“DHS addressed the need for a federal planning process through its development of the National Planning and Execution System (NPES) - a formal curriculum-based process used by the IMPT [Interagency Incident Management Planning Team, DHS] to build its national level interagency contingency plans. DHS leadership recognized that the success or failure of the IMPT would hinge largely on its ability to develop a planning process that could coordinate the efforts of this interagency group and facilitate the development of a shared planning methodology across the federal government. In order to achieve this goal, the planning process development team within OPS [Office of Operations Coordination, DHS] sought to develop a process that was consistent with the core concepts and terminology established in the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and the National Response Plan (NRP). In addition, DHS OPS personnel recognized that the planning process they developed would be most effective if it integrated current and emerging planning ‘best practices.’ This effort required synchronization with our partners at DoD. “Prior to the development of NPES, few federal departments and agencies adhered to a formal planning process that organized the operational planning efforts within their respective departments. One significant exception was DoD, which had long used formal planning processes to conduct operations within the branches of the military. For that reason, NPES was designed to be specifically compatible with the Joint Planning and Execution System (JOPES) that DoD uses to create military plans for circumstances requiring different branches of the Armed Forces to conduct joint operations. “NPES was converted to a curriculum that was taught to each member of the IMPT. The feedback from this training has been overwhelmingly positive and has resulted in numerous requests by interagency members that OPS offer this training to others within their departments and agencies. In addition, many State and local governments have requested copies of the NPES and related training. As a result of this response, DHS has actively engaged in promoting and sharing NPES throughout the interagency. Over the past 10 months, the IMPT has trained over 500 interagency planners on the NPES process… The DHS Office of the Chief Learning Officer and the Center for Domestic Preparedness are currently working with the IMPT to develop an accredited NPES Program of Instruction. By formalizing the instruction and subsequently offering it at various accredited institutions, the NPES training will become available to a greater number of planners, thereby advancing its adoption throughout the interagency. DoD has been a particularly vocal supporter of DHS’s effort to develop NPES as a means to advance a shared planning culture throughout the interagency. Indicative of this support are efforts by DHS’s Chief Learning Officer and DoD’s National Defense University to offer an NPES course to military personnel through DoD’s vast university network”. (DHS, Statement of Rufe, 2007)