Small Spinner
Again, you are right.
The problem is actually worse. MoD staffs are granted delegated authority on various matters; e.g. airworthiness, technical approval, financial approval.
Those 3 examples can only be given to engineers. (Financiers merely endorse the availability of the correct funding profile, they don’t approve commitment).
The problem is that the RAF (in1989) and MoD(PE) (a few years later), the latter’s Nimrod 2 Star in particular, regularly ruled that non-engineers could make and/or over-rule airworthiness, engineering and financial decisions. I have only ever known one IPTL (RN aircraft engineer) to jump on this, but he soon backed off when the 2 and 4 Star backed the non-engineer’s decisions. (The subsequent Boards of Inquiry (plural) made pointed references to the problems but, as usual, no action was taken).
An MoD “project manager” who is not an engineer is actually quite toothless. (Same applies to a Requirements Manager). Neither can carry out about 90% of their job. They sit twiddling thumbs because they have no real authority on the project. What does such a PM sign his name to? Where is the manifestation of his supposed authority? That, I believe, is what persuades many to leap in and demonstrate their “authority” by interfering in matters they know nothing about. A classic example I once experienced was the waiving of systems integration, EMC testing and Critical Design Review on an aircraft. Funny old thing, the BoI mentioned that as well, implying they hadn’t been implemented properly; not thinking for one moment they had been waived altogether.
My main point is that Nimrod is not an isolated case (MR2 or MRA4). It has been systemic since the late 80s.