Certainly, private sector views of the MOD are that it is over-manned. The MOD typically turn up to meetings with as many as the industry side put together, and they are nominally customers. And I think a lot of those civil servants don't fully-contribute to the projects they are managing, or have a clear idea why they're there. I suppose the idea was that now that the project risks are handed over to industry, having a few extra brains on hand can only help, however I'm not sure it's having the impact hoped for. Also, MOD pay & conditions must now compare well with Industry.
It is certainly true that many areas of “MoD” are over-manned but your post assumes two things – MoD = DE&S and all are Civil Servants. Apart from that, you touch on important points.
Why do so many turn up at meetings? Part of the reason is that “project managers” are no longer required to demonstrate an ability to do
every job in the team before being promoted to the lowest PM grade (typically Grade C2); or once they are at that grade. Expertise is spread too thinly so it is difficult to find one man who can satisfactorily represent the Department at any given meeting.
Instead of having managed projects and programmes, in every phase of the acquisition cycle (Concept to Disposal) across a range of disciplines (e.g. for an avionics engineer, Software, Sonics, Radar, Comms, Nav, EW, ELINT) before being promoted to the 2nd rung (typically Grade C1), what we have now are C2s who have never managed any part of a project, C1s who have worked for a year as 2nd assistant to the tea boy and IPT leaders who have never delivered a project (never mind to time, cost and performance) and who are demonstrably not leaders, or even managers. And please don’t get me started on Military staff who roll up to meetings mob-handed, take a few notes, say nothing of substance and then seek out the experienced and competent Civil Servant and beg him to do their job (which the regulations permit). The latter is a dying breed. That is MoD’s problem.
There is a buzz phrase going around anti-MoD places – “Conspiracy of Optimism”, trying to describe why certain projects are years late. The usual examples are Nimrod MRA4 and Chinook HC Mk3. There was no conspiracy, just a refusal to listen to the above experience. At the same time, infinitely more complex programmes were delivered by the same Directorate General in MoD(PE)/DPA with effortless competence. Why? Two reasons. On the successful projects, the same people who had the authority (or gumption) to shape the projects had the technical expertise, competence and necessary authority to implement their plans. Secondly, they completely ignored the instructions of their bosses. The unsuccessful projects had, at various times, the technical competence and expertise at lower levels but the project leaders blindly followed 1 and 2 Star instructions. (Same 2 Star remember). An example? Systems Integration is optional. If it costs too much or takes too long, ditch it. Hint for direct entrant C2s who haven’t served in the previous 5 Grades – Aircraft don’t fly (safely) without systems integration. I’ve said it before – on a Squadron you wouldn’t allow a first day trainee
pilot to be appointed Senior
Observer. But that’s effectively what happens in MoD every day.