The Path to Finally Realizing the Adaptive Planning Vision of Defense Secretaries Rumsfeld and Gates
Abstract
It is now 2009, and after five years the Department of Defense (DoD) has failed to achieve the Secretary of Defense's (SecDef) Adaptive Planning (AP) vision of shortened planning cycles and easily adaptable plans. The SecDef mandated a paradigm shift in DoD planning, but after years of meetings and a large Joint effort -- at great cost to the taxpayer -- there has been no progress in improving DoD's ability to defend the United States. This paper argues that the SecDef's AP vision can be realized with the proper leadership. This leadership will have to navigate bureaucratic and personality conflicts, recognize the major problems with AP within the DoD, and change the approach to solving them through historical analysis and new implementation guidance. Planners across the DoD are very familiar with the original AP Roadmap, written by Secretary Rumsfeld, and AP Roadmap II, written by Secretary Gates. Unfortunately, no leader has yet implemented either plan. The hate and discontent between crisis action planners and contingency planners is overwhelming, and it completely inhibits progress in creating a plan that DoD can execute. New leadership can change the way DoD plans by using a holistic approach to solving existing problems. New implementation guidance based primarily on establishing and updating strategic guidance for senior U.S. leaders can achieve the desired AP vision.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 03, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA530068
Entities
People
- Douglas K. Clark
Organizations
- National Defense University