How we can de-risk the delivery of military capability

Early-stage collaboration and strategic thinking is required to develop the right equipment, infrastructure and personnel to respond to today’s challenges, and to prepare for changing technologies and scenarios in the future, writes Rob McHardy.

The delivery of any military capability is full of complexity. Technology is developing at pace, making it difficult to predict how requirements will evolve. Changes in the geopolitical landscape, as shown by the current situation in Europe, can result in rapid re-prioritisation of projects and programmes. Equipment, infrastructure, organisation and more, must all come together at the right time to be continuously operationally ready.

We have a proven approach that can help those involved with delivering military capability, both for the UK and our NATO allies, to de-risk large programmes within the sector. The principal points that we would highlight are:

1. Integrated planning from the outset

An integrated approach is needed to plan and deliver the various strands that make up military capability. Seemingly obvious, the reality is that this remains a challenge. Defence projects are more likely to succeed when the eight Ministry of Defence Lines of Development (Training, Equipment, Personnel, Infrastructure, Doctrine, Organisation, Information, and Logistics) are planned and considered together. Because of the lead times involved, it’s crucial that equipment and infrastructure are developed in tandem, that their planning starts at the same time and remains connected and coherent throughout.

2. Actively plan for a changing future context

Strategic planning must consider the benefits, costs and risks involved in each strand of capability over the whole lifecycle – concept, assessment, demonstration, manufacturing, in-service and disposal – which may be a span of decades. The pace at which the world is changing (geopolitically, sociologically and technologically) makes it essential to consider a range of future scenarios and to build flexibility and adaptability into your programmes to make them as robust as possible. Producing roadmaps for equipment, infrastructure and personnel programmes that will identify key risks, support mitigation planning and enable the best-informed decisions are fundamental to this.

We are supporting NATO, as a member of Boeing’s consortium ABILITI, to redefine how it will conduct aerial surveillance following the retirement of the Airborne Warning and Control System fleet in 2035. With several technologies under consideration for the replacement, we’re using roadmapping, lifecycle cost analysis and risk analysis to help the alliance understand all the implications of this decision in terms of infrastructure needs, through-life management of assets, and more. Our analysis will help NATO schedule effectively to minimise programme risk and plan how lifecycle costs will be met between the alliance and its member nations.

3. Engage the value chain early

Large defence programmes typically serve multiple groups of end users, involve different agencies and branches of the military, and are delivered by many commercial partners. So a fundamental challenge is one of collaboration: we need to ensure that high quality information flows between these different stakeholders as early as possible, that requirements are clearly captured and that there is a collective approach to problem-solving. Allocating an end-user champion, or sponsor, to each major requirement of the project is a good way of fostering informal collaboration through the design process to complement the reviews held at formal project gateways.

We found the use of ‘design charrettes’ to be invaluable for the whole project team for the RAF Lakenheath F-35 Beddown Programme, which was recognised in 2022 with the Institute of Collaborative Working (ICW) award for Collaboration in Defence. We used ‘design charrettes’ on the project to involve all members of the value chain as we helped deliver infrastructure ahead of the arrival of the new F-35 aircraft. These participatory workshops, held on site and each lasting several days, highlighted exactly what users wanted out of a particular asset and how the aircraft would be fully integrated. This allowed discussion of constraints and challenges, helped the different stakeholders align their needs and objectives, and generated real momentum for the design process.

Large defence programmes typically serve multiple groups of end users, involve different agencies and branches of the military, and are delivered by many commercial partners. So a fundamental challenge is one of collaboration.

Rob McHardy

Project director for defence

4. Take stock of the delivery team’s capabilities

A significant consideration for large, complex programmes is the required capability across the organisations involved in delivery. Are the approaches to governance, risk, asset management, procurement and systems integration fit for purpose? Using a methodology such as the UK Infrastructure and Project Authority’s Project Routemap to assess the required level of capability supports better planning and decision making from the early stages of development. Our role as delivery partner for the 10 Dock Project and the wider Major Infrastructure Programme at HM Naval Base Devonport saw us produce a health assessment and transition plan that helped enhance key business functions, including commercial, project controls, project management, construction, commissioning, and design management.

5. Be proactive in tackling emerging issues

An approach that has helped accelerate the schedule and reduce risk across many of our key major programmes is the use of specialised, cross-functional ‘Tiger Teams’ to investigate and solve challenges and critical issues as they develop. With a mix of domain and project management expertise, this small but agile team can act as part of the internal assurance function, quickly identifying the cause of an emerging issue (for example, a lack of clarity with respect to roles and responsibilities) and making recommendations to project leaders. A good Tiger Team will be able to identify the ‘tradable spaces’ in which choices or compromises are necessary, and pinpoint the sometimes difficult decisions that must be made to unblock progress.

In summary, spending a little more time and money at the outset of a project or programme – on strategic investment appraisals, optioneering, establishing user needs and requirements, and understanding your capabilities and gaps – can unlock better delivery. Gaining the best information before making an investment decision, and developing the trust within the delivery team that enables truly collaborative working, will give you the best chance of making the right choices and put you on the best footing to meet your objectives in an integrated way.

Talk to us about how we can help you deliver integrated capability in the defence sector: defence@mottmac.com