Original Date: 08/10/1998
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Recognizing that its future viability and success will require dramatic and substantial changes, Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC), Lakehurst has begun to implement a Strategic Planning process that will define and shape the future of the base. The base’s primary mission, Aircraft Platform Interface, has been recognized as a critical niche to Naval Aviation. This recognition was the reason that NAWC, Lakehurst was one of the few installations to be removed from the proposed 1995 Base Realignment and Closure list. As the stewards of this unique and critical mission, NAWC, Lakehurst is preparing to implement a long term, disciplined process for strategic planning to meet the competitive challenges ahead.

NAWC, Lakehurst has chartered a full-time strategic planning team of senior managers to develop the overall approach. Their job is to characterize the changing environment, identify what needs to be done to respond to this environment, recommend how to proceed, and then sustain transformation efforts over the long term. The disciplined process consists of scanning the environment, focusing in on what to do, and then acting. Scanning involves identifying the key drivers and lessons learned from others. Focusing includes envisioning the future, assessing the gaps, and developing strategies to achieve the desired future state. Acting includes developing and implementing detailed plans. Figure 3-2 depicts the strategic management model used by NAWC, Lakehurst. A key first step in characterizing the environment was to engage in dialogue with a number of relevant sources including key stakeholders and senior commanders as well as other installations such as Army and Air Force sites. This dialogue helped establish an environment favorable and receptive to change, and a realistic understanding of the challenges ahead.

The leadership team is involved in developing potential scenarios which will help to envision the future and assess current capabilities. This part of the process is designed to gather and transform information of strategic importance into fresh perceptions that result in better decisions about the future. This effort will provide the basis for developing the enabling strategies to achieve the desired future state. To date, three vision elements and seven enabling strategies have been proposed as a roadmap to the future, and are being reviewed and validated. The next steps will include combining the strategic planning team with the business development team; using effective communications to create a shared vision; defining in detail the vision elements and enabling strategies; and then imp

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