ABSTRACT

The arrival at maintenance and sustainment stage tends to imply culmination and closure, as well as the onset of a static state. It is not static, but rather dynamic. Maintain is but a bridge, establishing the new state of the process and performance, and maintaining stability, standardization and sustainment for the precursor to the next round of improvement. The end of the maintain phase, re-connects with the assess phase, and the cycle renews itself. Implementation and maintain throughout a program will tend to overlap. Some areas will enter the maintain stage before other locations. In order to assure success in the maintain stage, several practices and behaviors should be in position. This is a good checklist to use to ensure the Maintain Stage is ready: leadership and management; performance measurement; performance communication; performance improvement; and performance celebration occurs when successes and accomplishments are realized.