Last year, Levene recommended in his Defence Review that the MoD should bring together financial, personnel and other MI in one place. In his update, Levene writes: “I recognise that the delivery of improved [MI] and systems will take time, but continue to believe that good decision-making is being hampered by poor quality management information.”
Levene also recommends that the department consider making Bernard Gray, the chief of defence materiel, an accounting officer directly answerable to Parliament for expenditure on equipment and support. This would “usefully strengthen his authority,” he says.