Let me take you back to August 2022. I had been working at Digital Intelligence as a graduate for just a year, when I was invited along to a workshop to celebrate graduates from across BAE Systems. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to gather together with fellow grads for the first time since the pandemic, and alongside a traditional black tie ball, was intrigued by the alluring opportunity to participate in the ‘BAE Systems Graduate Challenge’.
My team’s Graduate Challenge was sponsored by Sally Wareham MBCS FdA, AH Digitalisation for Programme THEIA, the British Army’s digitalisation programme. She asked us a seemingly simple question:
"How can we digitally transform the British Army, considering cultural behaviours such as ‘we’ve always done it this way.’ How can we measure success, and do we need a bespoke solution?"
Of course this isn’t actually a simple question to answer, and tackling it required teamwork. The two members of our group from BAE Systems Digital Intelligence were able to focus on the practicalities of digital transformation, while others with more military experience were able to tailor our responses to the British Army.
We had just 10 minutes to present our findings to the customer in November, when we had the honour of meeting Colonel Ian Large alongside other British Army team members. We were thrilled when our ideas were well received and even more thrilled when Colonel Large invited us to British Army HQ to deliver a longer, more detailed version of our presentation in the New Year.
Behind the doors at British Army HQ
Fast forward to January 2023, and my team and I made our way to Andover to deliver our upgraded presentation. Before this, we were given a brief on Programme THEIA, detailing the aims and objectives of the project, as well as the team’s strategic plans for delivery. Our presentation once again led to some really interesting discussion – including how to measure current baselines in order to analyse success, and the importance of multiple types of training on the same syllabus to allow individuals to get the most from digital upskilling.
During the day we received a briefing on the British Army’s Land CEMA project, before heading to the Mess for a tasty lunch. We were then given a tour of the British Army HQ, and even got a glimpse of the doors of the Executive Area where all of the highest strategic decisions are made.
Collaboration leading to digitalisation
The experience was a fascinating insight. Not only were we briefed on the current strategy of the British Army, but we were also able to learn how various activities all link up and collaborate with one another. This is particularly important in light of the digital transformation programme, which pulls together experts from across the organisation into a consolidated strategy.
It’s clear that we can learn a lot from each other, and that there is huge value in sustaining a culture of collaboration between industry and Armed Forces, to enable positive change. I might be back in my Central Government role now, but I look forward to continuing these fascinating discussions around the digital future of the British Army.
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