Manual for the Operation of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System

This Manual augments references a and b with detailed guidelines and procedures for operation of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS), and interactions with several other departmental processes to facilitate the timely and cost effective development of capability solutions for the warfighter. This Manual provides information regarding activities including identification of capability requirements and capability gaps, development of requirements documents, gatekeeping and staffing procedures, post-validation development and implementation of materiel and non-materiel capability solutions, interaction with other Department of Defense (DOD) processes, and mandatory training for personnel involved in the requirements processes. This Manual is not intended to stand alone – readers are encouraged to become familiar with references a and b before reviewing this Manual.

1. Overview.

Before any action can be taken in the JCIDS process related to reviewing and validating requirements documents, Sponsors must first identify capability requirements related to their functions, roles, missions, and operations, and then determine if there are any capability gaps which present an unacceptable level of risk and warrant further action in JCIDS.

2. Organizational Functions/Roles/Missions/Operations

a. Identification of capability requirements and associated capability gaps begins with the Sponsor’s organizational functions, roles, missions, and operations, in the context of a framework of strategic guidance documents, and if applicable, overarching plans.
b. The National Security Strategy (NSS), the National Strategy for Homeland Security; the National Defense Strategy (NDS) or the most recent Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) Report; and the National Military Strategy (NMS) provide the overarching description of the Nation’s defense interests, objectives, and priorities. In addition, the Defense Planning Guidance (DPG), the Guidance for the Employment of the Force (GEF), the Chairman’s Risk Assessment (CRA), and the Joint Strategic Capabilities Plan (JSCP) contain further guidance for objectives and priorities, and provide a framework for
assessment.

3. Identification of Capability Requirements

a. Sponsors may pursue a variety of approaches to determine their organizational capability requirements, depending upon the timeliness of the assessment and the scope of the activities being reviewed. Figure A-1 shows the general concept of identifying capability requirements.