Back in October 2013, I shared a few insights into Sustainment Maturity Levels (SMLs).  In view of the importance of long-term product support and sustainment planning and execution within the department, coupled with the recent 2016 updates to the DoD Product Support Manager’s (PSM) Guidebook, wanted to take another look at the topic, including the most current information. First off, key SML references include:

·         Para 3.1 SMLs (as a Life-Cycle Sustainment Management Tool)

·         Figure 3. Graphic Overview of the Guidebook’s Structure

·         Para 5.2.2 SMLs in the Materiel Solution Analysis (MSA) Phase

·         Para 5.3.2 SMLs in the Technology Maturation & Risk Reduction (TMRR) Phase

·         Para 5.4.2 SMLs in the Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) Phase

·         Para 5.5.2 SMLs in the Production & Deployment (P&D) Phase

·         Para 5.6.2 SMLs in the Operations & Sustainment (O&S) Phase

·         Appendix G – Sustainment Maturity Levels (SMLs)

·         Appendix G, Table 1 (provides a graphical depiction and detailed descriptions of each SML)

For those unfamiliar with SMLs, Appendix G of the DoD PSM Guidebook provides a comprehensive overview, stating:

“The SML concept is a method that may be used by a PSM to help identify and think through the maturity level the support plan should achieve for each milestone and the extent to which a program’s product support implementation efforts are “likely to result in the timely delivery of a level of capability to the Warfighter.” Achieving the levels will help the PSM evolve the program’s product support approach to achieve the best value support solution. The SMLs provide a uniform way to measure and communicate the expected life-cycle sustainment maturity as well as provide the basis for root cause analysis when risks are identified and support OSD’s governance responsibilities during MDAP program reviews. Focus is on assessing the sustainment strategy development and implementation status towards achieving Full Operational Capability and, where applicable, determining the risk associated with achieving the sustainment KPP. The SMLs were crafted to address the full range of support options, from traditional organic based to full commercial based product support. They provide a standard way of documenting the product support implementation status that can be traced back to life-cycle product support policy and guidance without prescribing a specific solution. SMLs provide the PSM a methodology for assessing program performance-based product support implementation status and is compatible with the design evolution of the system being supported.”

Paragraph 3.1 of the PSM Guidebook also identifies SMLs as one of several important Life Cycle Sustainment Management Tools available to DoD Product Support Managers, saying:

“Developing and fielding the product support package evolves over time. Support packages are dependent on variables such as operating doctrine, changes in technology, as well as commercial and Government repair capabilities. As a result, a consistent metric to measure the maturity of the implementation process is useful in conveying the progress across the various communities. The SML concept, which may be used by the PSM to assess the program’s progress in implementing the product support strategy, including the design and the resultant Product Support Package to achieve the sustainment metrics. The SML concept addresses the full range of support options, from traditional organic based to full commercial based product support without prescribing a specific solution. In addition, the SML approach can be applied across major sub-systems to provide a common, consistent, repeatable means of articulating and understanding the product support package maturity.”

If you have not read through the PSM Guidebook references cited above, encourage you to take a few minutes to do so. In addition, if you were not already aware, DAU has also crafted a quick-reference ACQuipedia article on the subject.

So let me ask -- how have you applied SMLs on your program? And if so, have they proven to be a useful tool used to gauge the maturity and  viability of your program’s sustainment planning and execution? Where do you think the department should go with these in the future? Should they be part of the Independent Logistics Assessment (ILA) process?