CADMID

CADMID is the acronym for the UK Ministry of Defence's six-phase project acquisition lifecycle: Concept, Assessment, Demonstration, Manufacture, In-Service, and Disposal. Every UK defence programme — from a communications refresh to a major platform acquisition — moves through these phases under a structured assurance framework that links each stage to specific gateway reviews, controls deliverables, and investment decisions.

The six phases in sequence: Concept (defining the requirement and outline business case), Assessment (option analysis, risk reduction and full business case), Demonstration (development, integration and testing of the chosen solution), Manufacture (production, delivery and acceptance), In-Service (operational sustainment, often spanning decades), and Disposal (decommissioning, withdrawal and asset disposition). Each transition is governed by a Main Gate decision and, on Major Projects, by Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA) Gateway Reviews.

For project controls practitioners, CADMID defines the shape of the controls requirement at each stage. Concept and Assessment are risk- and option-analysis intensive. Demonstration and Manufacture demand formal Earned Value Management and Performance Measurement Baseline control. In-Service controls focus on through-life cost tracking and sustainment. Disposal introduces its own regulatory and cost complexity. Understanding which CADMID phase a programme is in determines the appropriate controls structure and reporting framework.