The IDF Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, has decided to adopt the conclusions of a report by the consulting firm McKinsey and Company. The report was commissioned as part of a multi-year reorganization and efficiency plan dealing with acquisition, construction and air and land maintenance. The plan will be implemented over a number of years with the goal of reducing expenses by NIS 1.3-1.6 billion.
The army says that the decision to commission consulting services from a civilian company is unprecedented in Israel. The proposed changes will allow for the re-allocation of budgets from day-to-day activities to improvements in readiness and combat power of the IDF.
One of the changes regards construction. In a sample assessment of IDF construction projects, it was found that these were 30% more costly than similar civilian projects. Amongst other conclusions, it was found that there is not one body in the defense establishment that is responsible for construction projects from start to finish.