The Major Projects Report 2009

The Major Projects Report 2009
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 44
Release: 2009
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9780102963342

The current defence programme is unaffordable. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has already reduced the deficit between the defence budget and planned expenditure by £15 billion, but a shortfall of between £6 billion and £36 billion remains. The financial crisis means a substantial increase in funding is unlikely, and closing the gap will require bold action as part of the Strategic Defence Review which is expected after the General Election. The MOD has reduced equipment numbers being bought on some projects and taken short-term decisions to slip other projects, but this approach will lead to long-term cost increases. In 2008-09, costs on the 15 major defence projects examined by the NAO increased by £1.2 billion, with two thirds (£733 million) directly due to the decision to slow projects. This approach does not address the fundamental affordability problems, increases through-life costs and represents poor value for money on the specific projects affected. There are signs of improvement in project cost control with innovative decisions being taken to ensure progress but unless the MOD addresses the underlying budgetary and governance issues it will not consistently deliver value for money nor will the operational benefits of expensive new capabilities be available to the Armed Forces in a timely manner or in the numbers originally planned. The current cost of 15 major military projects has risen by £3.6 billion, compared with the expected costs when the investment decisions were taken. The total slippage, averaged over the 14 major projects with in service dates, is over two years per project.

The major projects report 2010

The major projects report 2010
Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 64
Release: 2010-10-15
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9780102965506

Central departmental decisions by the Ministry of Defence to try to balance the defence budget have reduced its cash-flow requirements in the short-term but at a long-term cost that represents poor value for money for the taxpayer. Not making realistic budgetary provision for all likely project outcomes and slowing down projects has resulted in a £3.3 billion increase in a single year, 2009-10, in the total cost of the 15 largest defence equipment projects. For the second successive year the cost performance on the majority of projects has been broadly stable and the rate of timescale slippage has also reduced significantly since last year and 98 per cent of Key Performance Indicators are expected to be met. The MOD did not make realistic budgetary provision for all potential costs, for example, on the Typhoon combat aircraft where the Department decided that it needed to spend £2.7 billion on the programme including the purchase of 16 additional aircraft to meet contractual agreements. It has slowed down projects such as the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers, leading to further project cost growth of £650 million. And, to address cost overruns, the Department has also reduced the number of items, and therefore capability, to be procured. The MOD recently undertook to report annually to Parliament on the affordability of its ten-year equipment plan, which should help deter the corporate practices which have adverse value for money implications.

The major projects report 2010

The major projects report 2010
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Committee of Public Accounts
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 48
Release: 2011-02-22
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9780215556530

This report examines the Ministry of Defence's progress in meeting cost, time and performance targets for its 15 top-spending military equipment projects. The Committee has reported before that the defence equipment programme is unaffordable with commitments exceeding forecast budgets over a ten year period by £36 billion. The MoD's short term decisions to keep in year expenditure within voted limits and the need to understand the full cost implications of these decisions have damaging consequences. In this year alone the cost of the major projects rose by £3.3 billion and nearly £5 billion was lost by late cancellations. The scale of problems created by this financial imbalance masks the improved performance of the majority of projects against cost and budget. The Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) offered the Department an opportunity to bring its plans into balance with the expenditure limits set in the Comprehensive Spending Review. Projects such as the Nimrod MRA4 and Sentinel aircraft have been cancelled, accepting greater operational risks in some areas and writing off nearly £5 billion of taxpayer's money. But implementing the SDSR will require further decisions and the renegotiation or cancellation of a significant number of existing contracts to make the programme affordable. The Department has a poor track record in taking such decisions on the well informed basis necessary to optimise value for money. Other projects examined in detail include the Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and the Typhoon aircraft.

Major Projects Report 2008

Major Projects Report 2008
Author: Great Britain. National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 36
Release: 2008
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9780102954425

The Major Projects Report 2007 covers cost, time and performance data for military equipment projects in the year ended 31 March 2008. 20 of the largest projects are examined where the main investment decision has been taken by the Ministry of Defence (the MoD) along with ten projects still in the Assessment Phase. Six projects are new to this report: future lynx; modernised target acquisition designation sight/pilots night vision sensor; naval extrememly high frequency/super high frequency satellite communication terminals; Typhoon future capability programme; advanced jet trainer project and project Eagle

The major projects report 2011

The major projects report 2011
Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 328
Release: 2011-11-16
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780102976793

This is a companion volume to the main report (HC 1520-I, ISBN 9780102976786)

Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States

Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 348
Release: 2009-07-29
Genre: Law
ISBN: 0309142393

Scores of talented and dedicated people serve the forensic science community, performing vitally important work. However, they are often constrained by lack of adequate resources, sound policies, and national support. It is clear that change and advancements, both systematic and scientific, are needed in a number of forensic science disciplines to ensure the reliability of work, establish enforceable standards, and promote best practices with consistent application. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward provides a detailed plan for addressing these needs and suggests the creation of a new government entity, the National Institute of Forensic Science, to establish and enforce standards within the forensic science community. The benefits of improving and regulating the forensic science disciplines are clear: assisting law enforcement officials, enhancing homeland security, and reducing the risk of wrongful conviction and exoneration. Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States gives a full account of what is needed to advance the forensic science disciplines, including upgrading of systems and organizational structures, better training, widespread adoption of uniform and enforceable best practices, and mandatory certification and accreditation programs. While this book provides an essential call-to-action for congress and policy makers, it also serves as a vital tool for law enforcement agencies, criminal prosecutors and attorneys, and forensic science educators.

The Major Projects Report 2012

The Major Projects Report 2012
Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 412
Release: 2013-01-10
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9780102980592

In respect of its largest defence projects there are early signs that the Ministry of Defence has begun to make realistic trade-offs between cost, time, technical requirements and the amount of equipment to be purchased. Nevertheless, the continuing variances to cost and time show the MOD needs to do consistently better. This report, which gives a progress review of the 16 largest defence projects, shows that in the last year there has been a total forecast slippage of 139 months and increase in costs of £468 million. This means that, since the projects were approved, costs have increased by £6.6 billion (around 12 per cent more than the planned cost) and the projects have been delayed by 468 months, taking almost a third longer than originally expected. It would be unrealistic to expect MOD and industry to identify every risk at the start of technically challenging projects. However, the continuing problems indicate that MOD has more to learn from historic. The MOD is accepting the capability risk and some wider costs resulting from these project delays and is having to make difficult decisions about long-term capabilities. The MOD has made a significant investment in new and upgraded helicopters to address the shortfall identified in the NAO's 2004 report. The MOD has also spent £787 million on air transport and air-to-air refuelling aircraft to support current operations and address capability gaps, such as those caused by the previously reported delays to the A400M transport aircraft. However, capability gaps remain

Counterinsurgency in Crisis

Counterinsurgency in Crisis
Author: Robert Egnell
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Total Pages: 249
Release: 2013-10-08
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0231535414

Long considered the masters of counterinsurgency, the British military encountered significant problems in Iraq and Afghanistan when confronted with insurgent violence. In their effort to apply the principles and doctrines of past campaigns, they failed to prevent Basra and Helmand from descending into lawlessness, criminality, and violence. By juxtaposing the deterioration of these situations against Britain's celebrated legacy of counterinsurgency, this investigation identifies both the contributions and limitations of traditional tactics in such settings, exposing a disconcerting gap between ambitions and resources, intent and commitment. Building upon this detailed account of the Basra and Helmand campaigns, this volume conducts an unprecedented assessment of British military institutional adaptation in response to operations gone awry. In calling attention to the enduring effectiveness of insurgent methods and the threat posed by undergoverned spaces, David H. Ucko and Robert Egnell underscore the need for military organizations to meet the irregular challenges of future wars in new ways.

Major projects report 2007

Major projects report 2007
Author: Great Britain: National Audit Office
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 40
Release: 2007-11-30
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780102951486

The Major Projects Report 2007 covers cost, time and performance data for military equipment projects in the year ended 31 March 2007. 20 of the largest projects are examined where the main investment decision has been taken by the Ministry of Defence (the MoD), along with ten projects still in the Assessment Phase. Overall the MoD is in a similar position to 2006 for forecast cost and performance, but there continue to be time delays. The current total forecast cost for the 20 largest projects is £28 billion, which is £2.5 billion over the 'most likely' budget when the main investment decision was taken. The MoD expects ten projects to deliver within their most likely budgeted cost. Most of this cost growth occurred in earlier years but, on two projects, the Type 45 Destroyer (£354 million) and the Astute Class Submarine (£142 million), there has been significant cost growth in-year. The MoD has now agreed revised contracts on both of these projects to incentivise industry to reduce costs. The MoD was again pro-active in limiting potential in-year cost increases on individual projects through reassessing requirements, reducing quantities of equipments and re-allocating expenditure to other projects or budget lines. Five projects were delayed by a total of an extra 38 months this year. Of these, the most significant were the Type 45 Destroyer which has been delayed by a further 11 months and the Terrier and Next Generation Light Anti-Armour Weapon projects have each been delayed by a further 12 months. Detailed Summary Sheets for each of the 30 Projects are in Volume 2 (HCP 98-II, ISBN 9780102951493). There have been significant developments of interest on a project that appeared in the Major Projects Report until 2002-03, the Landing Ship Dock (Auxiliary) project, and detailed findings are given in Volume 3 (HCP 98-III, ISBN 9780102951509).

Sessional Returns

Sessional Returns
Author: Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons
Publisher: The Stationery Office
Total Pages: 442
Release: 2012-09-14
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9780215048387

On cover and title page: House, committees of the whole House, general committees and select committees