Pete Hutchison
Operational Director - Risk
CADMID cycle
The CADMID cycle is an equipment life cycle model used by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to improve efficiency and effectiveness across all aspects of all projects in all domains. With specific safety and environmental management activities and outputs required at key points of each life cycle phase, we answer key questions on what you need to know about the CAMDID cycle.
What is the CADMID cycle?
The CADMID cycle is the project lifecycle model used by all branches of the Ministry of Defence (MOD): The Concept, Assessment, Demonstration, Manufacture, In-Service and Disposal (CADMID) cycle.
It provides a high-level flexible model to allow any project, system or equipment to be managed through the complex requirements of the UK government, with all of its scrutiny and assurance demands. The CADMID tool set comes with context and processes that enable all parties to work to common goals and share resources, processes and tools.
Why is the CADMID cycle so important for safety management?
The CADMID model has enabled the MOD to streamline business processes efficiently - particularly safety and environmental management - and identify unity across projects and processes. The model has improved many processes, from the procurement of low complexity commodity items to highly complex systems, submarines, aircraft and data management systems.
The gateways and check points within the CADMID cycle have allowed for a consistent approach to safety and environmental management that is led from the top, with clearly defined engagement and requirements from the highest level through to the entry grades and supply chain.
How to approach the CADMID cycle
The basic structure of the CADMID cycle allows easy mapping of projects, whether at a pre-concept, blue sky stage, or an off the shelf brought in from commercial application, to a midlife upgrade of a complex system. The fundamental safety and environmental requirements on all projects are to minimise the risks to the operator and user as well as to the environment. The understanding of how to implement this can be complex and highly nuanced.
The engagement of experts in this field can significantly reduce the risk to the project not only from a safety and environmental compliance perspective, but also from a programme and financial perspective. It’s why we always encourage the earliest engagement possible as this always reduces risks to the project with tangible reduction to project costs and programme overruns.
What to consider
- Are the requirements clearly defined?
- Are the acceptance criteria clearly defined?
- Are the success criteria understood?
- Are the risks understood?
- Is there a clear strategy for mitigating the impacts of risks?
- Are the user and other stakeholders engaged and their issues understood?
How we can help
Our team of experts have extensive experience of working on defence projects at all stages of the CADMID cycle and include former service personnel and MOD staff.
We work with all parties to understand potential safety and environmental risks, issues, impacts and concerns and develop robust safety and environmental cases with substantive evidence. Working closely with the MOD and its suppliers, we ensure our clients achieve their desired outcome and support effective equipment for the frontline.
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