The Australian Government’s 2016 Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS) set out a range of policy initiatives aiming to reset the relationship between the Department of Defence and the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science (DIIS). 

Released by the Australian Government in February 2016 as a companion document to the Defence White Paper, the DIPS policy initiatives would work to establish DIIS as a fundamental input into Defence capability and transform the way Defence approaches innovation. 

Delivering three of the initiatives needed an integrated project management arrangement between the two departments. CAPDA Consulting was engaged as the primary integrator for delivering the Centre for Defence Industry Capability (CDIC), the Defence Innovation Portal and the Defence Innovation Hub.  

CAPDA Consulting’s role included responsibility for governance, reporting, scheduling, risk management, assurance and change management for each initiative. CAPDA Consulting worked across Defence and DIIS to coordinate the project delivery teams and cross-agency Senior Executive project steering group. 

CAPDA Consulting’s team led the design of the CDIC and its workforce, facilitating staff workshops and developing the Concept of Operations document. CAPDA Consulting also acted as the primary interface between the project’s strategic communications team and DIIS, and between the business and web developers responsible for developing the new CDIC website and Defence Innovation Portal. 

The CDIC and Innovation Hub commenced operations in late 2016.  

The project was awarded the 2017 Project Management Achievement Award (Defence/Aerospace category) by the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM).  

*Now the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources (DISER)