Smart Shutdown Program Support (SSPS)

The considerations workbook is a MS Excel file with a tab dedicated to each of the considerations. The considerations list is provided for immediate use by the Aquisition Community.

Key points captured from interviews of Senior Level Leaders concerning Program Cancellations/Shutdowns Insights from Leadership that have experienced program shutdowns/terminations. Points of interest or "Golden Nuggets" concerning actions to be taken in program cancellation events.

This is a tool to assist organizations to plan and track progress of their Smart Shutdown activities. It can be modified as needed.

Mr. Mark Unger completed this research as part of the Senior Service Fellowship requirements in 2013. His research into the area of, program terminations and transitions revealed that there is little guidance for the acquisition workforce in these areas. Termination or transitioning of systems from a program of record to another program, a laboratory, or disposing of them all together are areas that need additional guidance so resources used to develop, produce and sustain programs are shut down smartly. The question is “Does the Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce have a tool or tools to effectively shut down a program?”

Key points captured from interviews of Senior Level Leaders concerning Program Cancellations/Shutdowns Insights from Leadership that have experienced program shutdowns/terminations. Points of interest or "Golden Nuggets" concerning actions to be taken in program cancellation events.

This Primer is offered to the Program Manager (PM) or program management personnel faced with the prospect of shutting down a program. The PM must execute the program shutdown with the same attentiveness to effectiveness and efficiency employed in the ongoing program. This Primer serves to guide the PM with a myriad of considerations. The Primer is an enabler to help the PM synthesize information into a plan of action for executing a smart program shutdown

This guidebook is offered to the Program Manager (PM) or program management personnel faced with the prospect of shutting down a program.  The PM must execute the program shutdown with the same attentiveness to effectiveness and efficiency employed in the ongoing program.  This guidebook serves to walk the PM through a smart shutdown helping the PM synthesize that information into a plan of action for executing a smart program shutdown This is a good structure and dataset for shutdown planning, the review of it is a good process for the PM to go through whether planning a start-up or shepherding a program through the various stages of its lifecycle.  A proactive PM will use this in the development of his acquisition program plan, not only to address the shutdown course of action, but to shape provisions for staffing, intellectual property, hardware, software, and data storage and archiving. A proactive Program Executive Officer (PEO) and/or milestone decision authority (MDA) will see that the PM does.  This thought process does not drive a focus on failure. Rather, it drives clarity of purpose in everything from program organization, planning, and resourcing to record-keeping methodology to contracting for people and products to communicating the importance of diligent and efficient program execution. The PM must always consider the perspective of those above, those below, and those to follow while laying out the program plan of action, regardless of phase…and then drive relentless execution

Key points captured from interviews of Senior Level Leaders concerning Program Cancellations/Shutdowns Insights from Leadership that have experienced program shutdowns/terminations. Points of interest or "Golden Nuggets" concerning actions to be taken in program cancellation events.