Introduction to Defence
Presenters: Dr Shari Soutberg & Dr Mike Ryan
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The registration page allows you to register individually or to register groups of up to 15.
Duration: 1 Day | Price: $1,100
Course Aim
This one-day Introduction to Defence course is aimed at those who are new to the provision of services and consultancy to the Australian Department of Defence with the intent of providing the background knowledge necessary to work effectively within the Department on first appointment in a capability management role. The course introduces the background and history of the Department and the Australian Defence Force and provides an overview of its structure and organisation including each of the Groups and Services. The legislative, regulatory, policy and management context within which Defence operates is described. Importantly, expected Defence and Public Service behaviours and responsibilities are outlined. Focus is then on the Defence capability management processes and activities that lead to the expenditure of approximately $30billion annually on the acquisition and sustainment of military equipment. Finally, the course introduces the role of defence industry in supporting Defence capability.
Course Outline
Introduction to the Department: Background and History | Overview of Department / Structure / Organisation / Budget | Key Senior Personnel
Defence Groups: A brief introduction to each of the Groups with Defence, focusing on their main role.
The Services: Royal Australian Navy (RAN) | Australian Army | Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) | Service Ranks, Traditions and Customs
Defence as a Public Service Department: Legislative, Regulatory, Policy and Management Context | Behaviours | Defence and Government Decision Making | Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Defence Capability Management: Overview | Key Underpinning Concepts | Capability Development Frameworks | Capability Roles and Relationships | Capability Management Process and Life Cycle | Supporting Professional Practices | Capability Management Artefacts
Role of Industry in Supporting Defence: Industry Roles | Industry as an Input to Capability | Above and Below the Line | Rules of Industry Engagement | Probity | Defence Industry Characteristics | Defence Industry Policy Program
Course Brochure
Download the course brochure.
Course Material
The following resources will be provided to attendees of this course:
A PDF copy of the PowerPoint presentations used for the course.
Your Presenters
Dr Mike Ryan has over 40 years of experience in the Department of Defence in communications engineering, systems engineering, capability management, and management, the first 21 years as an Army officer. His recent consulting and teaching interests are in capability management/development, systems engineering, requirements engineering, project management, communications and information systems, and technology management. He has facilitated mission engineering and requirements development activities for more than 50 major Defence projects.
Dr Shari Soutberg has worked for over 30 years in the Department of Defence in roles ranging from engineering and project management for maritime systems through to senior policy positions in engineering, materiel acquisition and sustainment, industry, and technical and engineering workforce learning and development. She was also a member of the First Principles Review (FPR) Capability Lifecycle (CLC) reform team. More recently, Shari has supported Defence on a range of CLC-related topics including Project, Product, and Program Management with a particular focus on joint force integration using Mission Engineering and System of Systems (SoS) Engineering approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the Introduction to Defence course designed for? This course is designed for people who are new to working with the Australian Department of Defence, especially those providing services, consultancy or support in a capability management context.
Do I need prior Defence experience to attend? No. The course is intended as an introduction for people who need background knowledge to work more effectively with Defence, its structure, processes, expectations and operating environment.
What will I learn in this course? You will learn about the background and history of Defence, the structure of the Department and the Australian Defence Force, the role of Defence Groups and Services, Defence decision-making, public service responsibilities, capability management processes and the role of defence industry.
Does the course cover Defence capability management? Yes. The course introduces the Defence capability management process, key concepts, capability roles and relationships, the capability life cycle, supporting professional practices and common capability management artefacts. If you would like a more in-depth introduction to Defence capability management, however, you may be interested to attend our Capability Management—Overview course.
Is this course relevant for consultants and industry personnel? Yes. The course is particularly relevant for consultants, contractors and industry personnel who need to understand how Defence operates, how industry supports Defence capability, and the expectations that apply when working with Defence.
Testimonials – Introduction to Defence
Course Testimonials
“The context and wide coverage of areas in such a short amount of time. It focuses on the key areas really well.”
“In-depth information into the subject matter.”
“Insightful overall.”
“It started from the start for beginners and went through everything one by one.”
“Great source of information to assist with the need to work with Defence.”
“Good coverage of each area.”
“Good coverage of the history of Defence without going too deep, and a good outline of how Defence has shifted to being supported by industry.”
·Excellent overview of Defence: structure, roles and complexities.”
“Helpful and informative for new starters.”
“The contents were well organised, particularly the use of colour schemes to clearly understand complicated maps and diagrams.”
“Good general introduction.”
“Wonderful introduction to Defence.”
“The history of Defence is really helpful and interesting to learn.”
“Comprehensive, and great overview of Defence.”
“Very valuable background information.”
“Good overall coverage, setting the scene.”
“A good introduction, especially for me as I’ve only been in Defence for two months.”
“Good session and good presentation.”
Presenter Testimonials
“The presenters were great.”
“Questions asked by the participants were encouraged and well responded to.”
“The presentation and attention to detail.”
“Instructors know the content very well.”
“The knowledge of the presenters.”
Supplementary Material
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