The Australian Army Research Centre (AARC), in partnership with Project RUTHLESS, announces that entries to the Spring 2025 Short Thoughts Competition have now closed. The AARC thanks all respondents for their submissions. They will now be assessed and the winner, runner-up and highly commended proposals will be advised in due course.
The Australian Army is a professional, values-based organisation committed to excellence in warfighting and service to the nation. However, like many modern institutions, it faces increasing administrative demands that can detract from its core mission. Excessive bureaucracy, duplicated reporting, and inefficient processes can erode time, morale, and operational effectiveness.
As the Australian Army undergoes rapid and integrated transformation in response to evolving geostrategic challenges, we called for innovative and constructive ideas to contribute to this change as part of the latest Short Thoughts Competition. This competition supports Project RUTHLESS—Reducing Unnecessary Tasks to Help Lethality, Efficiency & Strategic Success—which aims to streamline bureaucracy, empower decision-making, and enhance readiness across all levels of command. Inspired by similar initiatives in the US and UK, Project RUTHLESS is central to the Australian Army’s transformation and warfighting focus.
The Short Thoughts Spring 2025 Competition theme is:
How can the Australian Army reduce unnecessary red tape and administrative burden to better enable its people and enhance operational effectiveness?
This competition sought innovative, practical, constructive, evidence-based ideas to streamline processes, empower junior leaders, and refocus effort on mission-critical tasks.
Methodology
Submissions were requested to conduct evidence-based analysis of the administration of Army’s policies, regulations, and processes to identify root causes and implement solutions that reduce (or eliminate) unnecessary burdens.
Submissions were to outline four key areas:
- Identify the policy (and policy owner and authorities)
- The reason why it is ineffective, and assess the scale of the impact
- The proposed solution to meet policy intent (can include case studies of other departments or militaries)
- Clear reasoning why the proposed change to this policy/requirement will improve efficiencies.
Eligibility:
Open to all members of the Australian Army (Regular and Reserve), Australian Public Service employees in Defence, and members of the broader Defence community.
Please note that all submissions are welcome, however only employees in the Australian Defence Organisation can receive a cash prize.
Judging Criteria:
- Originality and relevance of ideas
- Clarity and persuasiveness of argument
- Practicality and feasibility of recommendations
- Use of evidence and examples
- Alignment with Defence values and professional standards
Prizes:
- First Prize: $1,000 cash prize and internal publication of your work. The winner may also be invited to brief their essay to the Senior Leadership Group.
- Runner-Ups: $250 cash prize and internal publication of the work.
- Highly Commended: internal publication of the work
On the basis of their submissions, some authors may also be approached to expand on their views as an article for the Australian Army Journal or present at Army forums.
Enquiries:
For questions or further information, use our contact form.
