Among other changes, PPBS was renamed the Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process. Then in May of 2003, more substantive changes were made to PPBS. In 2001, OSD changed the process to require a combined or integrated Programming/Budgeting phase with concurrent preparation and submission of the various Programming and Budgeting documentation and submissions, with corresponding decisions made almost in parallel among other reasons, this change was an effort to ensure better coordination in the decision making process of these phases. PPBS established the framework and provided the mechanisms for decision making for the future and provided the opportunity to annually re-examine prior decisions in light of the existing environment at that particular time (e.g., evolving threat, changing economic conditions, etc.).įrom its initiation in the early 1960’s until 2001, the basic PPBS process remained relatively stable with documentation and submissions of individual phases of Planning, Programming, and Budgeting being developed, and decisions being made for each phase, in a sequential manner. PPBS was a cyclic process consisting of three distinct, but interrelated, phases: planning, programming, and budgeting. PPBE evolved from the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS), which was introduced into DoD in the early 1960's by Robert McNamara during his tenure as Secretary of Defense (SECDEF). While the acquisition process is “event driven”, the PPBE process is “calendar driven” this difference can result in timing issues for the acquisition community. Within the acquisition community, it is important for program managers and their staffs to be aware of the nature and timing of each of the events in the PPBE process, since they may be called upon to provide critical information that could be important to program funding and success. The primary purpose of the PPBE process is to allocate resources within the Department of Defense. The ultimate objective of the PPBE process is to provide DoD components and various Combatant Commanders (COCOMs) with the optimal mix of forces, equipment, and support that are attainable within established fiscal constraints. The major output of the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting phases of PPBE is the Defense budget request that will be included in the President’s Budget (PB) to be submitted to Congress not later than the first Monday in February for the next fiscal year than begins 1 October of the same calendar year.

The Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution (PPBE) process is the Department of Defense (DoD) internal methodology used to allocate resources to provide capabilities deemed necessary to accomplish the Department’s missions.

Budget calendar future years