Requirement Scrutiny is the mandated process by which MoD ensures a proposed spend is “good”. The process itself is not inefficient nor does it cost much – if done properly.
However Tuc - and this is possibly an example of what AW is referring to; anytime, I'm away from base on 'company' business requires me to go through a tortuous process of approval, bookings, accountancy and claiming back expenditure. By the time these steps have been ticked, travel costs will have probably risen dramatically, hotel costs are at the mercy of the Central Booking system which typically would put me in a sh1t boxroom in a 4* rather than a much nicer and cheaper (and convenient) Travelodge AND we employ an army of civil servants who are supposed to check every one of the pile of receipts I have to keep for 3 years.
How about a system where JPA justs puts £x in my pay chit for everyday away from home and thats it. Seems to work for a vast number of private organisations around the world and removes the need to spend £100k per station to save £15.60 per year on someone who had 2 glasses of wine with dinner rather than 1!