The UK Global Threat Reduction Programme is overseen by a Ministerial and an (officials) Programme Oversight Board, both of which are chaired by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). These Boards ensure that the work has strong political and strategic direction, with an appropriate public and parliamentary profile.
The budget is managed and accounted for by DECC, which is also responsible for delivery of the nuclear and radiological parts of the programme: the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is responsible for delivery of the chemical and biological programmes.
DECC and MOD have experienced in-house teams which oversee day-to-day management of the Global Threat Reduction Programme portfolio. Project management, technical assistance and associated risk management are provided to DECC for its programmes by skilled private sector project management contractors, appointed under international competitive tender in accordance with Government and EU procurement rules.
In 2010 the Government published a new National Security Strategy setting out the objectives for UK security, and the Strategic Defence and Security Review which describes how the strategy will be implemented. It introduced strengthened governance and coordination arrangements for UK counter proliferation activities.
These include the establishment of a ‘Critical Capabilities Pool’ overseen by a new Cabinet Office-chaired committee, reporting into the Ministerial National Security Council, from which new GTRP projects can be funded.
Funds to complete existing GTRP commitments through to 2012 will continue to be provided by DECC, who will continue to manage the delivery of GTRP’s nuclear and radiological portfolio: the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is responsible for delivery of the chemical and biological programmes.
Chatham House report on the UK contribution to the Global Partnership 2002-2006
In January 2007, Chatham House published an independent, non-governmental review and evaluation of the UK’s participation in the Global Partnership 2002-2006, commissioned by DECC’s forerunner, the Department of Trade and Industry. The purpose of the review was to judge the efficiency and effectiveness of the UK’s contribution, and inform future policy on the allocation of resources.
Overall the review found that the UK contribution to the Global Partnership had been “well planned and organized, appropriately funded and efficient, and – above all – effective”.
The one major area in which Chatham House recommended action was biological non-proliferation. The review found the UK’s work on the subject to be “rather understated at the strategic level and in terms of declared policy”, and suggested that there was a case for giving the issue more prominence in UK Global Partnership strategy. The UK has acted on this recommendation and has since significantly expanded its biological non-proliferation programme.
Elsewhere, the review commented that resources were closely matched to strategy and that the UK had been careful only to work where legal agreements had been established. While acknowledging the difficulties in measuring national performance in the context of the Global Partnership, the review concluded that “by any reasonable standards, the United Kingdom’s performance in the Global Partnership ranges from ‘acceptable’ to ‘exceptional’”.