A Portfolio Assessment Approach to Inform Resource Allocation Decisions : RAND Corporation , August 5 , 2026
A Portfolio Assessment Approach to Inform Resource Allocation Decisions : RAND Corporation , August 5 , 2026
From the report: "As part of the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process, the Department of the Air Force (DAF) annually submits a budget request to Congress. That budget is meant to reflect a balanced prioritization of resources across multiple competing objectives, including filling the most urgent and critical operational capability gaps. However, cross-cutting portfolios that indirectly support multiple missions, such as enterprise information technology (EIT), installation energy, communications, and water infrastructure, are often underfunded, in part because the PPBE process is not structured to defensibly articulate and prioritize their critical role in mission success.
Portfolio reviews during the planning and programming phases offer opportunities to evaluate proposed resource allocations within and between portfolios. A dedicated assessment and evaluation function for cross-cutting portfolios at this stage could
• ensure that the selection and prioritization of investments within the cross-cutting portfolio are defensible, traceable, and reflect operational and strategic priorities
• inform trades between cross-cutting portfolios and mission-centric investments by better articulating the mission risk associated with not filling capability gaps.
To support the DAF’s portfolio reviews, the Program Assessment and Evaluation (PA&E) office asked RAND Project AIR FORCE to develop a structured and repeatable assessment approach for cross-cutting portfolios proposed for future funding."
Authors - Stullken, Sara, Mignano, Jim, Mayer, Lauren A., Zabel, Sarah, Snyder, Don, Slover, RachelSubjects
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