JFCOM Case Study
Challenge
The United States Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) provides mission-ready Joint capable forces and supports the development and integration of Military, Government, and Multinational capabilities to meet the present and future operational needs of the Joint Force.
As the chief advocate for the joint environment, USJFCOM maximizes the nation's future and present military capabilities through joint concept development and experimentation, recommending joint requirements, advancing interoperability, conducting joint training, and providing ready continental U.S.-based forces and capabilities to support other combatant commanders. To meet this mission USJFCOM acquires, operates, and maintains the most modern, fully mission capable systems for the command; and ensures suitability for and interoperability among its components as the supported Combatant Commanders in peace and war.
USJFCOM's goal was to develop, implement and institutionalize a structured portfolio, program and project management methodology to effectively manage and enable decision making for USJFCOM enterprise resources and investments and Command-wide projects associated with command goals and mission function areas.
Approach
Working with the J02R Directorate, Reed Integration conducted an OPM3 assessment of representatives from each of the primary directorates involved in the portfolio/project management process. The effort began with a kickoff meeting to introduce members of the directorates to the project and and advise them of what to expect over the coming weeks. This was followed by onsite interviews of cross-functional personnel who were process owners in their respective directorates, conducted at each interviewees office or workstation by Reed Integration personnel to minimize their time.
The assessment addressed both the portfolio management process as well as the project management process, and covered all nine PMBOK guide knowledge areas: Integration Management, Scope Management, Time Management, Cost Management, Quality Management, Human Resources Management, Communications Management, Risk Management, and Procurement Management. The assessment results were documented in two key reports - an overarching JFCOM OPM3 ProductSuite Portfolio Management Assessment report, as well as an overarching JFCOM OPM3 ProductSuite Project Management Assessment report. Individual reports were also provided for the J5, J7 and J9 directorates.
Results
Following the completion of the assessment reports, Reed Integration developed and delivered improvement roadmaps for processes, tools, techniques and training to assist USJFCOM in closing the gaps identified in the assessment to implement portfolio and project management best practices. These roadmaps were prioritized and incorporated into a set of implementation plans, one for improving portfolio management and one for improving project management.
These implementation plans contained a phased approach with short-term (6-12 months), mid-term (1-3 years), and long-term goals (3-5 years and beyond) for implementing and sustaining portfolio and project management practices and capability throughout the entire USJFCOM portfolio program of work, and addressed people, processes, tools, techniques and training. Both implementation plans also included detailed MS Project schedules for the customer to use to manage the improvement effort. Reed Integration also developed a unique, integrated maturity graphic / model for the customer based on interweaving a Crawl - Walk - Run chart with the 5 level CMMI process and the OPM3 process.
