The JCIDS Direct Impact on the Warfighter

The Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) refer to the joint

guidance applied in managing the requirements process. Its creation was influenced by the

necessity of supporting the statutory responsibility of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council

(JROC) to authenticate the combined warfighting needs (CJCSI, 2021). JCIDS executes its

operations through organizational structures defined in Enclosure B, and offers the baseline for

documentation, review and authentication of capability needs across the Department of Defense

(DOD). It plays the fundamental role in establishing the capabilities needed by the warfighters to

reinforce the National Military Strategy (NMS), and the National Defense Strategy (NDS). In

particular, the JCIDS impacts the warfigher directly by providing new weapon systems in a

timely manner. It is one of the three decision support systems that combine to form the “Big A”

acquisition process which ensure availability of the required weapons. JCIDS accounts for the

identification of required capabilities upon which acquisition programs are developed. JCIDS’

direct impact on the warfighters is also exemplified through to identify, and assess the ability

requirements and their affiliated criteria.

There are various steps involved in how the JCIDS impacts warfighter. The first step

entails capabilities base assessment (CBA) whose objective is to validate capability gaps by

providing the identification of the mission, and the capacities needed and their affiliated

operational attributes. Through the CBA, JCIDS provides potential recommendation on a type of

solution the warfighter should pursue. The second step involves the approval of the initial

capabilities document (ICD) and appropriate cause of action. Specifically, JCIDs, through JROC,

validates the required capabilities in performing the mission as defined. Besides, the JCIDS

documents offer the vital connection between the authenticated capability requirements and the
acquisition of critical capability solution via aspects such as Production and Deployment (P&D),

Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD), and Technology Maturation and Risk

Reduction (TMRR) (CJCSI, 2021). Through the connections and avenues described above,

JCIDS enables the availability of weapons to warfighters. In other words, JCIDS cannot

exclusively impact the warfighter on its own

The warfighter is also impacted directly by JCIDS through collaboration approaches. For

instance, the close collaboration between acquisition communities and requirements serves as the

vital aspect of guaranteeing that knowledge acquired early in the process of acquisition is well

utilized to all the setting of attainable risk performance needs, and the making of efficient cost,

schedule, performance, and quantity trade-offs (JCIDS, 2018). The collaborative approach is also

evidenced through JCIDs relationship with the validated initial capability documents (ICDs). In

particular, the early part of acquisition process is driven by the validated ICDs, which then

informs updates to JCIDS documents affiliated to both material and non-material capacity

solutions for the warfighter to pursue. The connection between JCIDS and the Milestone

Decision Authority (MDA) also facilitates JCIDS’ direct impact on the warfighters. For instance,

an intentional acquisition starts when a suitable MDA considers an authenticated ICD

establishing one or more potential solution. This acquisition culminates into availability of

capabilities in terms of weapons to support warfighter (JCIDS, 2018). Furthermore, the

connection between JCIDS with the Defense Acquisition (DAS) ensures that appropriate

tradeoffs are attained among the schedule performance, lifecycle cost, and procurement

quantities approved by the joint military capabilities. In other words, other aspects encompassed

in the DOD acquisition process also play a major role in enhancing the impact of JCIDS on the

warfighter
 References

CJCSI. (2021, October 30). Charter Of The Joint Requirements Oversight Council And

Implementation Of The Joint Capabilities Integration And Development System.

Retrieved August 6, 2022, from CJCSI :

https://www.jcs.mil/Portals/36/Documents/Library/Instructions/CJCSI%205123.01I.pdf

JCIDS. (2018, August). Manual For The Operation Of The Joint Capabilities Integration And

Development System. Retrieved August 6, 2022, from JCIDS Manual:

https://jitc.fhu.disa.mil/isg/downloads/Manual-JCIDS_31Aug2018.pdf