WELLINGTON — The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has responded to a government agency's review requested by its top officer by forming several new committees to address areas found in need of improvement.
New Zealand’s Chief of Defence Force (CDF) Lt. Gen. Tim Keating has welcomed the Pperformance Iimprovement Fframework (PIF) review, released Sept. 24 by the State Services Commission. Keating apparently requested the PIF review to help the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) test its thinking about how to meet the challenges of the next four years.
"Our purpose is about preparing for combat," Keating declared said in a media news release. "I am committed to ensuring the New Zealand Defence Force, as a Fforce for New Zealand, continuously finds ways to be better at what we do."
There appears to be ample scope for improvement as the PIF review indicates that out of 25 parameters the NZDF rates "strongly" in only one, that of "maintaining momentum in key relationships." In nine categories, including assets management and "management of people performance," it is rated as "well placed."
However, the NZDF is assessed as "needing development" in 14 other areas, for example — including leadership and governance; structure, roles and responsibilities; risk management; and engagement with staff, the NZDF is assessed as ‘needing development’ — while in terms of leadership and workplace development, it is rated as "weak."
One response to the review has been the establishment of new committees,. These include including the NZDF Leadership Team, an Eexecutive Ggroup, an Oorganiszation Ccommittee, an Ooutputs Ccommittee, a Bboard and an Office of the CDF Chief of Defence Force.
For a large defence force, so many committees might be unremarkable, only but the NZDF is small. Senior ranks in the New Zealand Army include just three generals, seven brigadiers and 30 colonels. The Royal New Zealand Air Force is led by two air vice marshals, four air commodores and 17 group captains, and the Royal New Zealand Navy has one rear admiral, seven commodores and 15 captains.
Independent defense analyst Gordon Crane told Defense News that with only 86 senior officers in the entire NZDF, he is concerned that so many committees have been established.
"Moreover, the PIF report itself is hardly a crisp, erudite document, so how can the Defence Force react to it without its own language becoming bloated?" Crane said. "The review mentions the NZDF's Future 35 strategy of shifting from a 'three services, one force' approach to 'one force, three services.' What does that mean?"
Defense News asked the NZDF the same question but without any response.
Crane also queried a statement in the PIF review that drones and cyberspace militariszation "may have significant implications for military capabilities."
"May have? Surely unmanned systems and cyber warfare are already significant to military capabilities," Crane said. "I don't doubt that there are areas where the NZDF command structure could be improved, only this review fails to deliver a concise, accurate and coherent analysis of what is required, so it needs to be treated with caution."
Email: nframpton@defensenews.com
Nick Lee-Frampton is the New Zealand correspondent for Defense News.
