual Range Air to Air Missile
- Typhoon Future Capability Programme
- Falcon Increment A
- Terrier
- Seawolf MLU
- Land Environment Picture Provision
- Soothsayer
- Chinook Project Julius
- Maritime Composite Training System Phase 1
So these are self-evidently not concerning and lets pick on Amec!
Let’s hope the new system delivers results.
Going from 20 to 50 must be a good thing?
-”so what does the projects of concern actually add?”
As the name says, NAO has been looking into *projects*, one by one.
- they don’t have the capability/ knowledge to assess the next level up impacts (on capabilities)
- have a look at the project level data sheets and the main report; the latter is just a write up in more general language (to be digestable)
- merit must go to the extensive number of dimensions at which there is an attempt for measurement/ assessment.At least this forces the Services to plan ahead, once the project delivers something to deploy. But the assessors not being defence experts leads to too much copy-paste from the underlying project reports – and look at the important section: Interdependencies between projects… almost empty all through, for all projects
Therefore, I am all for this “active management of these projects so there is a distinction and of course, is inside the organisational boundaries of the MoD ”
- as it might turn a passive audit to active programme management (projects are of course managed even today, well or less well)
- costing of capabilities, and hence, better informed overall (including inter-service) prioritisation might result? The key to getting ‘bang for the buck’
its an interesting development but wonder how much is window dressing and how much is actual control because as we know, many projects go tits up because of factors outside of the MoD’s gift to change
A new article about the exciting replacement for the RAF’s ‘ageing’ fleet of Nimrods!!
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03071849608446000
(date – 1996! Cannot believe we left it so long!)
Supposedly there is a plan floating around to buy some P-3′s and get Airbus to refurbish them. Not sure on numbers or how real the plan is.
HA!! Two hopes, and Bob’s dead. Plus, if you believe it the RN is ‘apparently’ going to rustle up a spare billion and run them as part of the Fleet Air Arm!
SR, I agree, it’s been rumoured but I’ve not seen anything anywhere seriously to suggest it. It’s highly specialised and therefore would take along time to train them and cost. Along with them historically not performing land based LRMP so I would think it be highly unlikely.
I will admit to being sceptical but we seem to be increasing the size of our seedcorn – (i.e. number of crews off on exchange tours to retain our skills in LRMPA). P-3 may or may not be the lowest risk option, but I am pretty sure it is the lowest cost option and if it’s good enough for NZ its good enough for us!
Speaking to an ex R1 crew, the placing of other crews abroad is coming to an end and I don’t think is large enough anyway. I haven’t heard of increasing numbers, where abouts did you here about that?
Good link SR, thanks.
Even if a second hand fleet of P3′s cost a couple of fag ends I just cant see either a) those fag ends not being spent elsewhere and b) the option being even half way considered because of industrial and political fallout from Nimrod
I would be absolutely flabbergasted if this flew
Hi Topman,
From PPRUNE Military, in the BAE RAF P-3 thread, where one of the posters seemed to be suggesting that in addition to exchange tour in the US we were planning on sending crews to other countries and the number would go up from 10 personnel to around 25ish
Hi tubby, thanks for the reply, as i understood it they were already in other countries, namely canada. Numberswise he said about 20 already.
In lala fantasy land, I’d love to speculate that the RAF ex-Nimrod crews all keeping busy in various ‘seed-kernel’ MPA jobs could slide from light blue to dark blue when the FAA starts up the MPA programme again. That would be interesting.
Back to reality…
Ooh, here’s another thought (that’s it for one day though, felt a few grey cells go kaput…)
What are the options, do we think, for a shorter ranged MPA of proven but modern design that could carry out SAR, short-ranged ASW and coastal patrol, with links across to the Borders Agency, Police and Coastguard? The CASA 295 Persuader might be a useful option.
I’ve been an advocate of cross-Government use of assets before, this won’t happen but it’s a nice idea.
I’d better go lie down.
SR, we covered this when the rumours first surfaced
A great post from Jed
http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2011/03/a-spare-billion-for-mpas-what-shall-we-buy-then%e2%80%a6/
Followed by a two bob, on the cheap job from me
http://www.thinkdefence.co.uk/2011/03/a-spare-3-47-and-an-iou-for-mpa%e2%80%99s-what-shall-we-buy-then%e2%80%a6/
P3 from the desert to delivery this video from lockheed martin has appeared recently RAF P3 maybe not so far fetched
http://www.youtube.com/user/LockheedMartinVideos#p/a/u/1/88NZNbpkgFQ
While I have massive doubts that the RAF will be getting an LRMPA any time soon, but video demonstrates that re-winging a bone yard fuselage is do-able, and the ticket price should be reasonable – so fingers crossed someone finds the cash for a P-3 order!