The Nimrod Review - Official Documents

The Nimrod Review
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The Procurement Process
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In view of the non-compliance of the Avimo seals manufactured by Cellular with the Avimo Drawing, the MOD
instigated an investigation into the procurement process for Avimo seals. The results of that investigation have
revealed that it is far from being straightforward, or even seemingly logical, and raise a number of serious
questions about the MOD’s procurement processes in general. I turn to consider this below.
Prior to the formation of the Defence Logistics Organisation (DLO) in 2000, each Service largely procured its
own spare parts. This was certainly the case for RAF aircraft spares. The DLO was intended to improve the
efficiency of the support to the Armed Forces by adopting common procurement processes and by removing
duplication/triplication of effort (see further Chapter 12). As part of this drive to uniformity and creating
“purple” 81 organisations, the management of some aircraft spares which had previously been under the strict
control of the RAF’s own organisation was transferred to non-air systems organisations, the most notable being
the ‘Non-Project Procurement Organisation’ (since disbanded), and in the main subsumed within the Medical
and General Stores IPT (M&GS(IPT)).
Convoluted Procurement chain
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82 83 Avimo seals are purchased on behalf of the MOD by the M&GS IPT . Management of the Avimo couplings
and seals is undertaken by the Aircraft Commodities IPT. 84 The Review was informed that this arrangement is
used because the M&GS IPT (unsurprisingly) does not have the relevant engineering/airworthiness expertise
needed.
85 The current Project Engineer (PE) responsibility for the Nimrod lies with the Nimrod IPT Safety Engineer.
The Engineering Authority (EA) 86 responsibility for the Avimo couplings and seals prior to fitment, however,
lies with the Aircraft Commodities IPT Leader. The flowchart below provides an overview of the engineering
responsibilities for Avimo seals.
The Procurement chain for sourcing Avimo seals is convoluted.
81 A ‘Tri-Service’ organisation.
82 Formerly the Non Project Procurement Organisation (NPPO).
83 Management in this context is defined as the provision of engineering, commercial, finances, quality assurance and administrative services for the
support of the relevant equipment and consumables.
84 Formerly known as the Aircraft Support IPT.
85 JAP 100A (Issue 8, April 2008) defines the Project Engineer as “the lead engineer within an IPT (may be the IPT Leader) who is a suitably qualified and
experienced aircraft engineer specifically assessed by the Airworthiness Competency Set (ACS) and evaluated by the Aviation Flight Test Regulatory
Authority (AFTRA) prior to being duly authorised by the IPTL by the issue of a Letter of Authority (LOA)”. PEs advise their IPTL on the adequacy of the
Generic Aircraft Release Process (GARP), Release to Service (RTS) or Military Aircraft Release (MA Release) as appropriate and assist their IPTL in ensuring
compliance with airworthiness regulatory requirements. Specifically, PEs are authorised, as described in JSP 553, to issue RTS Recommendations (RTSR)
to the RTS Authority (RTSA).
86 JAP 100A-01 (Issue 8, April 2008) defines Engineering Authority as “The engineering staff responsible, usually to the IPT Leader, for exercising
engineering judgment in managing those support functions that have a bearing on the safety of a range of aircraft or other technical equipment.”