AU strategic plan gives big-picture view of priorities Published Jan. 19, 2010 By By Kimberly L. Wright Dispatch staff writer MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Air University recently published its strategic plan to provide a more streamlined view of Air University's vision, mission, priorities and goals. The strategic plan is the framework that establishes the necessary direction for moving the university toward mission accomplishment. "It is said that the best way to predict the future is to create it," stated Lt. Gen. Allen G. Peck, Air University commander. "This strategic plan will guide our efforts as we help produce the future for our Air Force and our great nation." The five goals envisioned by General Peck and outlined by AU A5/8, Plans and Programs Directorate in the Air University strategic plan are the following: ·Ensure educational efforts are focused on addressing both current and emerging force development needs within the Air Force, joint and coalition communities. ·Evolve accessions and citizen development programs to directly address key challenges faced by our Air Force and the nation. ·Develop and vigorously employ innovative methods to attract, develop, inspire and utilize our outstanding faculty and staff. ·Produce, appropriately vet and publish scholarly, credible, relevant and useful research, doctrine and advocacy products that inform and influence deliberations by decision-makers on the application of air, space and cyberspace power in the joint arena. ·Research, develop, and implement education innovations and technologies, including a reliable and responsive enterprise IT solution, that enhance learning for students, faculty and staff by facilitating access to knowledge, fostering collaboration, and supporting resident, distance and future learning strategies. These five goals are supported by the efforts outlined in the Balanced Scorecard process, in which each subordinate organization provides more details on how they plan to meet the challenges set forth in the strategic plan. The Air University Strategic Plan's goals align with all five of the Air Education and Training Command's goals: develop operational Airmen, build global learning partners, sustain our Airmen and families, establish a continuum of learning, and develop future learning systems. These AU goals also align with two of the Air Force's five goals: modernize our air and space inventories, organizations and training; and develop and care for Airmen and their families. "This [strategic plan] is the second one we've done under General Peck," said Maj. Susan Valentine of the Plans and Programs directorate's strategic planning branch. "We wanted to show a better alignment and to take the shorter-term things out. The previous one had a lot of the short-term objectives and measures included in the actual plan. Essentially it becomes out-of-date really quickly if you include a lot of that level of detail in it." While the strategic plan outlines a broader vision for AU, the Balanced Scorecard strategy management process goes into greater detail on how each component of AU will contribute to overall mission success, said Major Valentine. "In pilot speak, the strategic plan is the 30,000-foot look, and the Balanced Scorecard is the low-level look, the bombs-on-target look," she said. The Balanced Scorecard is illustrated by the strategy map. The strategy map is developed based on three operational performance perspectives: mission impact, operational drivers, and develop and support personnel. As outlined in the strategy map, AU develops leaders who are warrior-scholars and champions the contribution of air, space and cyberspace power in the joint arena through outreach, education and research supported by AU headquarters, the centers and the Wing. "This is what any major university does," said Jack Pickett of the Plans and Programs directorate's Strategic Planning branch. "You can look at Auburn's outreach, education and the research that they do. Those goals are common to educational institutions." These strategic guidelines, operational and tactical processes developed by leadership also help them determine funding priorities. "The big kicker of this is that developing your strategy doesn't do any good whatsoever if you don't align your resources to what your objectives and your goals are," said Major Valentine. "Part of the reason this short-term, smaller look is effective is because [AETC Commander] General [Stephen] Lorenz in particular, General Peck as well, are very specific about aligning the Program Objective Memorandum process, that's the funding process, to what is currently on those strategy maps. General Lorenz said at the last council if it's not showing up on the strategy map as an issue, then don't expect money in the POMing process." The Program Objective Memorandum is the primary document used by the Air Force to submit programming proposals. The POM includes an analysis of missions, objectives, alternative methods to accomplish objectives, and allocation of resources. The Balanced Scorecard process is reviewed quarterly to ensure the day-to-day operations of AU are aligned to the command's strategy. All of these strategic guidelines ensure each component of Air University stays on target in their support of the overall missions. "As our strategies mature, the corresponding strategy governance process must mature," stated General Peck. "A closer integration of this plan, our scorecard and university initiatives will take place over time."