Recommendation 17

The Department said that the challenge is to balance the need for a professional and effective national organisation that can be held to account, with the ability to leverage the membership’s volunteer spirit. It said that there was an ongoing conversation with the RFCAs around 20 Qq 17 and 18 21 Q 53 22 Qq 54 and 55; Letter from Assistant Chief of Defence Staff Reserves and Cadets, 27 June 2025 23 Q 2; C&AG’s Report, paras 1.15 and 1.18 24 Qq 3 and 11 12 how to develop bespoke structures which will make the organisation as effective and efficient as possible while maximising local membership and preserving, enhancing and supporting the RFCAs’ volunteer work and their insights and expertise.25 The Council explained that reserves and cadets join to serve locally, and central coordination needs to be combined with local implementation by people who understand their local environments. The Council said that it did not believe that much will change for those carrying out the work within the RFCAs at a local level, but that the formalised structure would improve coherence and coordination. It thought that the move to an NDPB would bring the benefits of central direction while maintaining the local knowledge of those who do the work.26 25 Qq 3, 6 and 11 26 Q 12 13 2 Risks and limitations of the current RFCA model The Ministry of Defence’s current oversight of the RFCAs