Source · Select Committees · Defence Committee
Recommendation 130
130
Accepted
DCP23 adopted committee recommendations for earlier industry engagement in strategic conversations and capability development.
Conclusion
Many of our recommendations were adopted within the DCP23. That document commits Defence to engaging at an earlier stage in strategic conversations with industry about requirements and developing relationships with key Defence Executives. This should allow Defence and industry to work together to address issues such as “availability of critical skills, diversification and resilience within the supply chain and productivity”. In addition, industry are being involved earlier in the military capability development processes and have greater visibility of Defence’s long-term plan.264
Government Response Summary
The government reiterated its commitments from DCP23, detailing how the new Integrated Procurement Model supports earlier engagement with industry, expert assurance, and spiral development to build a resilient industrial base.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
Through commitments made in DCP23, Defence is prioritising the things that will make those capabilities more lethal and ready, such as stockpiles, munitions, and enablers including storage facilities and our transformed partnership with industry, where we will engage much earlier in strategic conversations to create a more resilient, reliable, and adaptable industrial base. This will not only bolster UK industry and diplomatic influence, but also helps sustain Ukraine in the fight in 2024 and develops its economy beyond. This is highlighted in the new Integrated Procurement Model–a system that will see earlier expert assurance of future military programmes to ensure they will deliver for UK forces on the frontline. The reforms will look to avoid previous challenges where programmes have been over-complex, over-budget, and over time. The reforms will see greater empowerment of subject matter experts across the defence enterprise including Dstl scientists, government export leads, finance experts and industry partners to challenge and shape proposals before they receive the go-ahead. Driving pace is key to the overall reforms and the concept of ‘spiral’ development will be at the forefront as new programmes are initiated, avoiding capabilities that are not adaptable to the changing environment or are overly complex and too bespoke to export.