The Department of the Navy (DON) has implemented a strategy approach called  Investment Horizons to speed up the adoption of new capabilities and discover possibilities for divestment. This innovative structure is based on industry best practices and offers a clear visual picture of the organization's innovation and divestment strategies. By combining the requirement to support present capabilities with the need to invest in developing technologies, the Navy hopes to maintain its technological advantage while maximizing resource allocation.

Investment Horizons is more than just a theoretical notion; it has real-world applications that promise to change the way the Navy handles technology development and deployment. By integrating Investment Horizons charts with execution schedules, the Navy can develop comprehensive technological roadmaps that provide a unified perspective of capabilities across the system lifecycle. This integration will allow the research and acquisition community to accelerate the transition of solutions based on Modern Service Delivery Design Concepts to enterprise services.

The framework is organized into five separate horizons, each representing a different point in the lifecycle of a technology or capability. Horizon 3, or the Evaluating stage, includes work done by external entities that may present prospects for the Navy to launch new technology or services. As these prospects mature, they progress to Horizon 2, the Emerging stage, where they are created and tested. Successful pilots move to Horizon 1, the Investing stage, where they receive funding for scaling and deployment. Once fully deployed, these capabilities sit in Horizon 1's Extracting stage, where they are used and maintained. Finally, technologies identified for divestment advance to Horizon 0, the Retiring stage, where they are phased out in favor of more efficient or effective alternatives.

The DON CIO Chief Technology Officer will lead the implementation of Investment Horizons and ensure that it is aligned with the Navy's overall goals. Best practices for implementation include using the framework to help rationalize and deploy enterprise services, creating technology roadmaps that eliminate the need for other planning tools, and giving quarterly updates to influence resource allocation decisions. Furthermore, the Navy intends to channel savings from divestments to technologies that migrate to enterprise services and are in line with Modern Service Delivery Design Concepts.

Collaboration is critical to the success of Investment Horizons, with input from relevant DON Deputy CIOs and cyber commands required to build comprehensive charts. The framework also underlines the significance of utilizing appropriate naming standards for different horizons to provide clarity and consistency.

The material provided in the Investment Horizons plan is significant for federal government contractors, particularly those working with the Department of the Navy, because it provides insight into the Navy's approach to embracing new technology and abandoning old ones. Understanding this framework can assist contractors connect their services with the Navy's strategic priorities, enhancing their chances of securing contracts and effectively completing projects. Contractors who stay updated about the Navy's investment priorities might anticipate demand for specific technology or services and position themselves as valued partners in the Navy's innovation efforts. Furthermore, understanding the divestment process can assist contractors find possibilities to provide replacement solutions or facilitate the transition to more modern systems.

Federal Contract Pros can help contractors negotiate the complexity of the Investment Horizons approach. We can help contractors understand the strategy's consequences for individual business areas, allowing them to find opportunities.

• Consider reading our essay about the intersection of IT procurement.

Fed Contract Pros can assist in producing bids and execution plans that demonstrate a thorough understanding of the Navy's strategic direction, increasing contractors' competitiveness in the bidding process.

• For additional information, please consider our course Mastering the Proposal Process.

In conclusion, the Navy's Investment Horizons approach is a big step forward in managing technology innovation and divestiture. By establishing a clear and systematic strategy to evaluating and investing in new capabilities, the Navy is set to improve operational effectiveness and maintain its digital superiority.