Feature
CASE STUDY
Complex manoeuvres Procurement in the Ministry of Defence demands rigorous risk management procedures at every stage of an item’s life cycle BY TOM CLARE
D
efence Equipment and Support (DE&S) is a highly specialised part of the Ministry of Defence. From the procurement of clothes to carriers, rations to rifles, we ensure the UK armed forces – the Royal Navy, the British Army and the Royal Air Force – have the equipment and support they need to carry out their duties. Employing over 11,500 civil servants, military personnel and private contractors, operating with an annual budget of circa £10 billion, there is an active risk management community of about 130 individuals to support the delivery of these complex projects, programmes and portfolios of work.
A project can remain in one stage of the life cycle for years owing to the complexity of the design
The CADMID Cycle The delivery of equipment for the armed forces is a complex task requiring a clear understanding and expectation from how an idea is formed, through to its approval, delivery, use by the customer and eventual disposal. One way in which equipment is delivered in the organisation is through a series of phases called the CADMID Cycle – Concept, Assessment, Demonstration and Manufacture, In Service and Disposal – with each stage requiring the risk manager to adapt their approach (See diagram on page 26). Large-scale projects, like the Queen Elizabeth class carriers, can remain in one stage of the life cycle for years owing to the complexity of the design, and a risk manager could spend their entire time in that team in one phase. In contrast, some projects could progress in much shorter timelines, owing to the operational need or
24
Enterprise Risk
