Case Study: Governing, assuring and delivering the first AI capability built inside Defence

Client: Department of Defence, Defence Export Controls (DEC)

Project: MADE AI multilingual knowledge assistant

How Profectus governed, assured and managed delivery of the first AI capability developed within Defence, a government-grade multilingual AI knowledge assistant, taking it from concept to go-live in five months without compromising quality, security or compliance.

Client and context

Defence Export Controls regulates the export of controlled goods and technology and administers Safeguarding Australia’s Military Secrets (SAMS). As a Commonwealth regulator, DEC must implement government-approved recommendations arising from reviews of the legislation it governs, and support exporters and the public with clear, accurate and timely guidance on complex export control law.

In June 2025, DEC embarked on MADE AI, the nation’s first government-grade multilingual AI knowledge assistant, capable of delivering authoritative, cited legislative guidance in over 100 languages. MADE AI is the first AI capability developed and delivered within the Department of Defence, and aids or delivers on several government-approved legislative recommendations in respect of the DTC Act.

The engagement

Profectus was entrusted with governing, assuring and managing delivery of this ambitious capability across a multi-vendor, multi-stakeholder environment spanning Defence, Microsoft, Accenture and the Defence Digital Transformation Agency. Applying proven governance frameworks, agile delivery methods and rigorous assurance processes, Profectus took MADE AI from concept to go-live in just five months while embedding responsible AI practices that exceed commercial standards.

The challenge

Delivering a first-of-its-kind capability on record timeframes placed several compounding demands on the program:

  • Unprecedented speed: achieving operational readiness from launch in June 2025 to go-live in November 2025 demanded tight program governance and assured delivery sequencing
  • Complex stakeholder environment: coordinating Defence, Profectus, Microsoft, Accenture and government digital agencies within a single, unified governance structure
  • Stringent compliance: ensuring responsible AI, Australian data sovereignty and government-grade accreditation above commercial standards
  • Operational integration: embedding AI into existing DEC workflows, targeting the 20 per cent of permit applications requiring intensive manual intervention
  • Multilingual delivery: providing accurate legislative guidance across more than 100 languages without sacrificing precision or security

Our approach

Profectus applied its expertise in program governance, capability assurance and vendor management through four key pillars.

Governance and assurance

Profectus established a multi-layered governance model integrating Defence oversight with vendor delivery streams, chaired program assurance reviews so milestones, dependencies and risks were proactively managed, and implemented responsible AI guardrails aligned to ethical, legal and security frameworks.

Delivery management

Agile delivery frameworks sequenced rapid development sprints while maintaining Defence assurance standards. Profectus coordinated across Microsoft for infrastructure, Accenture for integration and the Defence Digital Transformation Agency to synchronise delivery, with transparent reporting and real-time status dashboards for DEC leadership.

Quality and security assurance

Profectus oversaw the design and independent testing of the hybrid semantic and keyword retrieval system, assured compliance with Australian data sovereignty, security accreditation and the Defence Information Security Manual, and conducted end-to-end scenario testing to verify the accuracy of multilingual outputs and citation integrity.

Change and workforce enablement

Training material and knowledge transfer programs upskilled DEC regulatory staff, assurance over user adoption ensured the AI reduced administrative burden and freed staff for higher-value work, and post-implementation reviews were delivered to inform future AI deployments across government.

What we delivered

  • Vendor and stakeholder coordination: structured engagement forums aligned delivery partners, Defence stakeholders and end-user representatives under one governance model
  • Testing and validation: led assurance of the AI’s multilingual accuracy and citation integrity through end-to-end scenario testing
  • Security and compliance oversight: certified accreditation processes and ensured responsible AI principles were embedded throughout the build
  • Operational readiness: managed the transition of the AI capability into DEC operations, including service continuity planning and support workflows

Systems and methods

Responsible AI guardrails · Hybrid semantic and keyword retrieval · Australian data sovereignty and Defence ISM accreditation · Agile delivery

The result

MADE AI went live within five months, an unprecedented timeline for a government AI program, delivering 100 per cent compliance with Defence accreditation. By targeting and automating routine queries, the capability frees up to 150 staff hours per week, equivalent to half of DEC operational capacity, and its reusable, scalable framework provides a blueprint for responsible AI deployment across Australian government agencies. MADE AI has been submitted for consideration in the Australian AI Awards, positioning Defence as a leader in responsible, multilingual government AI.