DMO News: Setting the standard | ADM Jun 2010
When British athlete Roger Bannister became the first man in history to run the mile in under four minutes, he had a couple of University mates to rightly share some of the credit.
Later becoming a world-record holder in his own right, Chris Chataway was instrumental in Bannister's success.
Chataway's role was to make a solid start and to set a strong early pace that would give Bannister every chance to run on and achieve his goal.
No analogy is perfect, but the story of Sirs Chataway and Bannister leads me to think about the Defence Materiel Organisation's (DMO) partnership with industry to meet the requirements of the Strategic Reform Program (SRP).
The program is about reform first, in order to generate savings that will be reinvested in the ADF.
Our goal is that Smart Sustainment reforms will position the ADF to be better equipped and prepared, at lower cost.
The Chief Executive Officer of the DMO, Dr Stephen Gumley, working together with his counterparts from the major defence companies, has agreed to a set of principles to guide the work in support of SRP reforms.
As you would expect, the principles reinforce the key parameters for reform that were agreed by Government in March this year.
Most significantly, one of the principles is that attempts to realise cost savings will not compromise the delivery of agreed levels of capability, quality and safety of equipment for the Australian Defence Force.
Subject to normal commercial constraints, the principles also require an openness and transparency from both the DMO and from industry.
This is vital to ensure that reform and efficiencies are targeted on both sides of our maintenance, inventory management and supply contracts.
Some of our early work in relation to Smart Sustainment reforms has provided emerging good news stories about the level of engagement between DMO and industry.
These principles are one of the ways to consolidate the good progress we have already made and set the pace for future reforms.
Good planning and productive relationships are vitally important, because genuine reform won't happen by accident.
In a very practical way, I expect that these principles will form the basis of ‘CEO to CEO' commitments between the DMO and the relevant supplier for each major reform initiative.
There is another reason why the Bannister story is, with hindsight, relevant for us today.
In the 56 years since the seemingly impenetrable barrier was broken, countless athletes have followed in Bannister's footsteps and middle distance world record times have continued to fall.
How has this happened?
Much of the answer lies in perpetual developments and innovation in equipment, in practices and in smarter use of technology, together with a determination in human endeavour and a desire to continually improve.
New benchmarks that were never thought to be possible have been set, achieved, and re-set accordingly.
We have smart, innovative people and many opportunities for real and lasting improvements in Defence and across the defence industry.
To sustain our efforts across a decade of reform is a daunting challenge, but together we can do it.
I hope to use this column in future editions of ADM to share some examples of success with you.
If you have ideas or success stories to share with us, you can submit them via email to dmo.sro@defence.gov.au or send them to me at Russell Offices (R2-5-Exec), Canberra ACT 2600.