STRATEGIC 

PLAN 2025

APRIL 2021
To be prepared for war is 

one of the most effectual 

means of preserving peace.”

— George Washington

First Annual Address to Congress, January 8, 1790
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

In this era of renewed strategic competition, our 

adversaries will not be operating in singular land, 

air, or sea domains. They will be operating in multidomain environments including cyber and space. 

To meet the demands of our mission, the Defense 

Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) must lead a 

new age of transformation and innovation for the 

Security Cooperation (SC) enterprise. 

DSCA directly supports our National Security 

and Defense Strategies by executing Security 

Cooperation programs and initiatives that develop 

specific partner capabilities, build alliances and 

partnerships, and facilitate U.S. access. This DSCA 

5-Year Strategic Plan is a call to action that reflects 

our diverse mission within the Department of 

Defense, which not only includes arms sales and 

transfers, but a full-spectrum approach to building 

our allies’ and partners’ capabilities. This approach 

includes programs that encompass institutional 

capacity building, international education and 

training, humanitarian assistance and disaster 

response, and much more.

My intent for this Strategic Plan is to focus our 

Security Cooperation efforts on this full-spectrum, 

whole-of-nation approach with our partners, 

while simultaneously strengthening a diverse, 

certified, adaptable, and resilient SC workforce. 

This plan outlines my vision for DSCA, which is 

comprised of three complementary efforts that 

we plan to achieve by 2025. First, expand DSCA’s 

positive impact on the world; second, improve 

our stakeholders’ experience; and third, enhance 

our internal operations, including the culture 

we promote from within. Strengthening our 

PARTNER culture will amplify our capabilities and 

stakeholder interactions by inspiring a workforce 

that is Proactive, Accountable, Respectful, 

Transparent, Networked, Empowered, and 

Representative.

In order to accomplish our Strategic Goals, we will 

need to continue to build relationships with our 

allies and partners and with our many partners and 

stakeholders in the federal government, Congress, 

U.S. defense industry, non-governmental 

organizations, academia, think tanks, the media, 

and press. Deepening these relationships and 

enhancing our cross-stakeholder collaboration will 

be imperative to achieving our mission. 

I am particularly proud to lead the implementation 

of this strategy and continue DSCA’s legacy as 

Security Cooperation is recognized throughout 

the national security arena as a tool of first resort 

for the U.S. to remain the global partner of choice. 

This is a testament to the exceptional work of our 

DSCA team and the entire Security Cooperation 

community, more than 20,000 strong! 

As we celebrate DSCA’s 50th anniversary in 2021, 

I am excited to shepherd DSCA into a future 

of continuous improvement that will directly 

contribute to a more safe, secure, and prosperous 

world. 

Yours in strategic partnership,

Heidi H. Grant

Director

Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA)

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Purpose and Scope .............................................1

2. Organization History ..........................................2

3. Strategic Direction: Mission and Vision ..............3

4. DoD Security Cooperation Outcomes: 

Measuring Success ............................................5

5. DSCA 2025 Strategic Goals ................................5

6. Strategy to Capability Framework: 

Planning for Success...........................................8

7. DSCA Organizational Structure ..........................9

8. DSCA PARTNER Culture ..................................12

9. Conclusion ........................................................14

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025
1. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The DSCA Strategic Plan 2025 provides a roadmap to synchronize and unify the Security Cooperation workforce 

under a shared mission, vision, and values. The Strategic Plan aligns priorities, enhances and develops processes, 

and makes strides to improve stakeholder relationships across the SC community in accordance with the National 

Security Strategy (NSS), the National Defense Strategy (NDS), and other related guidance. The SC community 

conducts Security Cooperation in order to build full-spectrum partner nation capabilities so those partners can 

fulfill mutually supportive roles consistent with U.S. defense and foreign policy objectives. DSCA will lead the SC 

community through the details outlined in this plan to ensure that all SC stakeholders fully understand the scope 

of Security Cooperation tools at their disposal, and how these tools can be used to achieve the goals outlined in 

our national defense policy and strategy. 

This Strategic Plan was created to outline a path for DSCA to accomplish targeted Strategic Goals and advance 

its enduring mission. The plan integrates DSCA’s mission, vision, values, workforce, and culture by weaving 

each component into the Strategic Goals so the Agency is constantly improving on every aspect of its operation. 

DSCA will work collaboratively with its stakeholders to achieve these Goals, with an understanding that we must 

listen to one another and work together to achieve ultimate success. Each Goal has a five-year lifespan, while 

each subordinate Objective and Sub-Objective is aimed to be accomplished within the current fiscal year. 

DSCA leadership will review the Objectives and Sub-Objectives associated with this Strategic Plan quarterly and 

update them annually to sustain continuous improvement, foster innovation, and remain adaptive to a dynamic 

Security Cooperation environment. Most of the Objectives and Sub-Objectives are cross-cutting throughout 

DSCA, some rely on specific directorates, divisions, or branches, and a few depend on specific groups or 

individuals. 

The DSCA Strategic Plan seeks to inspire, guide, and develop the DSCA workforce. Every member of DSCA must 

understand that their individual output is integral to achieving the full potential of this plan. DSCA employees 

at all levels will use the plan as a reference to help guide their work, prioritize their efforts, make decisions, 

and focus their energies. While everything we do to build partner nation capabilities is important, the DSCA 

Strategic Plan goes beyond day-to-day activities to focus on advancing our ability to accomplish our overarching 

mission. Together, our Goals, Objectives, and Sub-Objectives will guide the dedicated DSCA workforce with 

an ultimate outcome of ensuring that our allies and partners are prepared to support or fight alongside our U.S. 

warfighters to address mutual security threats. 

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 1
2. ORGANIZATION HISTORY 

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency was 

first established on September 1, 1971 as the 

Defense Security Assistance Agency (DSAA). The 

Department of Defense established DSAA under 

the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy 

(OSD-P) to direct, administer, and supervise 

security assistance programs including Foreign 

Military Sales (FMS) and the International Military 

Education and Training (IMET) Program. DSAA 

was delegated its authority from OSD-P and 

implemented its activities pursuant to the Foreign 

Assistance Act of 1961 and Foreign Military Sales 

Act of 1968 (amended as the Arms Export Control 

Act of 1976).

DoD re-designated DSAA as the Defense 

Security Cooperation Agency on October 1, 1998 

after adding a variety of DoD-funded Security 

Cooperation programs to the Agency’s mission 

set under the Defense Reform Initiative. These 

Security Cooperation programs considerably 

expanded the Agency’s portfolio and focused 

DSCA toward relationship-based partnerships 

with foreign governments. The updated missionset diversified the Agency’s stakeholders, thus 

forging an essential rapport with many other 

federal agencies across the U.S. Government and 

the private sector. 

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2021, DSCA 

now leads a Security Cooperation enterprise 

of more than 20,000 personnel, and provides 

policy, legal, financial, legislative, programmatic, 

and weapons system expertise to stakeholders 

across the U.S. interagency. DSCA ensures 

the United States remains the global partner of 

choice in an increasingly competitive environment 

by prioritizing DSCA’s values-based approach 

to partnerships and continuously emphasizing 

Security Cooperation as a national security tool of 

first resort. 

We will reinvigorate and 

modernize our alliances and 

partnerships around the world 

[and] double down on building 

partnerships throughout the 

world, because our strength is 

multiplied when we combine 

efforts to address common 

challenges, share costs, and 

widen the circle of cooperation.”

—Interim National Security 

Strategic Guidance, 2021

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 2
3. STRATEGIC DIRECTION: MISSION AND VISION

MISSION

DSCA’s mission is to advance U.S. defense and foreign policy interests by building the 

capacity of foreign partners in order to encourage and enable allies and partners to 

respond to shared challenges. 

DSCA leads the broader U.S. Security Cooperation enterprise in its efforts to train, educate, advise, and equip 

foreign partners.

DSCA oversees and administers Security Cooperation programs that support U.S. policy interests and objectives 

identified by the Executive Office of the President, Department of Defense (DoD), and Department of State. 

These objectives include developing specific partner capabilities, building alliances and partnerships, and 

facilitating U.S. access. DSCA applies a whole-of-nation approach to the planning, design, and execution 

oversight of Security Cooperation programs by partnering with industry, non-government institutions, and 

various organizations and agencies within and outside the federal government.

Understand requirements, 

develop forces, and purchase or 

obtain articles and services 

required to advance, employ, 

and sustain the capability

Successfully absorb and 

integrate fully developed 

capabilities into their security 

forces

Effectively and responsibly 

employ those capabilities in the 

pursuit of common objectives 

between the U.S. and the 

partner

Adequately staff, sustain, and 

maintain those capabilities 

throughout their lifecycle and 

eventually retire them when 

appropriate

DSCA uses a full-spectrum 

approach to develop partner 

capabilities. The full-spectrum 

approach is defined as 

everything an ally or partner 

may need to successfully 

perform a security role with 

established capabilities, to 

include:

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 3

A full-spectrum approach looks beyond materiel and associated training solutions and incorporates the 

necessary policies, legal authorities, strategic frameworks, oversight and governance, management processes 

and systems, doctrine, operational concepts, command and control processes, human and logistical resources, 

financial support, and associated infrastructure to enable a partner to successfully perform a particular role.

DSCA integrates the Department’s entire portfolio of Security Cooperation programs in support of a fullspectrum, whole-of-nation approach, and provides guidance to DoD Implementing Agencies executing 

those programs in pursuit of a partner’s full-spectrum capabilities. Finally, the foundation of our approach 

is cooperation, underpinned by listening to our international partners and other SC stakeholders to identify 

solutions that meet our common goals and take into account the needs of all stakeholders.
VISION

DSCA’s vision is to lead the Security Cooperation enterprise in delivering effective, 

enduring, and timely solutions, and serve as the source for SC expertise and innovation 

for our defense and foreign policy stakeholders to ensure the United States remains the 

global partner of choice.

Improve DSCA’s 

stakeholders’ 

experiences

Enhance DSCA’s 

business operations 

and culture

DSCA’s Vision is comprised 

of three distinct but 

complementary efforts that 

each serve a major role in 

achieving the Goals outlined 

in the Strategic Plan by 2025

Expand DSCA’s 

positive impact on 

the world

1 2 3

2025

First, by 2025, DSCA aims to have an expanded 

positive impact on the world, which enables the 

United States to be the partner of choice for 

national defense capability and capacity building 

as opposed to our strategic competitors. U.S. 

warfighters will have increased and enhanced 

access in all warfighting domains. Further, our 

foreign partners will be well-prepared to protect, 

secure, and control their own borders, ensure 

domestic stability for their populations, provide 

humanitarian assistance, and capably join U.S.-

led coalitions to respond to disasters or conflicts. 

Because of DSCA’s partnerships around the globe, 

our industry partners will be more competitive 

on the world stage. A stronger U.S. industrial 

base supports the homeland and our ability to 

remain the most lethal military in the world, 

while simultaneously supporting our interests for 

greater interoperability with all of our allies and 

partners. 

Second, by 2025, we expect our stakeholders to 

recognize DSCA as the lead and the model for 

Security Cooperation within the U.S. Government, 

and will routinely look to DSCA for advice 

and expertise in the myriad of SC functional 

areas. Our partners will seek DSCA out to solve 

problems and deliver results. They will know 

the Agency as the premier organization to help 

them develop and sustain defense solutions that 

address shared security challenges. They will view 

DSCA as a timely, responsive, and cost-effective 

organization that helps them develop tailored, 

innovative, and sustainable capabilities. 

Finally, by 2025, DSCA’s enhanced business 

operations and culture will enable the SC 

community to operate powerfully together, 

executing our shared mission under improved 

SC-related laws and policies that support efforts 

government-wide. The SC community will be 

strategic and intentional in our engagements, 

and will effectively define the right, full-spectrum 

solutions (capacity and capability) with each 

partner. DSCA will remain committed to a culture 

of continuous improvement and adapt internal 

processes to keep up with changing national 

security demands. The DSCA staff, at all levels, 

will embrace a PARTNER culture where they will 

honor a diversity of thinking, experiences, and 

backgrounds. DSCA will be sought as a desirable 

destination for SC professionals and those who 

want to work in the SC domain, from entry-level 

personnel to seasoned practitioners, and staff will 

be proud to work there in support of U.S. national 

security objectives.

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 4
4. DOD SECURITY COOPERATION OUTCOMES: MEASURING SUCCESS

The purpose of Security Cooperation is to encourage and enable ally and partner actions that support mutual 

security goals consistent with U.S. national security objectives. Those actions, or security roles, directly prevent, 

deter, degrade, or defeat threats to the U.S. and its interests or directly support U.S. forces. Ultimately, we 

measure success by the extent to which our allies and partners act in our mutual interests today, or demonstrate 

the capability and will to act in our mutual interest during a future contingency.

Direct support or benefit to 

the U.S. or denial of support 

to adversaries

Readiness to employ capabilities 

and capacity in support of U.S. 

objectives consistent with the 

law of armed conflict and 

Respect for human rights

Political actions

or strategic communications

1 2 3

Partner roles that support our mutual interests include:

Providing support or benefit to the U.S. and/or denying support or benefit to adversaries can include supporting 

international norms of human rights and the rule of law. It may also include choosing to invest in U.S. defense 

solutions over those of our adversaries or providing operational support to U.S. forces such as access to basing, 

overflight, and intelligence sharing. 

5. DSCA 2025 STRATEGIC GOALS

DSCA’s Strategic Plan aligns key tenets of 

National Security Strategy and National Defense 

Strategy with the Agency’s strategic Goals. This 

enables a direct linkage between national security 

guidance and DSCA measurable objectives and 

action. This demonstrates DSCA’s critical role 

in implementing national security and defense 

strategy. 

In service of, and in alignment with, enduring 

national defense strategic goals, DSCA developed 

five-year Goals consistent with our three 

complementary efforts outlined in Section 3.2. 

The five strategic Goals begin with a focus on 

external SC stakeholders to enable decisionmaking that is mutually beneficial for the U.S., the 

Department, and the partner nation. 

DSCA’s values-based approach, including 

transparency, human rights, rule of law, civilian 

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 5
harm mitigation, and women, peace, and security initiatives, is what distinguishes the United States from our 

strategic competitors. DSCA will continue to identify and implement SC enterprise improvements with an 

emphasis on cost, schedule, and performance. DSCA will ensure that authorities and policies are implemented 

and updated to facilitate all aspects of Security Cooperation. Finally, DSCA will empower the SC workforce by 

ensuring they have the training and tools to excel as Security Cooperation professionals. Specifically, DSCA will: 

GOAL 1 Align and integrate department SC activities to influence partner capability 

development and acquisition decisions to mutual benefit;

GOAL 2 Standardize and lead SC program planning such that activities and resources are 

prioritized, aligned, and executed within a structured, full-spectrum approach 

focused on developing capabilities;

GOAL 3 Improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the SC enterprise’s business operations;

GOAL 4 Improve our ability to strengthen alliances and attract new partners by obtaining 

and refining authorities and policies;

GOAL 5 Develop a diverse, certified, adaptable, and resilient SC workforce to meet shared 

U.S. and international security challenges.

In order to realize these five-year strategic Goals, each fiscal year the organization will develop annual Objectives 

and Sub-Objectives that will advance the Agency’s ability to bolster its Mission and Vision. The Objectives and 

Sub-Objectives will serve as a foundation for measuring success at each organizational level in DSCA and will 

guide our annual targets as individuals. In this way, each member of the Agency will individually contribute to 

the combined vision and share in ownership of the DSCA’s collective success.

The 2025 Strategy Framework on page 7 is an all-encompassing view of the multiple tenets of the Strategic 

Plan – its purpose, audience, intent, and guiding principles. Under the umbrella of a new Mission and Vision, the 

Framework outlines WHO our key stakeholders are, HOW the Agency will implement the plan, WHAT Goals it 

aims to accomplish, and WHY the Agency is doing so. Then, underlying everything the Strategic Plan aims to 

achieve, the Framework’s foundation is embedded in the Agency’s PARTNER Culture, the bedrock of how DSCA 

conducts business and the common sentiment that all Agency personnel use to champion success across the SC 

community.

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 6
DSCA’s mission is to advance U.S. defense and foreign policy interests by 

building the capacity of foreign partners in order to encourage and enable allies and partners to respond to shared challenges.

DSCA

DSCAPartner Culture P ROACTIVE | A CCOUNTABLE | R ESPECTFUL | T RANSPARENT | N ETWORKED | E MPOWERED | R EPRESENTATIVE

Strategy Framework

WHOSC COMMUNITY:Department of DefenseU.S. Government/InteragencyU.S. CongressU.S. IndustryForeign PartnersNon-Governmental OrganizationsU.S. Academia and Think TanksU.S. General PublicMedia/PressDSCA:Trained and certified workforce exemplifying the PARTNER culture

HOW WHY WHAT

GOAL 1:Align and Integrate SC Activities GOAL 2:Standardize and Lead SC Program PlanningGOAL 3:Improve the Effectiveness and Efficiency of SC EnterpriseGOAL 4:Improve Our Ability to Strengthen Alliances and Attract New PartnersGOAL 5: Develop a Diverse, Certified, Adaptable, and Resilient SC Workforce

DOD Security Cooperation PurposeEncourage and enable partner nations to employ capabilities and capacity, provide access, and/or support US interests.1. EXPAND OUR IMPACT ON THE WORLDThe U.S. is the partner of choice for national defense capability and capacity building.2. IMPROVE OUR STAKEHOLDERS’ EXPERIENCES DSCA is recognized as the lead and model for SC, and routinely look to us for advice and expertise in the myriad of SC functional areas. Our partners seek us out to solve problems and deliver results. 3. ENHANCE OUR BUSINESS OPERATIONS AND CULTUREThe SC community is strategic and intentional in our engagements and effectively define the right, full-spectrum solutions (capacity & capability) for each partner. DSCA embraces a PARTNER culture, where we honor a diversity of thinking, experiences, and backgrounds.

VISIONDSCA’s vision is to lead the Security Cooperation (SC) enterprise in delivering effective, enduring, and timely solutions, and serve as the source for SC expertise and innovation for our defense and foreign policy stakeholders to ensure the United States remains the global partner of choice.

MISSION

EMPLOYING DIVERSE TOOLS: Defense/Military EngagementsTraining and EducationEquippingExercisesAdvisingInformation and Intelligence SharingInternational Armaments CooperationEnhance CoordinationFacilitate PlanningImprove Efficiency and Effectiveness of Administration and ExecutionManage Programs

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025

7
Five Year Plan

Facilitates planning 

across fiscal years

Interagency Targeted 

Action Plan

Facilitates strategic 

competition: support 

contingencies and 

deny adversaries

Strategic Framework

Develops a holistic view 

of desired countryspecific outcomes and 

major SC efforts

LEVEL

System Program 

Management Plan

Provides an in-depth 

review of case lifecycle 

milestones

LEVEL 3

LEVEL 2

LEVEL 4

1

6. STRATEGY TO CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK: PLANNING FOR SUCCESS

DSCA developed the Strategy to Capability 

framework to standardize Security Cooperation 

strategic planning and streamline activity resource 

and execution integration. Strategy to Capability 

provides the Department a common, simple, and 

intuitive picture of desired outcomes and Security 

Cooperation activities across multiple years that 

translates strategic guidance into partner nation 

capability. 

Strategy to Capability is an outcomes- and 

capabilities-based methodology that starts with the 

analysis of potential threats to the United States 

and its interests, which includes the security of 

allies and partners. It articulates desired partner 

security roles, analyzes the partner’s will, and 

examines their ability to absorb, employ, and 

sustain capabilities necessary to perform roles. 

The process culminates in the development of 

partner capabilities that support both U.S. and 

partner nation interests. The framework ensures 

that all Security Cooperation activities — including, 

but not limited to defense/military engagements, 

training and education, equipping, advising, 

exercising, and information sharing — align with 

desired capabilities and Security Cooperation 

outcomes. It provides a collective, comprehensive 

planning framework for the SC community. 

The framework allows the SC community to follow 

a common approach to capability development that 

benefits all Security Cooperation stakeholders, but 

offers sufficient flexibility to leverage elements of 

their existing planning frameworks. The result is 

a process that allows the SC community to plan, 

resource, and implement activities that build 

partner nation capabilities according to clear, 

measurable goals tied to strategic imperatives. 

The Strategy to Capability framework includes four 

levels of independent analysis drawn from desired 

strategic outcomes. Each level results in products 

that synthesize strategic outcomes with varying 

degrees of program activity to inform program 

planning, development, and execution. While each 

level is informed by the other levels, they are not 

dependent upon each other. However, if one level 

of analysis is completed, then the information in 

the remaining levels should correlate. 

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 8
7. DSCA ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 

Good will can make any 

organization work; conversely, 

the best organization chart in 

the world is unsound if the men 

[and women] who have to make 

it work don’t believe in it.” 

– James Forrestal, 

first Secretary of Defense; regarding 

Department of Defense unification, 1946

The focus of Goal 3 is to enhance DSCA’s operating model. 

To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the SC 

enterprise’s business operations, DSCA reorganized its 

operational structure to align its leadership team and the 

processes they own with the Strategic Plan.

The Organizational Chart below depicts the DSCA 

Front Office, the Director’s Action Group, and five core 

functional Offices: 1) Defense Security Cooperation 

University (DSCU); 2) Office of Strategy, Plans, and Policy; 

3) Office of International Operations; 4) Office of Business 

Operations; and 5) Office of Administration. Each of 

these Offices will be led by an Assistant Director (AD) and 

supported by Deputy Assistant Directors (Deputy ADs).

The new model organizes the Agency around planning and 

execution, and integrates the staff’s efforts across U.S.C 

Title 10 and Title 22 authorities. This model supports 

full-spectrum Security Cooperation planning and program 

execution, thus providing all SC stakeholders the optimum 

programmatic approach to meet their requirements.

Front Office Assistant Directors (ADs) / Offices

EXECUTIVE FRONT OFFICE/

MILITARY ASSISTANT

SR. ENLISTED ADVISOR 

TO THE DIRECTOR DIRECTOR

DEPUTY 

DIRECTOR

OFFICE OF GENERAL 

COUNSEL

DIRECTOR’S ACTION 

GROUP/CHIEF OF STAFF

DEFENSE SECURITY 

COOPERATION 

UNIVERSITY (DSCU)

OFFICE OF STRATEGY, 

PLANS, AND POLICY

OFFICE OF 

INTERNATIONAL 

OPERATIONS

OFFICE OF BUSINESS 

OPERATIONS

(COO/CFO)

OFFICE OF 

ADMINISTRATION

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 9
FRONT OFFICE:

The Front Office is composed of the Executive Front Office (EFO) and 

the Director’s Action Group (DAG). Broadly speaking, the EFO focuses 

on direct support to the Director and Deputy Director, whereas the DAG 

handles agency-wide issues and interactions with OSD-Policy. The Office 

of the General Counsel (OGC) remains in a direct advisory role to the 

Director, as does the Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Director. 

DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION UNIVERSITY: 

This Office consolidates all Education, Training, Advising, and Security 

Cooperation Workforce Development Program functions under a single 

AD, who is dual-hatted as the DSCU President. DSCU is organized in three 

functional areas, each of which is led by a Deputy AD who also holds an 

academic title: 1) the Enterprise Support Directorate, led by the Provost, 

2) the School of Security Cooperation Studies (SSCS), led by a Dean, and 

3) the International School of Education and Advising (ISEA), which unites 

the Institute for Security Governance (ISG) and the Defense Institute of 

International Legal Studies (DIILS), also led by a Dean.

OFFICE OF STRATEGY, PLANS, AND POLICY: 

SPP centralizes all planning functions, including strategic planning, program 

design, and administrative and execution policy across all authorities 

and programs for full-spectrum Security Cooperation planning. This 

Office is responsible for all strategic planning functions – including the 

Regional Planning and Program Design (RPPD) Directorate, the Strategy 

and Initiatives (SI) Directorate, and the Execution Policy and Analysis 

(EPA) Directorate. The regional structure under the Deputy AD for 

Regional Planning and Program Design is similar to other Directorates for 

consistency and regional/country-aligned teaming. This regional structure 

unifies functional tasking and supervisory lines.

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 10
OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS: 

This Office brings together all operational, or execution-based functions, 

including the Regional Execution (REX), the Global Execution (GEX), 

and Weapons (WPNS) Directorates – each led by a Deputy AD. The 

International Operations staff is organized in the same regional structure 

as the planners in SPP. The Deputy AD for Global Execution handles 

all functions that span across every region. Programs such as End Use 

Monitoring (EUM), Excess Defense Articles (EDA), or operations such as 

36(b) Congressional Notifications also fall within the Office of International 

Operations.

OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS: 

The Office of Business Operations includes Deputy ADs for Information, 

Management and Technology (IMT), Comptroller (CMP), Financial Policy 

and Regional Execution (FPRE), and Security and Facilities (SF).

OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION:

The Chief Performance Office (CPO) and Talent Management (TM) make 

up the two discrete Directorates in the Office of Administration. CPO is 

the clearinghouse for all internal data, as well as internal controls, audit 

management, and functional requirements. CPO incorporates both the 

AM&E function and continuous improvement mandates. TM provides 

a full-range of human capital services Agency-wide and implements 

human capital management, to include organizational and professional 

development, to attract and retain a diverse workforce. 

SUMMARY OF BENEFITS 

This organizational structure enables the Agency to build partner full-spectrum capabilities aligned to 

our strategic objectives and in service of our stakeholders. With this integrated functional structure, 

DSCA fosters an enhanced stakeholder experience through clear points of entry for specific functions 

and regions. Finally, this functional model aligns employees and supervisors for optimal performance 

and brings additional workforce development opportunities for both civilian and military personnel.

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 11
8. DSCA PARTNER CULTURE 

DSCA embraces a PARTNER culture, meaning the Agency values being:

Proactive

DSCA continuously identifies initiatives for internal improvement while 

simultaneously identifying partners’ needs in order to develop the 

policies and plans that ensure we achieve our mutual goals. A more 

strategic approach ensures that DSCA is building capable allies and 

partners who support the Department in achieving shared security 

objectives. 

Accountable

DSCA is responsible—to ourselves, our partners, our interagency and 

industry stakeholders, and the U.S. taxpayer—for achieving tangible 

results.

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 12
Respectful

DSCA treats everyone and conducts all aspects of the Agency mission 

with dignity. DSCA is uniquely positioned at the nexus of the U.S. 

defense industry, our foreign partners, and many offices within the U.S. 

Government, all of which must come together for Security Cooperation 

to be effective; DSCA is the convening force that brings SC stakeholders 

together to take on new opportunities and address complex challenges.

Transparent

DSCA shares information on processes, policies, and resource 

management with our allies, partners, and other stakeholders, and 

maintains two-way communication throughout the SC community.

Networked

DSCA leverages the knowledge and skills resident throughout the 

U.S. Government and SC community to maximize results through 

collaboration, and continues to build our network of allies and partners 

that contribute to our shared security goals by listening and collaborating. 

Empowered

DSCA bolsters our Security Cooperation experts to work closely with U.S. 

and foreign government representatives, industry counterparts, and other 

stakeholders to advance the Agency mission and vision, and to achieve 

our strategic Goals, Objectives, and Sub-Objectives.

Representative

DSCA conducts our work in a way that demonstrates our values-based 

and “uniquely American” approach to Security Cooperation, focusing on 

the long-term relationships that our programs engender. We are diverse 

and inclusive.

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 13
9. CONCLUSION Through the work of the leadership team, the Strategic Plan working 

group, the reorganization Tiger Team, and every DSCA employee, 

the DSCA Strategic Plan 2025 updates and refines our Mission and 

Vision statements, provides five foundational strategic five-year 

Goals, and identifies a number of supporting Objectives for FY 

2021 which the Agency will monitor quarterly and update annually. 

The DSCA Vision statement reflects the changing needs of the SC 

community,

 ...to lead the security cooperation (SC) 

enterprise in delivering effective, enduring, 

and timely solutions, and serve as the source 

for SC expertise and innovation for our 

defense and foreign policy stakeholders to 

ensure the United States remains the global 

partner of choice”. 

DSCA must clearly define success and carefully plan across the SC 

enterprise to achieve integrated, coordinated, and synchronized 

results that benefit like-minded partners and U.S. goals. The 

Agency has restructured to continue to serve as the lead and global 

model for Security Cooperation, and has developed this Strategic 

Plan as a guiding light for its staff to better support U.S. strategic 

national interests. Accomplishing the strategic Goals outlined in 

this document will ensure that DSCA achieves the right structure, 

relationships, and processes to operationalize our entire strategy, 

while simultaneously embedding these achievements with a thriving 

PARTNER culture.

DSCA STRATEGIC PLAN 2025 14
DEFENSE SECURITY COOPERATION AGENCY

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Washington, DC 20301-2800

703-697-9709

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