If one applies Cummings’ words to Defence aviation, and in particular what most Servicemen tend (rightly) to have a good old moan about;
1. MoD’s quite deliberate policy to rid itself of ‘deep expertise’ is now 30 years old. A huge second tranche was taken in 1996. One cannot replace thousands of people overnight. It needs significant long-term investment and a major change in personnel policy.
2. ‘Deep expertise’ in the important domains is incompatible with recruiting 21 year old graduates who are allowed to skip the first five grades. Few know they ARE at the sixth grade, so don’t know what is NOT being done. Again, a long-term issue.
3. The ‘civil service union’ that is quoted is the First Division Association. It represents relatively few, all of whom will do their level best to block Mr Cummings (unless they’re shareholders in the agencies who provide ‘consultants’, PFI providers or the likes of SERCO). He needs to get the ‘premier division’ involved. (Well, they asked for that!)
But here’s an alternative suggestion. Just ask one question. Why were some major programmes delivered to time, cost and performance (and better), while simple ones failed miserably? Don’t ask the FDA; they won’t know, and wouldn’t tell you anyway.
I was asked by another country a few weeks ago to do a presentation on a related subject. There was no need. Just sent them a single, deleted Defence Standard; and if they wanted to use Powerpoint, a single slide saying ‘Implement it’. Same reply to the above question. Everything else falls out of it.
I’ve been retired for 16 years and have no axe to grind. I’ve seen both systems. Neither were perfect, but I know which one worked if the right people were in the right jobs. Most of those jobs and people no longer exist. For God’s sake hang on to what you’ve still got.