When and what starts the PPBE process?

• A. At the start of each fiscal year; military units submit initial plan
• B. 18–21 months prior to the FY; COCOMS submit IPLs using the NDS/NMS/QDR/JPD as guidance to the SECDEF and CJCS
• C. Two years before FY; National Security Council drafts the plan
• D. During the last quarter of the fiscal year; OSD compiles the program

Answer: (B)

Planning and programming for the department starts long before the new fiscal year. The process kicks off about 18–21 months ahead, with Combatant Commands submitting Integrated Priority Lists. These IPLs are guided by overarching strategic documents—the National Defense Strategy, the National Military Strategy, the Quadrennial Defense Review, and Joint Planning directives—and these inputs are sent up to the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This early start ensures there is time to evaluate priorities, trade off programs, and shape the Program Objective Memorandums and budget decisions that follow. The other options don’t fit because they place the start too late, misidentify who prepares the plan, or rely on documents or actors not responsible for initiating PPBE.