hval
Unfortunately, indicative of the dumbing down across MoD.
In 1996, there was a seminar organised at AbbeyWood by EFA to announce a new phenomenon they'd discovered - electronic component obsolescence. As with you, we showed them the mandated Def Stan and 3 specs for managing obsolescence / unavailability.
A few years later, about 2002, DPA's Director General Finance announced something new called "Systems Integration" and that she'd approved millions on a 3 year study to find out what it was. Again, she was shown the (same) mandated Def Stan.
The reaction is what gives these people away. They don't see it as an opportunity to put things right, but a potential lost opportunity for personal advancement. In both cases they ignored the Def Stan and spent zillions on consultants. There are many who make a career out of this. The Def Stan? It was cancelled without replacement. Can't leave evidence of incompetence lying around.