Defence is focused on building an enduring enterprise reform program on the strong foundation of the First Principles Review. Through this approach, Defence will drive and enable an organisational culture of continuous improvement, innovation and adaptation.

The role of reform is important in ensuring Defence is a fully integrated system that continuously adjusts its strategy, improves its ability to develop capability, and delivers on its mission for Government within available resources.

Achievements in 2019–20

Defence progressed a range of reforms in 2019–20 under the Defence 2022 program, including:

• delivering high-quality legal services across its complex and diverse operating environment, through a more integrated legal service that includes a joint military law capability
• transforming its security business processes to deliver greater assurance and timeliness of security vetting services for Defence, industry and the whole-of-government workforce
• achieving the milestones to remain on track for delivery of the Enterprise Resource Management and Enterprise Information Management programs—the largest information and communications technology (ICT) transformation projects ever undertaken by Defence
• enhancing strategic communications through the development of focused and fit-for-purpose communications guidance.

Future of reform

Defence is committed to the alignment of strategy, capability, and resources—underpinned by reform—to ensure it has the capacity to deliver on its mission for Government and the Australian people into the future.

Defence will continue to focus on ensuring it is a single strategy-led and centrally directed organisation. In response to our rapidly changing strategic environment, Defence must be agile, proactive and adaptive to effectively shape Australia’s strategic environment, deliver credible deterrence, and respond to challenges to our interests when required.

Defence will continue to improve its capacity and drive further reforms to achieve the outcomes required by the 2020 Defence Strategic Update and 2020 Force Structure Plan.