Katherine Ziesing | Canberra
It’s that time again when we look at the year that was and the year ahead. 2015 was a year of mixed blessings. All domains had some big milestones hit and missed (see the project review/preview section for a breakdown on each domain) but overall it will be a year remembered for change; a change in Prime Ministers (two), Defence ministers (three), and a change in organisation (goodbye DMO and CDG and hello CASG).
The big organisational changes came out of the First Principles Review (FPR) released ironically on April 1, 2015.
The flow on effects from the implementation of the FPR will shape Defence substantially in 2016. Much of the hard work is being done now with the FPR effects to come into play in early 2016 for many of the organisational changes.
For now, many in the Defence APS are experiencing personal uncertainty which manifests as organisational uncertainty. Senior leadership in Defence hopes to have much of this uncertainty addressed in early 2016. However, seeing a person take a redundancy one week and return soon after to essentially the same role, as a contractor, does not do wonders for culture or morale, nor for the bottom line, I imagine. Defence workforce numbers, both in uniform and the APS, are scheduled to settle in 2016.
I also look forward to seeing how the new contestability framework, new capability life cycle management and joint program management under VCDF function in 2016. All look excellent on paper but their practical implementation remains to be seen. The implementation of the FPR will be an issue that ADM watches in 2016 and we will keep you informed as best we can.
Our community still waits with bated breath for the White Paper and associated documents that were originally due to be released in March 2015. This document might be the very epitome of too many cooks in the kitchen when it finally sees the light of day at some time in 2016.
This suite of documents will provide finer detail on how the government sees a continuous shipbuilding model functioning for Australian industry, how innovation will be fostered (if DST Group’s CTD program doesn’t get a significant funding reversal at the very least, I will be terribly vexed) and set the scene for the shape of the ADF and Defence industry into the future. 2016 will also see another federal election thrown into the mix.
And Defence Industry is set to be recognised as the ninth Fundamental Input to Capability, if rumours out of Canberra are true. This will largely be a symbolic gesture but an important change in government and Defence thinking. Industry is an important part of the capability that the ADF offers to government. The acknowledgment of the symbiotic relationship that Defence and Defence Industry have is crucial. ADM’s Top 40 Defence Contractors and Top 20 SMEs in this edition is testament to the importance of this sector to the wider Australian economy.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the companies that took the time to take part in our annual survey. Running now for over two decades, the Top 40 is a valuable tool in gauging the size, scale and scope of Defence industry. Please feel free to use this data as you need to grow your business, engage in networking prospects and foster even more innovation in your companies and Defence roles.
Despite the seemingly conservative and risk averse nature of Defence, this is a space where innovation can flourish if given the right environment. I truly hope that the principles from Prime Minister Turnbull’s recent Innovation Statement are applied in our community. That partnership and collaboration become more prevalent, that competition at all costs is not pursued for dubious reasons of alleged value for money and probity, and that short term politics is not put at the forefront of capability decisions that will affect generations of war fighters. Naïve and optimistic as this sounds, I do hold these hopes for 2016 and beyond.