CAPstone Project - Is This What the More Experienced Members Are Looking For

[FARRIER]

http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/repository/capstone.pdf

I found the above link by happenstance. Above the Army was looking at the changing environment it would be working in. It did make me think, is this what the more experienced members of CAP are looking for from the CAP National Leadership?

Respectfully,

[RRLE]

Or this - MELTDOWN Planning in a declining United States economy for the viability of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary in 2013 .

The good stuff starts on page 9. About a year ago, the then National Commodore stated that "meltdown is now".

[Big_Ed]

Thanks for posting this. 

I had a conversation a few days ago with some members about the differences in general aviation in the 80's & now.  Looks like it's not just private pilots being effected by the economy too.

[Eclipse]

It did make me think, is this what the more experienced members of CAP are looking for from the CAP National Leadership?

What we want.

1) Identify our missions (not rhetoric, our real-world, day-to-day-missions)

2) Identify our customers (and also who aren't our customers)

3) Streamline the regulations and programs to insure #1 & 2 aren't lost in the background noise.

4) Establish realistic plans to get the organization back to a baseline performance acceptable to #2.

Project planning 101 - Goals, resources, timeline.  Everything else comes from those things.

[CAP Marine]

I am a little surprised with the amount of general complaint on this site that there weren't more replies when something of substance was offered for discussion. Farrier, being relatively new to CAP, I cannot speak on behalf of the "old guard". I can say that I do have concerns about what seems to be a lack of vision and strategic planning as it comes to operational readiness within our organization, and I have picked up on a hint of that in posts here on CAPTalk from time to time as well.

I feel that a similar project, akin to the example provided, would be of immense value to our organization. Input from a wide section of CAP membership which could then be analyzed by professionals in organizational excellence and finally vetted by our national leadership would be an incredible undertaking that would serve to propel CAP to new heights. Having a long term strategic plan to work towards would align us as an organization to greater achievements and, if done correctly, would set us up for long term success well into the future. It may not be a silver bullet, but I personally appreciate your bringing something constructive to the table.

[lordmonar]

Not to gainsay the need for a long range plan......


But bottom line.....the military has a bunch of officers who have the time (i.e. they are paid) to do a massive research program like this.

You got to remember that CAP is full of volunteers who have only limited time.

Even if we had the people with the expertise to do a project of this level....they are, almost guaranteed, tied up with one of the other hundred project we are trying to fix right now.

[Eclipse]

Even if we had the people with the expertise to do a project of this level....they are, almost guaranteed, tied up with one of the other hundred project we are trying to fix right now.

Yep, or off doing the same front-line stuff they did when they joined 10 years before.

The circle of life is that as you get older/wiser/more respect & authority, you move from worker to management, and management doesn't have time to turn the wrenches because they are doing the planning and coordination for all the wrenches.

But many of our members don't "get" that, so they move up the chain, but still expect they can fly every weekend and chase every ELT, if if they are wing-level directors.  Which job do yo think suffers then?

[RiverAux]

http://usacac.army.mil/CAC2/repository/capstone.pdf

I found the above link by happenstance. Above the Army was looking at the changing environment it would be working in. It did make me think, is this what the more experienced members of CAP are looking for from the CAP National Leadership?

Respectfully,

I don't know that we need anything that large or detailed, but yes, CAP does need some sort of strategic plan that exists as more than a National Commander's column in our magazine. 

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

This is a very, very good plan - for the Army.

We are not the Army.  The Army has exponentially more in personnel than we do, between the Active, USAR and ARNG, not to mention lots of people with lots of fruit salad and lots of brass who do this as their career.

We have a handful of paid people at National. There is CAP-USAF who, if I were in their shoes, wouldn't know what to do with this red-haired stepchild.  We want to be more "Air Force," but yet we don't want the Air Force telling a "private, nonprofit corporation" to do.

First and foremost, we are the Auxiliary of the United States Air Force.

Organisationally, as I understand it, we come under Holm Centre/Air University/Air Education and Training Command.  We should ask their assistance in formulating a "battle plan" (metaphorical term) for CAP.

What do they need of us, how can we be of greatest assistance to them when they are spread thin fighting two wars and air defence of CONUS (along with the RCAF)?

General Courter, General Djuric, Colonel Ward and General Lorenz should all be involved.

And we also need to broach the won't-go-away subject of uniforms with them to resolve the issue once-and-for-all, how can a balance be struck between what the AF wants us to look like and what we want to look like?

[Eclipse]

First and foremost, we are the Auxiliary of the United States Air Force.

Organisationally, as I understand it, we come under Holm Centre/Air University/Air Education and Training Command.  We should ask their assistance in formulating a "battle plan" (metaphorical term) for CAP.

I agree, especially before spending any money on a private consulting firm.

[Short Field]

Wake up!  Organizationally we are a private non-profit organization chartered by Congress.  Our chain of command tops out at the BOG and does not fall under the AF.  If assigned a AF mission, then we operate as an auxiliary of the AF.  Scream, rant, posture, flame, or wish all you want, that is reality. 

Now you want to ask people who have little to no concept of what CAP is all about to write a strategic plan for us?  Who is going to provide them the goals and objectives or the future vision we want to achieve? 

I worked on the strategic plans as the primary action officer for some of the major objectives/goals for both a Specified Command and a Unified Command.  It took top-down vision (read four-star) augmented with directorate level input (read two-star) and a massive amount of action officer time to put together an initial draft concept that included required actions and time-lines, followed by more time and effort in coordinating and revising the plan until a final plan was acceptable to all the stakeholders.  THEN the plan was implemented and we started to see initial action items being accomplished.   

If CAP wants to conduct good Strategic Planning, it needs to first select a group of people experienced in both the organization and in planning with the time and willingness to conduct the planning.  The planning group would work directly for the CAP Commander with her direct input and direction on where the plan needed to go.  Results would initially be briefed to the BOG, then, after the BOG concerns were incorporated into the plan, briefed to the NEC/National Board for their inputs.  It would probably be a year (if the planning group was working full time) before it ever came close to being ready to be briefed to the membership at large.

just my 2 cents....

[Short Field]

Oh, I forgot the one thing that makes action officers old before their time:  Within six months of any change in top leadership (i.e. when the next CAP Commander takes command), the Strategic Plan will begin undergoing a major change to reflect the desires of the new commander that will make it unrecognizable when compared to the initial plan.

[arajca]

Which is why it shold be adopted at the BoG level.

[Short Field]

At least have their total buy-in with the hope that they will pressure the next Commander to stay the course. 

Another piece of this is to realize that Strategic Planning is a on-going process and not a end product.  You should not see major changes in any particular year - but you will achieve success in some areas (or they become unimportant) and new areas will pop up that need to be addressed.  Organizations need to change to remain viable - however the change must be planned and controlled.

[The CyBorg is destroyed]

Now you want to ask people who have little to no concept of what CAP is all about to write a strategic plan for us?  Who is going to provide them the goals and objectives or the future vision we want to achieve? 

This is copied directly from CAP-USAF's home page as to a few of their functions:

Offers guidance and support to CAP organizations for homeland security and humanitarian missions for communities, states, and the nation.

If that isn't an authorisation for an active role in CAP, I don't know what is.

Personnel serve as the primary functional interface between other federal agencies and the CAP.

That tells me it is CAP-USAF's job to go to other Federal agencies (FEMA, DHS) and ask them what they need of us.

Serves as the Air Force program office for the Cooperative Agreement and Statement of Work. The CAP-USAF/CC is the program manager.

I think this one could be the most important in resolving our relationship with the Air Force.  We have had "leaders" in the past who have done their utmost to distance us from the Air Force, and unfortunately it has worked.

It has resulted in the schizoid "Aux ON/Aux OFF" mentality and led to far too many in the Air Force not even knowing we exist.

If CAP-USAF, at the very least, have "little to no concept of what CAP is all about," then what good are they to us other than to just shake their finger at us over perceived uniform violations?

As to chain of command...this is also directly from CAP-USAF's web page:

President of the United States
Barack H. Obama

Secretary of Defense
Robert M. Gates

Secretary of the Air Force
Michael B. Donley

Air Force Chief of Staff
Gen. Norton A. Schwartz

Commander, Air Education and Training Command
Gen. Stephen R. Lorenz

Commander, Air University
Lt Gen Allen G. Peck

Commander, Holm Center
Brig Gen Teresa A. H. Djuric

Vice Commander, Holm Center
Col Stewart S. Price

Commander, Civil Air Patrol-USAF
Colonel William "Bill" R. Ward

Vice Commander, Civil Air Patrol-USAF
Colonel Paul D. Gloyd

The BoG has to be responsible to SOMEONE in that chain.

http://www.au.af.mil/au/holmcenter/CAPUSAF/

[PHall]

IIRC, the BoG is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force.

[Short Field]

^^^ SAF is correct.   

How well has CAP-USAF done so far in Strategic Planning for the Civil Air Patrol?  Might be because it is not part of their mission.  Take a look beyond the first web page and see how they are organized and what are their responsibilities.  CAP-USAF is manned by experienced USAF personnel who have minimal experience with CAP prior to their assignment to CAP-USAF.  They are primarily concerned with current operations and how well we follow the agreements and rules that govern our missions.   

[lordmonar]

IIRC, the BoG is responsible to the Secretary of the Air Force.

Nope.

BoG is Bog.  The SAF has the ability to nominate members to the BoG....but cannot dictate to the BoG.

[Old Timer]

The Board of Governors is an oversight board, to advise the Chairman and President of CAP, Incorporated.

Chairman = CEO = National Commander 
President = COO = Executive Director

To better understand all this, remember CAP is a PRIVATE CORPORATION, not a functionality of the Air Force or the Department of Defense.

That why you have to endure the "triangle thingy", or a three-year, ten million dollar foray into NASCAR. These were things your CEO wanted or liked.

Never mind CAP does have been able to offer EVERY CADET a free summer encampment, or acquire more radios and other mission-oriented gear then you guys would know what to do this. No, it was though better to put CAP "logo" on the hood of a racecar, which only received national coverage when it was the center of a two-page spread of Sports Illustrated when the car crashed into a wall and burst into flames.

Gents, allow me a serious question:

Would your so-called leadership do such a thing if they were elected to their positions of "power" and authority?  I don't mean you national commander, but your leaders at every echelon.

What if your leadership cadre was responsible to the members they represent rather than beholden to the person who gave them their "exalted" position? 

What if your leaders responded to you?   

[lordmonar]

Okay here we go again.....I think I know who you are.....but let's address your point.

Electing our leadership (at all levels) will not make things better.  Leadership and command are not popularity contests.

If we want a truly professional leadership corps in CAP they should all be PAID!

The BoG should hire the National CC and his vice.  (do away with the National Director as not needed)

Regional and Wing commanders should also be hired as full time professionals.

No term limits, no politics, no GOB networks.....simply a corporation hiring from within or from outside of the organisation to get the best professional leaders we can find.

I did not join CAP so that my leaders would respond to me.  I joined CAP to do missions for my community, state and nation.  The politics can go soak its collective head for all I care.