Strategic Planning for the Relocation Assistance Program

Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (OUSD) for Personnel and Readiness (P&R)

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Challenge

Congressionally mandated, the Relocation Assistance Program (RAP) provides information and services necessary to prepare Department of Defense (DoD) personnel and their families for the challenges of the mobile military lifestyle. In extended wartime footing, the need to increase the quality of life for military members and their families has never been more important. Program requirements, service delivery capabilities, civilian mobility capabilities, and overall service member structures and levels have changed dramatically since the original DoD Instruction and program were created two decades ago. Technology advancements, expectations from a new generation, and evolving requirements in support of the DoD mission present an opportunity for the RAP to generate a new blue print for the way forward. Although individual Service RAP orders have adapted to meet some of the new requirements, an overarching DoD strategy was required to help guide the program as it enters its third decade of service.

Solution

The Bowen Group capitalized on their many years of quality of life expertise, facilitation, and experience in strategic plan development to create an RAP strategic plan with clear, realistic goals and accountable action steps, as well as represent the views of major stakeholder groups such as service members, family members, military leaders, service providers, and Service Headquarters as well as Office of the Secretary of Defense (OUSD) program managers. The successful strategic planning process examined the environmental realities and provided targeted analysis to help the RAP anticipate and respond to ongoing change. Facilitating OUSD-level working groups, installation RAP representatives working group, and an ad hoc focus group, The Bowen Group was able to generate consensus amongst stakeholders, successfully defining the RAP mission, vision, core values, and long-range strategic program goals and objectives. Through online survey and analysis, The Bowen Group project team was able to collect salient feedback and critical data points to further define and expand current levels of service and identify multiple service access points to better serve the military community. The value of a “high-tech, high-touch” philosophy is clearly evident in the multi-modal system proposed in the RAP Strategic Plan. Finally, the Action Plan developed by The Bowen Group provides a comprehensive road map for the completion of the goals and objectives that will reshape the RAP services and workforce.

Result

The RAP Strategic Plan provides a strong foundation to extend the program’s reach, supplying each Service with strong core concepts and guidelines for service delivery that reinforce the central concept of equity and continuity of care across all Services and all military installations. Program offerings, professional services, and targeted support designed to best meet the needs of the mobile military community will maximize mission readiness and retention of our armed forces.

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Management Consulting Case Studies:

• Consulting and Operational Support, MyCAA
• Implementation Guide, EFMP
• Strategic Planning, RAP