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Prototyping Brings New Joint Forces Capabilities to the Field Dennis Popiela and Richard Paradiso 
he U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) is developing a more efficient approach to getting new and advanced capabilities into the field to support the warfighters. The USJFCOM Capabilities Development Model focuses on creating prototypes, i.e., "working models designed to support operational concepts or satisfy operational capability needs" consisting of people, processes, and technology intended to transform joint warfighting capabilities. With a new model in place, USJFCOM and MITRE are working to establish prototyping as an effective technique for rapidly transitioning capabilities from their conception to use in the field. The model consists of four major command-level decision points along the capability development path:
Prototyping as a new mission for USJFCOM initially grew out of large joint experiments, such as Millennium Challenge '02. Operational forces and commanders who participated in the experiments recognized the power of the new concepts, tools, and processes they had used in the experiment and requested that they be made available in their own theaters. Providing these capabilities became an operational mandate when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff directed USJFCOM to develop a prototype of a joint command and control element, known as the Standing Joint Force Headquarters (SJFHQ), which was capable of being fielded by the combatant commands by 2005. Many of the capabilities that were demonstrated during Millennium Challenge '02 were used to develop the SJFHQ prototype. MITRE was instrumental in providing technical guidance and systems engineering support to develop these concepts into capabilities. In parallel with the SJFHQ effort, USJFCOM embarked on a program to continue the development work of other concept and experimentation projects with the goal of providing new capabilities to the joint forces as quickly as possible. USJFCOM's joint prototyping efforts essentially fall into two categories. The first are those prototypes associated with the fielding of the SJFHQ, which are managed by the SJFHQ Science and Technology Directorate, and the Joint Prototyping Path of the Joint Experimentation Directorate. The second group is a collection of capabilities, ranging from improved processes based on lessons learned to new technology development found in Applied Capability Technology Demonstrations (ACTDs) that are managed by numerous directorates and subordinate commands in USJFCOM. MITRE has been fully engaged in the development of prototypes across the command from concept development to experimentation to assessments in the lab and operational arena to taking prototypes to joint forces in the field In accordance with the model, USJFCOM uses joint prototypes as the basis for concept refinement. It allows the command to transform a well-documented idea into a usable form that can be taken to the field and tested in an operational setting. In this way, USJFCOM's joint prototypes serve as a vehicle for the interactive development of capabilities by giving potential customers an opportunity to use and familiarize themselves with the prototype capability well before it is fielded. Through this process "operators" provide feedback to the developers so they can refine the prototype. In each case, the users have provided valuable input that has resulted in numerous improvements to the prototypes, as well as descriptions of desired capabilities for existing and future programs of record. USJFCOM has enjoyed a great deal of success in embedding prototypes into several combatant command exercises and military operations. For example, some of these prototypes have been tested by troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Korea. By experimenting with prototypes in numerous different locations and under varying conditions, USJFCOM can collect multiple data points with which to measure the value of new joint prototypes, as well as gain advocacy among the joint warfighting community. To support these activities, the U.S. Joint Forces Command Office of Prototype Oversight (OPO) was created as the single office that facilitates and supports cross-directorate prototyping activities within the command. The OPO is charged with providing the USJFCOM leadership with greater awareness of all the joint-capability development efforts that are ongoing within the command, services, and agencies. MITRE helped establish this key office and provides technical oversight to the varied prototyping activities that are underway. Key to the development of Joint Capabilities will be the establishment of criteria for oversight of USJFCOM prototyping. The OPO will develop an Enterprise Process Improvement Architecture that will shape policy and procedures to guide joint capability developers through the prototype production process. This process will allow the USJFCOM leadership to review the progress of each prototype throughout its development cycle and will give them a clear picture of how each prototype is faring. Each prototype will be evaluated on its desirability, feasibility, and level of developmental risk. Once the prototype has gone through structured development, an operational assessment, and has been accepted by the joint operational community, it is ready to transition to a program of record or another sustaining mechanism. The result is that USJFCOM has systemically improved joint warfighting capability, not just in a lab, but also in the field, where it counts. MITRE serves as technical advisor to the senior executive director of the OPO. One of our projects is to design an enterprise architecture for process improvement to support the rapid development of joint capabilities. This support will build upon the work we performed as part of the Joint Concept Development and Experimentation program and will assist in restructuring the entire lifecycle of the joint capabilities development process from initial concept development through experimentation, prototype development, and operational assessment to fielding of the capability. Successful elements of the DOD effort include prototyping, experimentation,
and creating a close user-developer-integrator environment. These elements
should become an integral part of the enterprise—not simply activities
that need to be pasted onto "the enterprise" (e.g., programs of record)
when complete. One of the first steps of the OPO was to establish a baseline
process that supports the current Joint Capabilities Integration and Development
System process. We have introduced established program management and
systems engineering processes into the development cycle and have begun
to educate key personnel on the necessary criteria for judging project
success or failure. Work has now begun on developing an improved process
that supports the rapid prototyping of transformational concepts, processes,
and technologies in concert with work being conducted in USJFCOM to transform
the command into a more interdependent organization. |
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| For more information, please contact Dennis Popiela or Richard Paradiso using the employee directory. Page last updated: January 7, 2005 | Top of page |
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