Through Life Capability Management (TLCM)

SVGC Services

Defence Application

The UK MoD approaches Acquisition through its Acquisition Operating Framework (AOF) which defines Through Life Capability Management (TLCM) as the “translation of Defence policy requirements into an approved programme that delivers the required capabilities, through life, across all Defence Lines of Development (DLOD)”.

The underlying philosophy of TLCM requires that Acquisition support documentation should be produced in a manner - and to a standard - that will allow it to be utilised to good effect by the manager and operators of a capability throughout the life of a programme and project. It is not produced merely to satisfy the demands of acquisition milestones such as Initial Gate, Main Gate, ISD etc.

Because of this, the UK MoD requires the TLCM approach has to be applied from the earliest stage of procurement, and to be inculcated within all acquisition processes until such time as system solutions become ineffective or are no longer required.

Non-Defence Application

Because the UK MoD approach is underpinned by International standard ISO/IEC 15288 covering processes throughout a System Life Cycle from inception to disposal (i.e. ‘Through Life’), the processes employed by SVGC Limited in support of UK MoD can easily be translated into non-Defence applications.

SVGC Approach

SVGC has long supported the UK MoD approach and produces outputs that meet goals in support of the Through Life management of systems.

SVGC adapts the TLCM philosophy to all acquisitions and has recently evolved a bespoke TLCM Tool that marries and reviews all User Requirements and linked subordinate System Requirements from the URD and SRD respectively. SVGC not only views TLCM as good housekeeping, but its adoption ensures that individual responsibility can be attributed and that managers are made accountable for the capability that they are delivering, as well as ensuring that users and operators of solutions clearly understand any level of risk that is accepted.

The Military Covenant, referred to within the Haddon-Cave QC Report, 28 Oct 09 , recognises the need for all organisations to work together to ensure, inter alia, that adequate provision for training and suitably maintained equipment is available at all times. The report further articulates that the “acquisition and maintenance of modern military equipment is increasingly complex-technically, financially and logistically”; SVGC believes that the adoption of TLCM principals is fundamental to addressing the complexity of modern capabilities against a back-drop of value for money, responsibility of ownership and accountability for risk management.

The TLCM Tool provided by SVGC - BEDROCK - provides the user, typically a Project’s management team, with a current and projected status of system solutions being acquired to meet a required Military Capability, and in doing so it takes account of implications across all DLOD areas. The tool permits the application of robust risk management against identified shortfalls, which in turn allows either the application of timely, cost-effective, corrective action, or demonstrates the size of the risk and its impact on the capability that can be clearly understood by all managers - up to Joint Capabilities Board (JCB) level if required.