By Kris Osborn
One of the goals of ASAALT’s Strategic Plan is equipping the Army for the 21st century, focused on designing, developing, procuring, and fielding warfighting equipment for Soldiers. Here, BG Jonathan A. Maddux, Program Executive Officer Ammunition and Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, Senior Commander, fires the inaugural shot at Picatinny’s new small arms range on Dec. 16, 2011. Maddux fired the Lightweight Small Arms Technology Light Machine Gun, which is currently in the technology base of the Armament Research, Developing, and Engineering Center. (U.S. Army photo.)
The Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (DASA) for Strategy and Performance Planning has outlined a five-year strategic plan designed to ensure continued success for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology (ASAALT).
The document is organized primarily around key principles such as equipping and sustaining the Army for the 21st century, ensuring effective life-cycle management, transforming the acquisition workforce, developing policy, and enhancing efficiency, said Lee Thompson, DASA for Strategy and Performance Planning.
The rationale for the plan, which details specific goals and priorities through 2017, is aligned with the Army Campaign Plan 2012 and is grounded in articulating and navigating a path forward for continued ASAALT success with the ultimate objective of best serving Soldiers.
“It is all about the Soldier,” said COL Patricia Matlock, who directs strategy for the DASA. “It’s a living document designed to inform the ASAALT community of the vision, mission, and way forward for the organization.”
The ASAALT Strategic Plan represents a cumulative 18-month effort, drawing upon input from an integrated process team of subject-matter experts as well as guidance from other ASAALT DASAs and senior leaders.
“It is essential that the ASAALT community, from the PEOs [program executive offices] to the DASAs, link with the Army Campaign Plan as well as those themes derived from the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics,” Thompson said.
Each of the five goals highlighted in the plan relates to specific objectives and supporting tasks. “All of the goals can be measured and have their own respective metrics,” Matlock said.
The five overarching goals are:
- Equip the Army for the 21st century, focused on the acquisition community’s mandate to design, develop, procure, field, and sustain warfighting equipment, thus providing Soldiers with the most advanced technology available.
- Ensure effective life-cycle management, the effective management of weapon systems across the acquisition, logistics, and technology community throughout the life of the system.
- Transform the Acquisition Workforce Enterprise, focused on enhancing and managing a framework to increase the size and improve the skills of the enterprise.
- Develop ASAALT policy and oversee execution, focused on activities that support the development, implementation, oversight, and evaluation of key acquisition, contracting, industrial base, security assistance, and export control policies.
- Support and enhance the efficiency of ASAALT, focused on implementing AL&T business process initiatives to improve organizational efficiencies and information management; and on enhancing AL&T strategic communications to foster key stakeholders’ advocacy at all levels.
The plan is flexible and can be updated as strategies and conditions evolve over time, Matlock and Thompson said.
“The document is organized primarily around key principles such as equipping and sustaining the Army for the 21st century, ensuring effective life-cycle management, transforming the acquisition workforce, developing policy, and enhancing efficiency.”
Also, while the document is intended primarily for ASAALT, it is written to support and fortify key efforts across the entire Army, such as the sustainment and life-cycle work of the U.S. Army Materiel Command, the logistics work of the Army G-4, and the programmatic efforts of the Army G-8.
“We want to be a collaborative organization and ensure that our enterprise meets its full potential,” Matlock said.
Moving forward, DASAs across the ASAALT organization will conduct quarterly reviews to assess their progress in implementing the strategic plan and achieving stated goals and objectives. The next step in strategic planning is to align the core tenets of the individual PEO strategic plans with those of ASAALT, Thompson said.
“We need to cross-reference our ASAALT plans, both DASAs and PEOs, with the Army Campaign,” he explained.
- KRIS OSBORN is a Highly Qualified Expert for the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Office of Strategic Communications. He holds a B.A. in English and political science from Kenyon College and an M.A. in comparative literature from Columbia University.
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