dragartist
jobs developing capabilities to positions of monitoring with "safety and airworthiness" in their job titles in order to retain their jobs.
You are quite right there. I know that in the RN the posts with "management" in their description (for example, what are called Requirements Managers nowadays) were changed to "monitoring" in 1988; as a result of the Hallifax Savings. The RAF formally followed a few years later, but in practice had already changed. RqM defaulted to MoD(PE), so it was a matter of sheer luck if the project manager had the necessary background. I detested those prats who said "Yes, I've monitored the situation, and know the aircraft is unsafe", and walked away.
In April 2003 MoD briefed PUS (the Chief Accounting Officer) that there was only one employee in DPA or DLO (now, broadly, DE&S but with many functions removed) who thought it correct to implement "safety and airworthiness" or financial probity regulations. That claim has a been repeated many times since by various Mins(AF). Clearly, it is wrong (although a few who believe it correct post here!), but it is another elephant that must be removed before the MAA can make any progress.
The frightening thing is, when signing such balls successive Ministers and Heads of the CS don't say "WHAT?!" and demand an explanation. And MoD has very senior staffs who actually think it clever to admit this to Ministers. Both lack the mental capacity to associate their policy with scores of avoidable deaths.