Strategic Defense review won't fly!

Every organisation understands the importance of an effective strategy and that one of the key indicators of crises is the failure to meet its stakeholders expectations. As reports from Libya signal a rapidly deteriorating situation where protest dissolves into a civil war, the role of the British Armed forces and the Coalition's defence strategy is brought into stark focus.

Following the strategic review which seems to have been neither strategic or about the UK’s defence can we really feel that the Coalition approach to defence is providing support to businesses trying to deliver export growth to the UK in difficult parts of the world. Think of the emerging risks not just to Libya but to the Arabian Gulf states and North Africa, both during current events and going forward as nations struggle to find stability. How much further can this spread? What other opportunities to resolve old conflicts may arise? Where are the new safe havens for pirates?

At present the government seems to have settled on a very narrow view of our defence requirements namely the continuation of a land war in Afghanistan at the expense of other capabilities to contribute to protect our interests. Whilst appreciating the need to get the defence budget under control, the cut and burn approach in the short term to capabilities other than land warfare has already been shown up as deficient by the slow and hesitant approach to responding to the need to recover UK nationals from Libya, finally achieved by a mix of chartered commercial aircraft, surface warships scheduled to be decommissioned and an aging fleet of military transport aircraft.

It isn’t going to get better unless David Cameron and his team get their blinkers off. So we must assume this will be the normal state of affairs certainly for the rest of this parliament and well into the next. Businesses operating in those areas of the globe where instability is rife should be lobbying for greater consideration to be given to the need to protect our people and business interests abroad. After all that is no more than the PM promised us in his statement to the House of Commons:

this Review is about how we project power and influence in a rapidly changing world.

…Our national interest requires our full and active engagement in world affairs.

…And it requires too that we stand up for the values we believe in.

In the mean time we should start to look at the ‘Big Society’ solution translated as self help. Make sure your travel risk assessments are up to date, your people know how to contact you 24/7 to report problems, that you have developed your evacuation strategies and know how they will be invoked early.

It is also good practice to talk to the local embassy or consulate so at least they know how many people need to get out and from where, should the proverbial hit the fan and a spare resource can be found to help.
And perhaps number 10 would like to attend one of our courses on avoiding crises.