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Through Life Management Plan (TLMP) and Other Acquisition Processes

The Through Life Management Plan (TLMP) is the single source of strategic management information for the project and provides access to more detailed information required by IPT staff and others to manage their activities.

When producing the TLMP it must address the areas as defined in the TLMP Framework. To assist the project team in this activity we have provided guidance on how some of the key acquisition process should be reflected in the TLMP.

Through Life Capability Management and the TLMP

There is detailed guidance on Through Life Capability Management (TLCM) and how TLCM relates to Through Life Management (TLM) however it is important to point out that the Programme Board, chaired by the sponsor, will use TLMPs to manage its programmes.

The data for the TLMPs is captured from the stakeholders who are responsible for delivering the various projects and/or DLoDs which comprise the capability programmes.

It is essential that the Through Life Management Plan addresses the relationships with the other components of the Military Capability and articulates an integrated, Whole Life plan for delivery of ‘Whole System’ capability.

It is recommended that as a minimum the TLMP should include a Lines of Development Responsibility Matrix [34KB DOC] which identifies who has the lead responsibility for each DLoD. This should be included in Section 2 of the TLMP.

The extent to which the TLMP addresses the non-Equipment Lines of Development will depend to some degree on the scope of the Customer Supplier Agreement or Joint Business Agreement with the Sponsor. It may be appropriate for the TLMP to include specific sub-sections to address them within Section 3 (Strategies) and/or Section 4 (Plans and Processes).

The TLMP and Approvals/Business Cases

The content of the Business Cases for Initial Gate and Main Gate Approvals should be developed from the detailed strategies, plans and Whole Life Cost information contained in the TLMP.

If there is a robust TLMP in place, and it has good engagement from project Stakeholders, the process of generating the Business Case should be a simple and logical evolution from the work that has already been done to produce and refine the TLMP during Concept and Assessment.

Business Cases should make extensive references to the TLMP supporting the strategies and arguments put forward. The TLMP Executive Summary must be submitted as part of the case as it is not practical to submit the full TLMP. However, it will be considered as part of the assurance process which underpins the scrutiny of your Business Case.

Upon submission you should expect the IAB and TLB scruntineers to ask:

Has a TLMP been produced?
Does it demonstrate that the project has been robustly planned and costed on a whole life basis?
Has the TLMP been exposed to all the project stakeholders and its key contents endorsed by the relevant parties?

Transition Planning and the TLMP

Transition planning is required to address the transfer of the management or ownership responsibilities as a project moves through the acquisition cycle, and also transition from a legacy project to its successor. This information needs to be captured in the TLMP.

TLMPs should address any transition issues that will arise as the project moves from one phase to another in the acquisition cycle, and also any transition issues in relation to successor projects.

Within the Transition Process, the TLMP is the key document for:

The definition and planning of the Transition arrangements.
The transfer of Project Management information from the donor to the receiving organisation.

The donor and receiving organisations should ensure that their TLMP is electronically compatible. The future compatibility and migration of TLMP data between organisations at Transition should be addressed in the Through Life Information Management Strategy for the project.

Transition planning working groups may be useful, prior to transfer of TLMP management or ownership responsibilities, in order to aid the seamless and timely transfer of the TLMP.

Risk Management and the TLMP

Risk Management is a Through Life activity applied throughout a project’s lifecycle and forms one of the key strategies within the TLMP.

The TLMP provides the overarching linkage between Risk Management and all the other Acquisition strategies, plans and processes within a project.

Technology Management and the TLMP

Effective Technology Management is essential at all stages of the acquisition cycle and must be considered as an explicit activity within the TLMP.

Most Equipment projects are dependant on the development and integration of technology. Successive NAO and other audits have concluded that ‘the most significant weakness is insufficient de-risking leading to high technical risk at main gate’.

IPTs must effectively manage this risk, not only at Main Gate, but through life to help ensure successful delivery. A key enabler to achieving this is the effective use of Technology Management.

The TLMP and Change Management

As the focal point for all of the projects strategies and plans it is crucial that an effective Change Management process is in place and reflected with the body of the TLMP.

Having such a process will ensure that the TLMP is updated in a structured manner recording all actions which will aid in the production of the Project History, Audit/Assurance requirements, Project Evaluation and Learning From Experience.

A Pocket Guide to Change Management was produced by DE&S but it is equally applicable across all TLBs.

Change History