Content
The Structure of Head Office
Head Office
The Head Office is organised
into a number of key areas:
- Director General Strategy (DG Strategy) – responsible for:
- Leading the Defence contribution to cross-Whitehall strategic planning.
- Supporting the Defence Board in developing its strategic guidance and its delivery of the Defence corporate strategy.
- Leading the process of producing a Defence programme for agreement.
- Defence Spending Review negotiations, including cross cutting Public Service Agreements.
- The Director General Security Policy (DG Sec Pol) – responsible for:
- Formulating long and short term strategic Defence and security policy.
- The Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Operations) (DCDS(Ops)) – responsible for:
- Directing and conducting operations on behalf of Chief of Defence Staff.
- Working with DG Sec Pol for delivering strategy and operational planning. They hold joint responsibility for this activity.
- Director General Finance – responsible for all aspects of the MODs financial management, including:
- Resource Accounting and Budgeting (RAB)
- Cost control
- Matters of Parliamentary financial accountability and propriety.
- Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Capabilities) (DCDS(C)) – responsible for:
- Constructing a balanced, coherent equipment and support plan and seeking approval for individual equipment projects.
- Director General Science and Technology – is responsible for:
- Ensuring that Defence science and technological investment meets current and future defence needs.
- Providing support to the Chief Scientific Advisor.
- Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Personnel) (DCDS(P)) – is responsible for the formulation of long-term strategy for Service personnel and joint Service personnel policy. In order that sufficient, capable and motivated personnel are recruited, trained and retained to sustain the Armed Forces.
- Director General Human Resources and Corporate Services – is responsible for the development of corporate civilian personnel strategy, policies and services, and the business resilience of the MOD including security, sustainability and environmental policies.
- Director General Defence Commercial (DGDC) – leads on shaping the MODs relationship with industry and future strategic commercial relationships, playing a vital role in implementing Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS).
- Chief of Defence Intelligence – is the principal adviser on defence intelligence issues.
- Director Central Legal Services – is the primary source of legal advice to Defence and Ministers.
- Chief Information Officer – is responsible for the development and delivery of the Defence Information Strategy.
- Director Media and Communications – provides the primary approach to Defence communications.
Capability Sponsor
The role of DCDS(C) is to decide what capabilities our forces need and work alongside the supplier, Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), to deliver the required equipment or systems.
DCDS(C) chairs a Joint Capabilities Board, which makes high–level balance of investment decisions within and across the organisation’s three capability areas:
- Battlefield Manoeuvre
- Information Superiority
- Precision Attack
Policy and Commitments
The Policy and Commitments staff, under DCDS(C) and the Policy Director, are responsible for:
- Creating national Defence and international security policy.
- Providing strategic operational advice to Ministers.
- Managing bi-lateral Defence relations and Defence diplomacy.
- Creating campaign plans and strategic military directions for operations.
Change History
Change History
The AOF has been updated to Version 2.0.0 on 1st April 2008 following the introduction of the main content in the tactical layer. In addition small changes have been added to the Operational layer. Individual document Change History pages will detail any changes other than minor editorial amendments.
- 1 October 2009
- Minor amendments made for Plain English review.
- Changes made to names reflecting the change of structure and roles in the Head Office.
- Additional roles included, Legal, Intelligence, Information and Media.
- Link to Head Office Framework inserted.
- 1 March 2009
- Inclusion of DG Strategy and change of Policy Director name to DG Sec Pol.
- 1 June 2007
- Contact names deleted due to IAW DDefSy Hd InfoSy Pol advice with regards to potential Security and Data Protection Act issues.
- 1 May 2007
- Incorrect list of capability areas updated.
