Another Step Toward Improvement

By Dolly Rairigh Glass

The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) and the Central Florida Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association (CFL-NDIA) Integrated Process Team recently signed a charter officially documenting its goal to improve the strength of the relationship between NAWCTSD and Industry.
The charter, signed by Rob Matthews, Deputy Technical Director and Program Management National Site Lead for NAWCTSD and Amy Motko, CFL-NDIA president at that time, specifically addresses three important areas.

The first is removing unnecessary barriers to reasonable communication and to provide a forum, consistent with existing law and regulation, which promotes responsible and constructive exchanges between NAWCTSD and Industry.

The second portion of the purpose addresses multiple factors that work together for overall success, beginning with the need to identify and resolve misconceptions about NAWCTSD flexibility regarding Government-vendor communications, which hinder requirement transparency.

It also seeks common ground for consistency in the Government-vendor communications interface, as well as the need to provide facts and strategies to help NAWCTSD acquisition professionals benefit from Industry’s knowledge and insight.

Finally, the charter moves to establish the respective roles, expectations and responsibilities for the cited organizations for preparing and conducting periodic IPT meetings.

Over a period of several years, NAWCTSD has sponsored a series of Integrated Process Team (IPT) meetings with industry partners to access any process issues. Although sessions were planned concurrently with the Training and Simulation Industry Symposium (TSIS) and the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC) to make it convenient for both groups, they agreed that although these IPT meetings were planned with the best of intentions, their needs were not being met through them.

Together they decided that formalizing the purpose and the function of the IPT would help them to achieve the goals they originally envisioned. The Charter addresses the fundamentals of a working relationship, which meets the needs of both NAWCTSD and Industry to improve the processes by which each interacts and to educate each on the needs and limitations of the other.

“DoD and Industry need to develop more efficient methods and processes for working together to benefit the warfighter,” Matthews explained. “This collaborative IPT will provide an opportunity to improve our ability to provide modeling and simulation training solutions in the most cost effective manner while enhancing our warfighter’s capabilities.”

The Central Florida NDIA chapter represents a multitude of interests with more than 6200 members in Government, Academia and small and large businesses, both DoD and commercial.

“This chapter is the perfect facilitator for the NAWCTSD/Industry IPT,” said Amy Motko. “Most importantly, we are committed to the mission, and not to a particular company or organization. This Charter confirms that NAWCTSD and Industry are serious about refining the way they do business together to become more efficient and effective.”

The Charter does not mandate a maximum or minimum number of IPT meetings, however it is the intent of both parties to meet at least semi-annually, with a goal to minimize or eliminate the number of IPT meetings held concurrently with TSIS and I/ITSEC. Both organizations have committed to reviewing the Charter on an annual basis for any modifications or to confirm continuation.

“The goal of the IPT is to help streamline business with NAWCTSD by identifying how the Government can improve processes with Industry, and vice versa,” explained Motko. “When Government and Industry can understand each other’s processes, we can initiate a true IPT and create a forum to collaborate fully on the issues.”

“The first step is to identify the issues and arrive at a common understanding of what those issues really mean,” Motko said. “We can then work toward a solution that benefits Government, Industry, and ultimately, the Warfighter.”