Combined Training Advisory Group Project Management in Action ~ in Afghanistan Daniel Harmuth, PMP Lieutenant Colonel in U.S. Army Reserves Commander, Detachment 45 NATO Training Mission - Army Technology Services Manager Kern County Sheriff ‘s Office
How we used Project Management in increasing the Army Soldier Basic Training capacity in 2009 to 2010. I commanded a Detachment of U.S. Army Drill SGTs that mentored the Basic Training of the Afghan National Army. We had 5 training locations across Afghanistan.
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Combined Training Advisory GroupCombined Training Advisory Group
Project Management in Action ~in Afghanistan
Daniel Harmuth, PMPLieutenant Colonel in U.S. Army
ReservesCommander, Detachment 45NATO Training Mission - Army
Technology Services ManagerKern County Sheriff ‘s Office
Combined Training Advisory GroupCombined Training Advisory Group
MissionMy mission in Afghanistan during my deployment from June 2009 through Feb 2010 was to mentor and oversee the Basic Warrior Training of the Afghan National Army (ANA).
Commander of a Detachment of 32 U.S. Army Drill Sergeants and 40 contractors.
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unclassified35/20/2009
Basic Warrior Training (BWT)Mission // Mission Essential Task• Mission
– To instruct new soldiers in Basic, AIT & CTX and train them to high military morals, so they can rescue the Afghan people by fighting the enemies of Afghanistan and the Insurgency.
• METL – Provide Command and Control– Plan and Conduct Individual Institutional Training
to ANATC Standards– Evaluate Institutional Training– Support and Sustain Institutional Training
Purpose…• Establish ANA primacy
through training every ANA Soldier on basic Infantry skills first
• Drill Sergeants: Build the future of ANA strength through a comprehensive drill sergeant school
• Remote Basic Warrior Training: Manage regional programs and MTTs country-wide to support ANA doctrine and standards
• Oversee an effective program to transition from Warsaw Pact weapons to NATO weapons– Concentrate on overall
improvement of basic rifle marksmanship
10 Week Course
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Detachment Locations
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4
KMTC
Herat
Mazar E
Sharif
Kandahar
Darulaman
Khwost
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unclassified75/20/2009
KMTC Aerial
Camp Warehouse (ISAF)
Camp Invicta(ISAF)
KMTCContonement Area
CampAlamo
To Ranges& Tng Areas
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MissionEarly in the mission, we were given the task (project) to increase the capacity of training such that we could increase the ANA from a 80,000 man army to 134,000 strong by Oct 2010.
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Project Charter• Operations order from Higher HQ
(Combined Security Transition Command / NATO Training Mission - Army).
• Similar to Project Charter as there are strategic dependencies.
• Tasked to define resources and plan to achieve results
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Project Charter
“a document that formally authorizes a project.”
The project charter addresses important aspects of a project, and can be linked to all nine knowledge areas that are listed in the PMBOK
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Project Charter• Operations order from Higher HQ
(Combined Security Transition Command / NATO Training Mission - Army).
• Similar to Project Charter as there are strategic dependencies.
• Tasked to define resources and plan to achieve results
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Scope StatementInclusions:
Worked through various scenarios to solve the mission requirements. Found that with current or projected resources and base improvement schedules and current ANA recruiting numbers, and ANA retention %, that it was theoretically unattainable.
Identify base capacity growth requirements for KMTC, Herat, MeS, Khwost, and Darulaman Training Center to maximize training output
Identify Resources to include equipment Identify ANA Leadership involvement to buy
into the plan
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Horse Blanket
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Aug 09 Sep 09 Oct 09 Nov 09 Dec 09 Jan 10 Feb 10 Mar 10 Apr 10 May 10 Jun 10 Jul 10 Aug 10
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Scope StatementChallenges:
Improve already bad living conditions for trainees
Improve already low ANA leadership numbers and performance
Improve training results in face of shortened schedule
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WBS DevelopmentGenerated a WBS in MS Project for a new
base in Kandahar and also increasing the other 4 bases (Heart, MeS, Khowst, and Darulaman)
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RBWT Expansion WBS
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New Kandahar RBWT WBS
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WBS Development (cont.)Reviewed with higher HQ and project teamTurned into a spreadsheet of tasks and
responsibilities as the higher HQ staff could not understand the WBS
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Scope Control
Our main concern was to control when an increase of recruits would be pushed to what bases
Recruiting ballooned after the MoD increased the salary of ANA, and also after Ramazan
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Activity Resource Estimating
Estimating how quickly facilities could be built on the various bases with Afghan local contractors:QuartersMess HallsRangesEquipment Uniforms and Initial issue equipmentTransportation of recruits above current
capabilities
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Schedule Development
Based on estimates of when facilities could be ready
Completed before contractors and building resources could be secured/identified
Afghan local contractors tell you what you want to hear; their culture is to never say no
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Cost Management• All new resources (ANA Leadership,
Trainers and Drill SGTs) had to fit within previous budgeted amount before this mission was communicated
• New Kandahar base had to fit within an estimate by the previous team that did not have the full mission requirements nor the foresight on what is needed
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Quality ManagementAfghan local contractorsLack of quality building supplies in theatre Initial Issue Equipment vendors could not
increase production in timeHigher HQ re-organized various ancillary teams
in the same locations to oversee constructionBWT Mentors sent to Kandahar to oversee
building of new training baseArmy Corp of Engineers changed electrical
standards mid-stream
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Human Resource Management
Define resources for:the Afghan Army Trainers, Drill SGTs,