Heavy Lift SPO

Heavy Air Lift Systems Program Office (HALSPO)

The Heavy Air Lift Systems Program Office (HALSPO) is responsible for coordinating, monitoring and managing the maintenance, engineering, supply chain and training services provided in support of the Air Force’s fleets of Globemaster C-17 heavy air lift aircraft and KC-30A Multi Role Tanker Transport aircraft.  While flight-line level maintenance for these aircraft is performed by uniformed Air Force personnel, the bulk of the deeper maintenance and other support services are performed by contractors.  HALSPO is responsible for managing these contracts to ensure value for money and to ensure that the C-17 and KC-30A capabilities are sustained.

SME Gateway team members:

Have been working within HALSPO for several years on a range of projects focused on improving the C-17 and KC-30A support arrangements.  Our roles have included:

• Analysing the C-17 in-country support arrangements to identify re-packaging options for improving competition, value for money and service delivery performance;
• Managing implementation of the contract to establish and support the KC-30A simulators, the related training devices and the delivery of associated aircrew training courses;
• Providing ongoing management and process refinement in the delivery of other training courses encompassing both maintenance and aircrew training courses; and
• Conducting an analysis of the performance management regimes applicable to both the KC-30A aircraft support contract and the KC-30A simulator support contract.

The Results

The C-17 in-country support analysis resulted in:

• the identification of inconsistencies, ambiguities and overlaps in the existing C-17 support arrangements;
• the development of numerous recommendations for the consolidation and refinement of the C-17 support arrangements and the future actions that are required to support future changes with substantial benefits for HALSPO; and
• the development of detailed service requirement statements to provide an improved basis for the ongoing contracted support arrangements.

Support to the KC-30A is ongoing, contribution to date has resulted in:

• improved structure in the training management processes and improved training administration;
• improved contractor performance in the documentation and delivery of training related services and in overall performance against the contract;
• improved relationships between all parties involved in the training program;
• an enhanced common understanding across all stakeholders in relation to the consequences of their requirements and actions;
• detailed proposals for improvements to the effectiveness and simplicity of the performance management regime for the KC-30A sustainment contract; and
• a summary of issues related to the KC-30A simulator support contract performance regime and the presentation of high-level concepts for practical improvements to the performance regime.

Sustainment Performance Management 

Sustainment Performance Management 

Our member is currently delivering the Sustainment Performance Management System project for the Capability and Sustainment Group (CASG).  

The CASG Monthly Reporting System was spreadsheet based, reliant on disparate and poorly configured spreadsheets, with little uniformity, process control or collaboration.

The Directorate of Sustainment Measurement & Analysis (DSMA) recognised the need for a contemporary reporting environment within a collaborative portal supported by structured data based on Product Schedules. KoBold Group was engaged to assist DSMA in an agile and collaborative development approach. ThoughtWeb© provided this adaptive platform.

A single, web-based software tool, using the ThoughtWeb adaptive platform, was implemented as a solution. The SPMS establishes monthly reporting to senior, middle and line managers that allows them to visualise the performance of sustainment management reporting. Integrating a workflow functionality, gave visibility of the business process to relevant stakeholders each month.

The SPMS has a built-in metric framework to measure key performance, health and analytical metrics. It generates charts and displays for every sustainment product and reporting cycle, using historical and current data.

SPMS delivers a managed monthly workflow that allows managers to see how sustainment management reporting is performing at a glance. This gives the government confidence Defence assets can meet its commitments and conduct future operations.