Mortimer Review of Defence Procurement and Sustainment

The Minister for Defence, the Hon Joel Fitzgibbon MP, announced today that he has received the independent report of the Defence Procurement and Sustainment Review the Mortimer Review conducted by Mr David Mortimer AO.>> In May of this year the Government fulfilled yet another key election commitment by commissioning well known businessman David Mortimer to undertake an independent review of the Defence Materiel Organisation and the effectiveness of Australias defence procurement systems, Mr Fitzgibbon said.>> Mr Mortimers review of Defence Acquisition and Sustainment, boldly entitled Going to the Next Level, constitutes a far-reaching and in-depth examination of the often complex and bewildering processes, practices and acronyms that comprise Defences procurement system, Mr Fitzgibbon said.>> A key focus of Mr Mortimers review was examining the implementation and effectiveness of the ongoing reforms to the Defence Materiel Organisation following the 2003 Kinnaird Review of Defence Procurement.>> The Mortimer Review has made a total of 46 recommendations, covering five principal areas of concern:>> --The Strategy and Needs Analysis of Capability Planning;> -- Defining the Requirements of Capability;> -- The Capability Acquisition Process;> -- Sustaining and Disposing of Capability; and> -- Driving Cultural Change in the Defence Materiel Organisation.>> One of the more contentious recommendations is that the Defence Materiel Organisation become an Executive Agency. This was a recommendation of the Kinnaird Review that the previous Government chose not to implement.