The Vice Chief of the Defence Force, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, AO, CSC, RAN, was appointed on 1 July 2014, following the promotion of Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin to CDF. He is the military deputy to the CDF and acts under standing arrangements as the CDF in his absence. The VCDF’s responsibilities include providing strategic-level management and situational awareness of current and potential ADF commitments for Defence and other government agencies; joint military professional education and training; joint and combined ADF doctrine; joint capability management policy; joint logistics; joint health; input to joint capability development; policy, governance and the accountability structure for the ADF Cadet Scheme; and initiatives to develop the capacity of the ADF Reserves to support ADF capability.
VCDF Group’s mission is to develop, deliver, enable and ensure Defence joint capability in order to protect and advance Australia’s national and strategic interests.
The Group is responsible for the Australian Civil–Military Centre, which supports Australia’s peace, stability and humanitarian operations overseas. It is also responsible for the ADF Parliamentary Program, the Federation Guard, ADF ceremonial activities, Strategic Communications Branch and the Counter Improvised Explosive Device Task Force.
The Group is committed to driving cultural reform in line with Defence’s Pathway to Change program.
The Group’s key achievements in 2013–14 included:
VCDF Group was also responsible during this period for the implementation across Defence of the Australian National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2012-2018 (NAP).
Key achievements relating to this during the 2013-14 period included:
Full details of Defence achievements are included in the 2014 whole-of-Government Progress Report.
As at 1 July 2014, NAP implementation responsibilities transferred from VCDF to CDF.
Deliverable |
Status |
|---|---|
Lead the preparation of departmental military strategic advice to the Government via ministerial submissions, ministerial representations, Question Time briefs and Cabinet submissions |
Met |
Provide military strategic expertise to CDF in order to prepare direction from CDF to subordinate headquarters |
Met |
Deliver agreed savings and reforms within the VCDF Group, including in the areas of logistics, reserves, and preparedness and personnel and operating costs |
Substantially met Preparedness and personnel and operating costs reform outcomes were achieved, with the exception of implementation of the defence preparedness management information system, which will continue through to final operational capability in 2018–19. |
Deliver coordinated logistic advice and services to the ADF, and provide oversight and assurance of the Defence logistic capability |
Met |
Provide policy advice and deliver services to optimise the health of ADF personnel |
Substantially met The following targets were delayed, but are being appropriately managed:
|
Provide Defence, inter-agency, combined and joint capability coordination and preparedness management |
Substantially met An interim Joint Force Battle Laboratory capability has been substantially (but not fully) established; coordination to make this a permanent capability continues. |
Build and sustain a learning environment that links education, training and skilling to Defence capability |
Substantially met Defence education and training reform continues, with renewed emphasis on ICT enablement and policy development. |
Enhance capacity of Reserves to support Defence capability |
Met |
Provide a coordinated, coherent and well-governed approach to youth development programs in the Australian Defence organisation in order to provide a positive youth development experience |
Met |
Promote best-practice civil–military engagement through the Australian Civil–Military Centre |
Met |
Key performance indicator |
Status |
|---|---|
Timely, accurate and widely consulted advice provided to the Government |
Met |
High level of engagement with Joint Operations Command, International Policy Division, Strategic Policy Division, Australian Civil–Military Centre, and other government agencies, for operational matters |
Met |
Advice is readily sourced and made available to the offices of the CDF and VCDF to support strategic decision making |
Met |
ADF operational tempo is managed within concurrency constraints |
Met |
Group-specific reform and savings have been achieved |
Met |
ADF operations and exercises receive effective logistics and health support and services |
Substantially met Joint Health Command has worked closely with the DMO to coordinate the remaining deliverable hardware initiatives for Joint Project 2060 2B (deployable healthcare), which has project closure currently programmed for December 2015. |
ADF joint and combined operational capability is enhanced |
Substantially met Joint Capability Coordination has contributed to various international capability forums, including Counter Improvised Explosive Device, battlespace awareness, and interoperability with Singaporean Armed Forces, US Strategic Command and UK Joint Forces Command for capability concepts and enhancement. |
Delivery of learning outcomes that deliver the skills required for defence capability |
Met |
Planning and policy frameworks for the contribution of the Reserves to Defence and the wider community are enhanced |
Met |
Governance and accountability frameworks enhance the youth development experience within the ADF Cadets and the Defence Work Experience Program |
Substantially met Work on governance and accountability frameworks continues. |
Australian Civil–Military Centre delivers its goals effectively and efficiently in accordance with government instructions |
Met |
Timely, accurate and widely consulted advice on nature of service classifications |
Met |
Timely and accurate advice on strategic communications |
Met |
ADF investigations are supported by effective and efficient administration |
Substantially met ADF investigators focused on serious and complex investigations in domestic and offshore settings. Support from information and records management staff enabled the ADF to meet a number of strategic outputs, including government objectives. There has been a significant increase in requests for information during this period while average staffing levels were at 80 per cent. |
Group-specific outcomes and programs are delivered on time and within agreed resources |
Met |
