James A. Dewar

Unwelcome surprises in the life of any organization can often be traced to the failure of an assumption that the organization's leadership didn't anticipate or had 'forgotten' it was making. Assumption-based planning (ABP) is a tool for identifying as many as possible of the assumptions underlying the plans of an organization and bringing those assumptions explicitly into the planning process. This book presents a variety of techniques for rooting out those vulnerable, crucial assumptions. The book also presents steps for monitoring all the vulnerable assumptions of a plan, for taking actions to control those vulnerable assumptions where possible, and for preparing the organization for the potential failure of those assumptions where control is not possible. The book provides a variety of examples and practical advice for those interested in carrying out an application of ABP in the fields of business, management, strategic planning, engineering, and in military applications.

Unwelcome surprises in the life of any organization can often be traced to the failure of an assumption that the organization's leadership didn't anticipate or had 'forgotten' it was making. Assumption-based planning (ABP) is a tool for identifying as many as possible of the assumptions underlying the plans of an organization and bringing those assumptions explicitly into the planning process. This book presents a variety of techniques for rooting out those vulnerable, crucial assumptions. The book also presents steps for monitoring all the vulnerable assumptions of a plan, for taking actions to control those vulnerable assumptions where possible, and for preparing the organization for the potential failure of those assumptions where control is not possible. The book provides a variety of examples and practical advice for those interested in carrying out an application of ABP in the fields of business, management, strategic planning, engineering, and in military applications.

Examines several approaches to establishing visions, strategic plans, and implementation plans for the Chancellor's office to develop a strategic and performance planning process. The DoD is one of the largest employers of civilians in the nation, and ensuring high-quality education, training, and development is an important part of maintaining the quality of that workforce. Thus, the Department of Defense Office of the Chancellor for Education and Professional Development was established in 1998 as the principal advocate for the academic quality and cost-effectiveness of all DoD institutions, programs, and courses of instruction that provide education or professional development for DoD civilians. This study examines several approaches to establishing visions, strategic plans, and implementation plans for the Chancellor's office in its effort to develop a strategic and performance planning process. The authors conducted case studies of strategic planning in comparable institutions with reputations for high performance. The authors also reviewed the literature on strategic planning and conducted interviews to gather information from institutional leaders. The report describes a framework for analyzing strategic planning; key trends affecting DoD civilian education, training, and development; challenges facing the Chancellor's office; and lessons learned from the case studies. (PB)