DOTMLPF 📖 Wikipedia

DOTMLPF (pronounced "Dot-MiL-P-F") stands for doctrine, organization, training, material, leadership and education, personnel, and facilities. It is used by the US Department of Defense^[1] and was defined in the Joint Capabilities Integration Development System, or JCIDS Process as the framework to design what administrative changes and/or acquisition efforts would fill a capability need^{[2][3]: 47:00} required to accomplish a mission.^[4] Because combatant commanders define requirements in consultation with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), they are able to consider gaps in the context of strategic direction for the total US military force and influence the direction of requirements earlier in the acquisition process, in particular, materiel.

It also serves as a mnemonic for staff planners to consider certain issues prior to undertaking a new effort.

• Doctrine
• Organization
• Training
• Materiel
• Leadership
• Personnel
• Facilities

Here is an example of how DOTMLPF would be interpreted in the military context:

• Doctrine: the way they fight, e.g., emphasizing maneuver warfare combined air-ground campaigns.
• Organization: how they organize to fight; divisions, air wings, Marine-Air Ground Task Forces (MAGTFs), etc.
• Training: how they prepare to fight tactically; basic training to advanced individual training, various types of unit training, joint exercises, etc.
• Materiel: all the “stuff” necessary to equip our forces that DOES NOT require a new development effort (weapons, spares, test sets, etc., which are “off the shelf” both commercially and within the government)^[5]
• Leadership and education: how they prepare their leaders to lead the fight from squad leader to 4-star general/admiral; professional development.
• Personnel: availability of qualified people for peacetime, wartime, and various contingency operations.
• Facilities: real property; installations and industrial facilities (e.g. government owned ammunition production facilities) that support the forces

The idea is to fix the capability gap, and CJCSI 3170.01G – Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System, 1 March 2009^{[clarification needed]} is the one governing instruction on materiel (requiring new defense acquisition programs) and non-materiel (not requiring new defense acquisition program) solutions.^[6]

The Defense Acquisition University glossary gives the following definitions.

• Material: Elements, constituents, or substances of which something is composed or can be made. It includes, but is not limited to, raw and processed material, parts, components, assemblies, fuels, and other items that may be worked into a more finished form in performance of a contract.^[7]
• Materiel: Equipment, apparatus, and supplies used by an organization or institution.^[7]
• Material specification: Applicable to raw material (chemical compound), mixtures (cleaning agents, paints), or semi-fabricated material (electrical cable, copper tubing) used in the fabrication of a product. Normally, a material specification applies to production, but may be prepared to control the development of a material.^[7]
• Materiel solution: A new item (including ships, tanks, self-propelled weapons, aircraft, etc., and related spares, repair parts, and support equipment, but excluding real property, installations, and utilities), developed or purchased to satisfy one or more capability requirements (or needs) and reduce or eliminate one or more capability gaps.^[7]

A 'DOTMLPF-P' acronym (doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy) was used during the US Army's process of developing and fielding laser Directed Energy-Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (DE-MSHORAD) on Strykers. The DOTMLPF-P acronym is further incorporated by the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO)'s "Octagon"— a stakeholder forum attended by representatives for doctrine, organization, training, materiel, leadership and education, personnel, facilities, and policy.^[8]

NATO uses a similar acronym, DOTMLPF-I, the "I" standing for "Interoperability", meaning the ability to be interoperable with forces throughout the NATO alliance.^[9] NATOs AJP-01 Allied Joint Doctrine (2022) describes interoperability as the "ability of NATO, other political departments, agencies and, when appropriate, forces of partner nations to act together coherently, effectively and efficiently to achieve Allied tactical, operational and strategic objectives".^[10] Interoperability can be achieved within the three dimensions of interoperability; the technical, the procedural and the human dimension.

NATO's capability development (CAPDEV) is part of the NATO Defence Planning Process (NDPP), where DOTMLPFI is used as a framework to test and develop these concepts and capabilities.^[11] While developing a concept, NATO describes two orientations; either to transform or to find a solution. NATO CD&E Handbook (2021) describes using the DOTMPLFI framework and the lines of development when trying to find the solution.^[12]

The Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (NDRE) has established a dedicated innovation center for all the stakeholders within the Norwegian defense sector, called 'ICE worx'. 'ICE worx's' model for rapid innovation is used when modern technology with a high technical readiness level is available to find new solutions with only some minor needs for development. Said rapid innovation model uses the DOTMLPFI framework to identify how the development and experimentation of new technology will effect the different factors.^[13]

The Norwegian Armed Forces (NAF) used the DOTMLPFI framework to develop a 'total project plan' (TPP) in investment processes. The TPP was formalized in the NAF in 2018. In the procurement of materiel, which is done by the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA), they use the PRINSIX project model, based on the PRINCE2 method. The TPP is formed in close coordination with the project plan developed by NDMA, and where the project plan covers how the materiel procurement is managed, the TPP covers all the factors needed for the procurement to reach the business goals and achieve the operative benefits of the investment.

However, to ensure all factors in materiel investments are taken into consideration, prior to the NAF being ready to start using materiel and equipment, they added an I for Information systems and E for Economy.

Information systems include communication systems, battle management systems, radios or information security. Often Information systems are not part of the specific materiel investment project, but are still regarded as government-furnished equipment (GFE). Economy was added to the DOTMLPFI-IE because NAF in 2015 (and in 2024) got a rapport from the NDRE stating that "Operating costs are given little weight in investment decisions".^[14] Economy as its own factor in the TPP is to ensure the different processes both before, during and after the materiel procurement is done, is planned with in order to mitigate risks relating to operating costs.

• DOTmLPF - P analysis Archived February 23, 2019, at the Wayback Machine Acquipedia entry on DOTmLPF
• Current JCIDS Manual and CJCSI 3170.01 at DAU