Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution in Comparative Organizations
Volume 4, Executive Summary
ResearchPublished Jan 23, 2024
The Commission on Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Reform asked the RAND Corporation for an independent analysis of PPBE-like functions in selected countries and non-Department of Defense federal agencies. This executive summary distills key insights from nine case studies of budgeting processes across comparative organizations, as detailed in three companion volumes.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process is a key enabler for DoD to fulfill its mission. But in light of a dynamic threat environment, increasingly capable adversaries, and rapid technological changes, there has been increasing concern that DoD's resource planning processes are too slow and inflexible to meet warfighter needs. As a result, Congress mandated the formation of a legislative commission in Section 1004 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 to (1) examine the effectiveness of the PPBE process and adjacent DoD practices, particularly with respect to defense modernization; (2) consider potential alternatives to these processes and practices to maximize DoD's ability to respond in a timely manner to current and future threats; and (3) make legislative and policy recommendations to improve such processes and practices for the purposes of fielding the operational capabilities necessary to outpace near-peer competitors, providing data and analytical insight, and supporting an integrated budget that is aligned with strategic defense objectives.
To inform this work, the Commission on PPBE Reform asked the RAND Corporation to provide an independent analysis of PPBE-like functions in selected countries and non-DoD federal agencies. This executive summary distills key insights from a series of case studies of budgeting processes across nine comparative organizations, as detailed in three companion volumes.
Key Findings
- There is a need for balance between enabling innovation and agility in military acquisition and ensuring the budget stability and predictability required for complex, long-term development efforts.
- Beyond resource planning processes, military modernization requires a strong and broad-based societal foundation — with a trained workforce, an industrial capacity, innovation policies, national investments, and long-term planning and coordination of these inputs.
- DoD resource planning policies and decisions have implications for defense industrial base health and interdependent, co-development efforts with allies and partners.
- Continuing resolutions and other sources of budgetary uncertainty that impede DoD resource planning are challenges that are not encountered by the allies and partners examined in these case studies.
- Other U.S. government agencies have developed tailored approaches and mechanisms that enable budget flexibility and agility to meet mission needs.
- Resource management processes across the board tend to be risk-averse, which will be difficult to change as DoD responds to emerging threats and seeks to spur innovation.
Related Content
Topics
Document Details
- Copyright: RAND Corporation
- Availability: Available
- Year: 2024
- Print Format: Paperback
- Paperback Pages: 44
- Paperback Price: $16.00
- Paperback ISBN/EAN: 1-9774-1245-9
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.7249/RRA2195-4
- Document Number: RR-A2195-4
Citation
RAND Style Manual
Chicago Manual of Style
McKernan, Megan, Stephanie Young, Timothy R. Heath, Dara Massicot, Andrew Dowse, Devon Hill, James Black, Ryan Consaul, Michael Simpson, Sarah W. Denton, Anthony Vassalo, Ivana Ke, Mark Stalczynski, Benjamin J. Sacks, Austin Wyatt, Jade Yeung, Nicolas Jouan, Yuliya Shokh, William Shelton, Raphael S. Cohen, John P. Godges, Heidi Peters, and Lauren Skrabala, Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution in Comparative Organizations: Volume 4, Executive Summary, RAND Corporation, RR-A2195-4, 2024. As of September 10, 2024: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2195-4.html
McKernan, Megan, Stephanie Young, Timothy R. Heath, Dara Massicot, Andrew Dowse, Devon Hill, James Black, Ryan Consaul, Michael Simpson, Sarah W. Denton, Anthony Vassalo, Ivana Ke, Mark Stalczynski, Benjamin J. Sacks, Austin Wyatt, Jade Yeung, Nicolas Jouan, Yuliya Shokh, William Shelton, Raphael S. Cohen, John P. Godges, Heidi Peters, and Lauren Skrabala, Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution in Comparative Organizations: Volume 4, Executive Summary. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2024. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2195-4.html. Also available in print form.
Research conducted by
This research was sponsored by the Commission on Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) Reform and conducted within the Acquisition and Technology Policy Program of the RAND National Security Research Division (NSRD).
This publication is part of the RAND research report series. Research reports present research findings and objective analysis that address the challenges facing the public and private sectors. All RAND research reports undergo rigorous peer review to ensure high standards for research quality and objectivity.
This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to this product page is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research documents for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions.
RAND is a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND's publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.