This work addresses the third of the Defence Secretary’s three priorities for Defence - after Afghanistan and the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) - the need for the MOD to face wide-ranging reform.
The Defence Reform Unit will work to develop a new, more cost-effective model for the management of Defence, with clear allocation of responsibility, authority and accountability. As part of this, the review will consider how best to implement the Defence Secretary's vision of a department built around policy and strategy, the Armed Forces, and procurement and estates.
In his speech, the Defence Secretary also emphasised the need for the review to look at how to bring about a shift to a leaner and less centralised organisation, combining devolved processes with greater accountability and transparency.
The Defence Reform Unit will take forward elements of the SDSR relating to Defence organisation and management and the supporting areas of Defence. Other related reviews or programmes already underway across the Department may also come under the auspices of Defence Reform. Dr Fox has confirmed that acquisition reform will form a major part of the work.
Work on the review will begin immediately and take account of the outcome of the Government Spending Review and conclusions of the SDSR. The first meeting of Lord Levene's steering group took place in the first half of September. It will aim to report by the end of July 2011.
The other members of the group are Conservative peer Baroness Noakes, George Iacobescu (Chief Executive of the Canary Wharf Group), Raymond McKeeve (a partner at law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner), Björn Conway (Head of Aerospace, Defence, Security and Resilience at Ernst and Young), Dr David Allen (a Non-Executive Director at the MOD), Gerry Grimstone (chairman of Standard Life), Ursula Brennan (Second Permanent Under Secretary at the MOD) and General Sir Nicholas Houghton (Vice Chief of the Defence Staff).