MDE is a 4-week phase, with the first 3 weeks focussed on working with industry partners, occurring in the second term of the 44-week Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC). Attended by over 260 military and civil service personnel, predominately at the OF4 (Commander, Lieutenant Colonel, Wing Commander, Civil Service C1/B2) and including over 100 attendees from international partners; the aim of ACSC is to develop proficiency in the profession of arms and deliver the intellectual edge required to achieve success on operations and leadership in government.
Aim: The MDE phase supports this aim by developing the course member’s understanding of the higher Management of Defence. This includes analysing the principles behind the translation of policy into military capabilities within a resource envelope and risk appetite.
Construct: The phase is delivered over 4 consecutive weeks via a mix of lectures augmented by small group syndicate room discussions, presentations, and workshops; industry delegates will be a valued part of these interactions in the first 3 weeks and can expect to be called upon to provide input during the three weeks, including a short brief on their company to the whole course.
Through lectures, presentations and targeted readings, reinforced with syndicate and workshop activity you will learn to:
*Understand the strategic and economic context in which defence finds itself, and how defence operates at the highest levels to develop defence policy and strategy in response
*Understand how defence is organised and managed together with the processes and plans that enable capability management
*Understand how defence is scrutinised by external authorities and in what way defence is held accountable by parliament and others
* Analyse the conceptual and actual choices and trade-offs when balancing policy, resource and capability
* Analyse the issues regarding capability delivery, through life, and evaluating the
relationships in acquisition and support between defence industries and the MOD in times of austerity
The phase would appeal to middle to senior managers in the defence industry who wish to gain a better understanding of how government policy relates to the provision of military capability.
It is intended to provide you with a broad comprehension of the policy to capability continuum; in most cases using the UK as a case study, and to help them understand the interactions between customer and provider.
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You will be enrolled onto the virtual learning environment (VLE) which will support engagement in the learning process.
Pre-reading material will be identified. It is essential you complete this activity prior to attending the course in order to achieve good learning outcomes from their attendance.
There is no formal assessment of this course, however you are encouraged to reflect on the material presented, and consider how best you can implement it in subsequent employment.