Joint Staff Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO) Activities

The Joint Staff Office of the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer (OCDAO) program, as outlined in Program Element (PE) 0305248J, is a newly established initiative beginning in FY 2025 to advance data-centric efforts across the Joint Staff (JS). The program's primary objective is to support the mission of the Joint Staff Office of the Chief Data Officer (OCDO) by enabling the integration and interoperability of authoritative data flows among the Joint Staff, Combatant Commands (CCMDs), the Military Services, and the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).

This effort is critical for ensuring that digital systems can fully support Combined Joint All-Domain Operations (CJADO) and provide timely, data-driven decision support to senior military leaders. The Joint Staff Dashboard / CJCS Decision Support Capabilities line item is the main focus of this program element. The goal of this initiative is to develop and test Joint Staff-specific software applications that enhance the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff's (CJCS) ability to provide military advice to the President, National Security Council, Homeland Security Council, and Secretary of Defense.

These applications are designed to deliver real-time, integrated, and authoritative data through a dashboard interface, enabling data-driven decision-making at the highest levels of defense leadership. In FY 2025 and FY 2026, the program will focus on four priority Lines of Effort (LOEs).

LOE 1 aims to digitize and automate workflows and analytics for the Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB) related to Global Force Management (GFM). This includes integrating global readiness data from Combatant Commands and Services, as well as Operations, Activities, and Investments (OAI) information, to provide a comprehensive view of Joint Force readiness.

LOE 2 supports the Crisis Management Team (CMT) in the National Military Command Center by overlaying Common Operating Pictures (COP) and Common Intelligence Pictures (CIP). This capability enables real-time assessments and situational awareness during 24/7 crisis response operations, improving the ability of senior leaders to respond rapidly and effectively to emerging threats.

LOE 3 focuses on the data modernization of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC). The objective is to enhance data accessibility and retrieval from the Knowledge Management and Decision Support (KM/DS) system, which is the primary tool supporting the JROC and the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) process. This modernization effort will streamline requirements analysis and decision-making for future joint capabilities.

LOE 4 is dedicated to digitizing the Joint Strategic Planning System (JSPS) Portfolio. The JSPS provides the foundation for the Chairman's strategic guidance and military advice under Title 10 authorities. By developing a collaborative digital workspace and automating workflows, this effort seeks to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of joint strategic planning processes.

The acquisition strategy for the Joint Staff Dashboard leverages enterprise tools provided by the CDAO, integrates with the DoD Federated Data Catalog, and aligns with Mission Command Applications. While the dashboard is nested within broader CDAO enterprise solutions, it is tailored to address unique Joint Staff Title 10 functions and requirements. Development follows DoD Instruction 5000.87, utilizing DevSecOps environments for rapid deployment of data automations, modeling, metadata management, and user-centered design.