Product Support Integrator (PSI) and Product Support Provider (PSP)

Overview

The Manual for the Operation of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) recognizes that the Program Manager (PM) is responsible for life-cycle management, including acquisition, development, production, training, fielding, sustaining, and disposal of a DoD system.  DoD Directive 5000.01 further states the PM is accountable for achieving program life-cycle management objectives throughout the program life cycle. Planning for operations and support will begin at program inception, and supportability requirements will be balanced with other requirements that impact program cost, schedule, and performance. Performance based life-cycle product support implements life-cycle system management. In 2009, Congress officially established the Product Support Manager (PSM) position to develop, plan, and implement a comprehensive product support strategy.  The requirement for a PSM for covered systems is codified in 10 USC 4324 for covered systems and in DoD Instruction (DoDI) 5000.91 for ACAT II and higher programs (including Middle Tier of Acquisition (MTA) equivalent programs). In accordance with DoDI 5000.02, PSMs, under the supervision of PMs, develop, plan, and implement a comprehensive product support strategy for all integrated product support elements and their material readiness. PSMs make use of data-driven decision-making tools with appropriate predictive analysis capabilities to improve systems availability and reduce costs. The PM, therefore, is charged with delivering Warfighter required capabilities while the PSM, working for the PM, is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive product support strategy and for adjusting performance requirements and resource allocations across Product Support Integrators (PSIs) and Product Support Providers (PSPs), as needed to implement this strategy.

The PM, along with the PSM, may delegate some levels of responsibility for system support implementation oversight to PSIs at the system, subsystem, or component level to manage public and private sources of support in meeting agreed-to performance outcomes. Source of support decisions should not pre-determine either organic (Government) or commercial providers (consistent with statute and policy). The decision is based upon a best value determination, evidenced through the Product Support Business Case Analysis (PS BCA) process, which is used to assess the best mix of public and private capabilities, infrastructure, skills base, past performance, and proven capabilities to meet set performance objectives.

Although the best value determination can include transaction-based purchases of specified levels of spares, repairs, tools, and data, very often the more effective approach is to obtain specified levels of performance of such things as system availability and reliability within life cycle cost constraints. Thus, implementation responsibility and some level of corresponding risk for making support decisions is delegated to the PSI, identifying what outcomes are desired, not necessarily specifying exactly how to do it. This is the essence of Performance Based Logistics (PBL). 

Role of the PSI

As discussed in the PSM Guidebook, the PSI role is assigned within the scope, direction, and oversight of the PSM. (Note that the PSI is assigned at the discretion of the PSM; not all programs will require a PSI.) The PSI is an entity performing as a formally bound agent charged with integrating all sources of support, public and private, defined within the scope of the Product Support Arrangement (PSA) to achieve documented outcomes. PSIs accomplish their product support role through the use of one or more PSPs. There are many constructs within which the PSI/PSP relationship may be applied. PSIs may be responsible for the activities and output of one or more PSPs within a specific Integrated Product Support (IPS) Element or across IPS Elements. There may be an enterprise cross-Service PSI that manages other system-level PSIs. There may be a system-level PSI that manages subsystem level PSIs and/or PSPs. In addition, a PSI may also perform the function of a PSP. Because the constructs are tailored to the Warfighter requirements and weapon system support requirements, there is a wide variety of possible PSI/PSP responsibility assignments.

Role of the PSP

PSPs, public and private, are assigned responsibilities to perform and accomplish the functions represented by the IPS Elements which, per the PSBCA process, comprise the range of best value or statutorily-assigned workloads that achieve Warfighter support outcomes. As with PSI(s), PSP assignments can be at the enterprise, system, subsystem or component level. 

PSI and PSP Relationship

PSIs and PSPs can be organic, commercial, or a combination. PSIs can also serve as a PSP, and PSPs can also serve as a PSI, although the roles of each are separate and distinct. The PSM may employ a single PSI, or a number of PSIs as appropriate, to achieve required performance outcomes. The PSA can be a contract - if between the Government and industry - or it can be an intragovernmental agreement, such as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). The PSM, while remaining accountable for system performance, effectively delegates the responsibility for delivering warfighter outcomes to the PSI.

Resources

In addition to those references listed below, see the following PSI/PSP resources:

• Product Support Business Model (PSBM) - for a graphic illustration of the relationship and linkage between the PSM, PSI(s), and PSPs, as well as how PSAs are used to document required performance outcomes
• Performance Based Logistics Community of Practice (PBL CoP) - provides resources to guide practitioners in implementing PBL.
• DoD PBL Guidebook - for a step-by-step guide to developing performance-based PSAs, including the selection and assignment of product support responsibilities.