Page 254 - MDSL Final

MARITIME DOCTRINE OF SRI LANKA
Defence Budget and Expenditure

The planning and expenditure of defence budget is the driving component
in all activities done by the Navy. Meticulous planning has to be done in
consideration all factors in the recurrent and capital nature. In terms of
existing force structure and future development expected, it should be
planned, allocated and carry out expenditure in order to achieve the
desired targets. The performance of the planned and allocated military
budget should be measured in terms of productivity. Therefore, accurate
budget planning is essential to bring out the clear vision that where the
Navy can reach at particular time of the future.

Strategic Planning and Management Process

Strategy formulations and implementation is a function of management
at the conceptual level. It is the determination and evaluation of
alternatives available to the Navy and the selection of the alternative
to be pursued. It is concerned with the relationship between ends and
means, power and objectives, capabilities and intentions, forecasting
and foresight. It is a means to achieve the Navy’s organisation vision.

The clarity in the vision of the future environment will determine the
degree of effectiveness and efficiency that organisation can aspire for
and it is the job of the leadership at the apex level to provide that vision.
The four important aspects with respect to success of the organisation
are the effective management of people, structure, task and technology.
The strategic planning must encompass macro environmental factors
for the visionary future planning. The interactive organisations do not
accept the future as inevitable. They study trends and forecast future
and then make strategic interventions to shape future environment as
most suited to them. SLN’s strategic planning process must include both
operational and administrative function. The vital aspect of envisioning
Navy’s long term desired ‘end state’, reviewing goals, setting realistic
objectives, aligning with dynamically changing environment is necessary.

The strategic management has relatively long term focus in comparison
to the operational management. The scope of the management of
national security is vast, thus needs to be managed most intricately and

234 To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea