Each year the Ministry of Defence and the Defence Force produce a Major Projects Report. The report tracks the progress and project management performance of Defence’s major capability projects. These are projects which have been approved by Government and are assessed as being of medium or high risk, with whole of life costs greater than $25 million.
The reports are independently reviewed - since 2019 by Audit New Zealand - and focus on how well projects are:
- keeping to the approved budget
- keeping to the agreed schedule
- delivering equipment to the specifications provided for in the contract.
The report helps identify lessons from its recent experiences in the definition, purchasing and delivery of major capabilities and, by doing this, informs change and provides opportunities for improvement in the management of future projects.
The report also gives external and internal stakeholders increased visibility of the progress of major capability projects, and greater assurance that Defence is managing them appropriately. Defence recognises its obligation to provide this transparency since major capability projects involve significant risks and are typically complex and expensive.
