Vanguard Magazine

30 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2025 www.vanguardcanada.com T H E LA S T W O R D Canadian Armed Forces has ended – as the politicians and journalists like to say, we are 'having a moment'. And yet, DPR gives every impression of plodding along. Just as happened when the current government directed work to- wards a 'Defence Procurement Canada' to conduct major weapons platform acquisi- tions in one agency rather than across three departments, the involved public servants failed to deliver based on the higher pro- curement priority of addressing COVID. The phenomenon of bureaucratic in- ertia is a well-studied subject. While de- liberate action can overcome the inbred resistance and risks involved with culture and process change, it is accepted to be a slow transformation evolution, short of the revolutionary approach being taken by President Trump. For the first time in my memory, Canada has recently agreed to name a 'fentanyl Czar.' The use of independent experts or Czars and external advisory bodies or 'brain trusts' have been commonplace among our allies when reforming defence matters, but this has not been a com- mon practice in Canada. Instead, the use of contracted consultancy companies has been widespread, but such input is usually shaped by interviewing the influential bu- reaucrats whose opinions are regularly par- roted back to government after the initial recommendations have been massaged as required by the client a final report. It is high time for Canada to appoint a Military Procurement Czar, who can hire his or her own brain trust of experts to reform our military procurement sys- tem 'with all due dispatch.' Eggs will be broken, and risks will be taken. Some acquisitions will become problematic as we embrace ways to accelerate deliveries. Many government procurement person- nel will require additional professional development to build business acumen, likely including Deputy Ministers to be appointed to the activity. The risk-averse process-management –focused culture must change to one where "if it is not illegal, pursue expediency unless there is another very compelling reason not to do so." Put simply, the required outcome is to eliminate the common Ministers' la- ment that Defence needs no more money for procurement because the money allo- cated cannot be spent; a failing procure- ment system must cease being the Achil- les heel to the readiness of the Canadian Armed Forces. A Canadian election will happen in 2025, and I challenge the competing par- ty leaders to protect Canada sovereignty and regain our reputation with allies as a nation serious about this one critical com- ponent of national security. Rear-Admiral (Ret'd) Ian Mack served for a decade (2007-2017) in the Department of National Defence, with responsibilities related to the National Shipbuilding Strategy, three shipbuilding projects and four vehicle projects. Ian is a Fellow of the International Centre for Complex Project Management, the World Commercial and Contracting Association and the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. One would have thought that the list of items to tackle would have been abundantly clear, both at the strategy level and in the related tactical implementation. And yet, the lack or urgency and transparency of the DPR now underway is quite mystifying – one could at least have hoped for a name change to 'Defence Procurement Reform.' CHMCS Max Bernays. Photo: RCN / MRCs

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