Planning and Analysis: Where's the Beef.
Abstract
The Air Force needs to place increased emphasis on systems analysis as it plans, inside and outside the Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS). The current antipathy between military planners (operational judgment school) and systems analysts (quantitative analysis school) must be resolved. The operator/analyst, embodied in the mission area analysis (MAA) concept, can integrate the two schools of thought and produce meaningful analysis. In so doing, three rules must be observed. First, the analysis must be understandable (the Aunt Martha test), objective (no advocacy), and through (pros and cons). This is particularly true in Air Force relations with Congress where decreasing military experience among members places a premium on quality of information. The potential of systems analysis is clearly demonstrated in the continuing strategic bomber debate. In the mid-seventies, the debate centered on the procurement decision for the B-1. In the 1980 the question has been whether President Reagan's two-bomber approach was and is appropriate. In both cases, systems analysis played a pivotal role.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1988
- Accession Number
- ADA192534
Entities
People
- Jack E. Leonard
Organizations
- Air Command and Staff College