Success Stories

Case Study: Program Protection Planning

• Customer: Navy Program Office (PO)
• Challenge: Protect leading-edge technologies of a revolutionary Navy weapons and sensor system from compromise throughout concept development, acquisition and procurement phases to fleet deployment.  A key component of this challenge was to ensure the diverse and widespread workforce understood the dynamically changing security posture and could apply the tenets of that posture in everyday job tasks.
• Solution: EMSolutions developed a customized process that integrated DoD guidance on identification and protection of Critical Program Information (CPI) as well as the protection of unclassified but sensitive information.  The analysts considered the existing organizational structure and culture and recommended a time-phased approach that complemented and coupled existing processes in a model that the Navy program manager fully accepted. The analysts then led the formation of the Working-Level Integrated Product Team (WIPT), trained its members, and then facilitated and guided all meetings. After validating CPI, the analysts recommended two immediate strategic goals: 1) improving classification management and 2) emphasizing workforce engagement and education. The analyst led efforts to accomplish these two goals while simultaneously working to document processes in all other Program Protection Planning (PPP) steps.
• Benefit: The program manager is assured of repeatable, verifiable steps as the program proceeds throughout the acquisition phases. The gains are institutionalized through three very specific instructions authored by the analysts, approved by the WIPT and signed by the Program Manager. Workforce education and engagement is accomplished by developing the Contractor Program Security Officers (CPSO) into certified trainers who now train the workforce with government provided courseware and send feedback from the classes to the PPP WIPT. This feedback mechanism is a vital part of the constant organizational learning necessary in understanding challenges at the grassroots level.