In an exclusive interview, Brigadier Jolyon Jackson, the Army’s director recruiting and training (operations), told Recruiter that Capita and Prospector Group were about to enter into “detailed dialogue” with the Army. The Prospector consortia consists of Serco, Logica and comunications company AMV Group. The make-up of the Capita consortia has not been revealed.

The two consortia were originally shortlisted in 2009 for the Armed Forces Recruiting Partnering Project (RPP), along with Group 4 and VT Group.
The aim of the project is to select an industry partner to support Army recruitment at every stage, from the initial marketing right through to when a recruit starts training.

Jackson said that the “detailed dialogue” would be followed by “a demonstration stage”. He said he hoped that contracts would be signed next year, with the new arrangements up and running in 2012.

We are trying to form a proper partnership with consortia, which we will be major players in, where they will provide all the services that the commercial sector provides so much better than the public sector

BRIG JOLYON JACKSON, DIRECTOR, RECRUITING AND TRAINING (OPERATIONS), ARMY

Jackson said the Army already outsources “stuff we don’t do very well in green”, including marketing, contact management and publications. However, added “everything is on the table except the selection standards and targets [for the number of recruits].

“The driver is efficiency. We want customer insight, segmented marketing, expertise in the digital space, and we want in all done in a coherent way.

“We are trying to form a proper partnership with consortia, in which we will be major players, where they will provide all the services that the commercial sector provides so much better than the public sector.”

Capita told Recruiter it did not wish to comment on the deal. Serco had not responded as Recruiter went to press.

For more on this story, and a profile of Brigadier Jackson, see 18 August issue of Recruiter.