A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes providing a time protocol assistant associated with a time-synchronized domain (TSD). The TSD includes a set of nodes that are synchronized to a same time source. The TSD has defined egress and ingress edge points where bidirectional measurements can be made and the egress and ingress edge points are coupled to the time protocol assistant. The method also includes synchronizing one or more packets flowing through a network that includes the TSD through the same time source. In more specific embodiments, the nodes are synchronized to the same time source via the network and the same time source is a grandmaster clock that synchronizes one or more transparent clocks. In yet other embodiments, the transparent clocks manipulate precision time protocol (PTP) packets sent by the grandmaster clock.