Source · Select Committees · Public Accounts Committee
Recommendation 26
26
In order to produce a Plan which is effective, realistic and affordable, the Department needs...
Conclusion
In order to produce a Plan which is effective, realistic and affordable, the Department needs to have in place the right arrangements and capabilities, many of which have previously been absent or incomplete. With such a financially complex Plan, it is vital for the Department’s people to have strong financial skills. And necessary to underpin success is the need for a culture in the Department which is open, collaborative and innovative so that complex problems can be solved imaginatively and decision-makers can have a clear- eyed view of what is happening.57 Financial skills
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
6.1 The government agrees with the Committee’s recommendation. Target implementation date: Autumn 2022 6.2 The department monitors progress of National Audit Office’s (NAO’s) Value for Money recommendations including Equipment Plan report recommendations. The status of the recommendations is reviewed annually. A summary of progress made on NAO and PAC recommendations is provided to the department’s Audit Assurance and Risk Committee (DARAC) on a quarterly basis. The department provided an update on the Equipment Plan PAC recommendations through refreshed Treasury Minutes published on 9 June 2022. One recommendation remains in progress under the Defence Equipment Plan 2020. 6.3 The department’s Acquisition Reform agenda includes work to promote critical acquisition behaviours and culture. This includes a ‘one team’ approach encouraging greater transparency on performance across organisational boundaries; applying judgement to tailor approaches based on ‘appropriate risk’ in support of timely evidence-based decisions; and embedding a ‘learning culture’. 6.4 Significant progress has been made in the use of management information, with data dashboards providing a single version of the truth being shared widely. 6.5 The department is forging closer links with industry through the Supplier Partnering Programme, to improve schedule alignment, risk and dependency management and management information sharing. 6.6 Further detail of progress with the recommendations and how this translates to changes to the plan will be provided as requested in the Autumn.