RGS Helps J-4 Zero In On Its Mission
The Challenge
J-4, the Logistics directorate of the Joint Staff, has the unique role of advocating, integrating, and coordinating joint logistics capabilities and strategies within the Department of Defense (DOD), including the Services and Combatant Commands. Additionally, J-4 acts as a liaison with agencies outside the DOD, including other government organizations and multinational partners. The organization is comprised of roughly 100 staff members (70 percent active military on joint rotations, and 30 percent civilian/contractor staff).
J-4 provides expert military logistics advice to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. While J-4 has influence with the Chairman, J-4 does not have direct control over resources or billets outside of its organization. Because of this, there wasn’t a clear understanding of the mission of the organization, from both the external and internal perspectives.
So J-4 came to RGS to help J-4 define and communicate its future direction and priorities.
The Solution
RGS worked with J-4 to create a strategic plan to clearly define the organization’s future direction and top priorities. Although there were several existing guidance documents and various artifacts relating to J-4’s mission and priorities, J-4 needed a central strategic document to tie them together and define the way ahead.
Using our proven, executable strategic planning process, RGS guided and facilitated the J-4 leadership and stakeholders to update the J-4 mission and vision, and successfully develop, publish, and communicate the 2010-2014 Strategic Plan. The RGS Joint Staff J-4 team helped to:
- Identify, document, and institutionalize J-4’s vision, mission, and goals
- Design & publish J-4’s (2010 – 2014) strategic plan document and the accompanying annual guidance
- Finalize, communicate, and measure the implementation of the annual guidance
- Provide visibility to J-4 leadership regarding the organization’s strategic calendar
- Support the J-4 in presenting the Conference of Logistics Directors (COLD) annual conference
Business Results
The J-4’s 2010-2014 Strategic Plan that RGS developed has been well received within the Joint Logistics community. As part of the process, RGS also continues to assist J-4 with an annual guidance document that outlines the tactical steps toward reaching their goals. This process allows for course corrections between revisions of their five-year strategic plan.
RGS’s ongoing, collaborative strategic planning process continues to guide the execution, communication, and assessment of the strategic plan as J-4 progresses toward the achievement of its goals and objectives.
