A0-AOG% 804 YOUNG IARUR) AND CC VASINGTON DC F/s IiAN hI~NAO KNAAWQI STUY FOR #EADWARTE3I OVARMSN OP-aTeC WJUN TO PD93-7-C-0463

WICLASSIIID FINuuumuW pnmhMENhmONmh[l

SECURITY CLASSiFiCA1IOw OF T,41S PAGE '1

Dwoe Entered)

REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Eo CMLTNFR41. REPORT N UMB ER %GV CESO EIiN' AAO JU-

4. _TITL (and Subtitle) S YEO EOT E:0 OEE

An Information Management Study for~iJD.. Study Repwt. Oct 1 78-/Department of the Army. Phase lExecutive A .J2 n L79Summary, S. PERFORMING ORG. REPORT NUMBER

1"N . AUTHOR(s)a S. CONTRACT OR "~ANT NUMBER(@)

- Arthur Young & Company *~MDA 903-78-C-0483 --0C411 S. PIERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS 10. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT. TASK

I Arthur Young & Company

105Cnetiu0vneN M-HQDA, Assistant Chief of Staff for Automation Jun 12, 1979and Communications, DAAC-ZA IL. NUMBER OFPAGES~~- ,Washington, DC 20310 24 \

IMONITORING AGENCY NAME A AOORESS(I1 different bass CankwlilreE 0111cc) IS., SECURITY CLASS. (of thle t-OP.0fr

Ii, ..~..~.- /UNCLASSIFIEDIII --- . ECL ASS#IFICATI ON/ODOWN GRADING

19. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT (ofthlis Report)

SAMIS. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

o..9I. KEY WORDS (Continue an reverse aid a it nacoaainy and identify by block rnumber)Information Management, Infoimation Resource Management, Metadata,

C-1) "Managing Information as a Resource"

U... M4 AMTRACT (Citb.- m. ,w .*5 -Ed-o IV --- W W dify 6Y block num'br

COD The e~cecutive summary contains the major findings on management of automatedinf*pfation at Headquarters, Department of the Army (HQDA), the proposed

C= appro ch to managing automated information in an elven point overall programand contains the authors'.eight recommendations for HQDA to.-establish aninformation resource management program for HQDA.

DD,~P 43 EDITION OF I NOV 65 IS OBSOLETEggC~ PVV CL A Th)YgW~pAE (Uwgn Does Enterd/A 1

Executive Summary

-r 7I

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Informationl/ is a valuable resource of Headquarters, Deoartnentof the Army (HQOA). Specificaliy, information is essential to:

Effective planning to achieve Army mission goals,

• Efficient execution of the plans, and

• Appropriate feedback from the execution into the planning process.

As the recognition of the value and cost of information increases inthe Army, the effective management of this resource becomesincreasingly important to HQDA.

In Headquarters, DA information is often regarded as a "freegood", something which can be reolicated wherever it is to be used orcollected whenever it is needed. However, information is costly tocollect, process, store, and maintain even though such costs are iotalways explicitly identified.

The cost of information is particularly evident in dealing withautomated systems because of the high capital investment in AD?equipment and the cost of software development. HQOA does not currentlymanage its automated information effectively. The result is that eventhough the size, number, and cost of HQDA automated information systemsare increasing, Headquarters decision-makers find that they stillcannot get all the information they need in a timely or consistentmanner.

Managing information as an organizational resource can helD HODAidentify and control the costs associated with supplying informationfor more effective decision-making. In the course of our study wehave determined a need in HQDA for improvements in the management ofits automated information. We recommend that HQOA adopt the view oFtreating information as a resource and proceed with the develoomentof a program for information resource management. We believe thatsuch a program can contribute significantly to the effective manaqementof HQDA.

This Phase I Executive Summary outlines our findings concerningthe need in HQDA for a consolidated program for information managementand presents our recommended conceptual approach to managing theautomated information resource. In the next section of this reportwe present an overview of the project goals and objectives. Thisoverview is followed by a summary of the study findings and majorinformation issues, a brief description of an information resourcemanagement program, and our recommendations regarding establishingsuch a program in HQDA.

*1/In the context of this report, the term "information" encompasses" ESth processed and unprocessed data as represented in a variety of

formats and storage media.

1 3

1. PROJECT OVERVIEW

The goal of this study is to develop the policy, the conceots anddirections, the administrative methodologies and procedures, and anorganizational approach for use by the Department of the krmy inaccomplishing the management of automated information within HQOA andits supporting Data Processing Installations (DPIs). The soecificobjectives of this study are:

1 "Determination of the requirements for effective automatedinformation management among the HQDA organizationalelements,

- Development of an information resource management (IRM)program to manage effectively HQDO's automated informationresources

Development of an information administration structure andthe necessary policies and procedures required to administerthe program,

Development of a time-phased plan for implementing the IRMprogram.

The study is divided into two phases: Phase I - ProgramRequirements Definition and Phase II - Program Implementation Plannina.In Phase I we have concentrated on determining the requirements for >information management and have developed the conceptual frameworkfor a program for managing the automated information resources ofHeadquarters, DA. In Phase II we propose to develop the program ingreater detail and recommend a long-range approach for implementation.

In order to understand the impact and direction of therecommendations developed in this report, it is important to clearlyrecognize the limited scope of the study:

The goal of Phase I, as reflected in this report, is thedevelopment of a concept for managing information for HQDA.In Phase II we shall develop the program in detail.

. The objective of the study is the formulation of a plan formanaging automated information in HQDA, not the developmentof a HQDA automated management information system.

The reviews of current HQDA operations were conducted inthis study to allow Arthur Young & Company to determine whatis needed and what is feasible for managing HQDA's automateAinformation resource, not to evaluate individual systems oractivities.

2

The study has been limited to automated information uiel byHQDA and its supporting DPs. Our recommendations areoffered with this restriction in mind.

Considering the size and complexity of Army ooerations, themanagement structure, and the impact of its decisions, th*? Armv neeisto bave the best information available for decision-making. Ff ectivemanagement of information entails understanding what -lata is available,keeping track of where the data is, and knowing who is resoonsible forit. in large organizations such as the Headquarters, Deoartment ofthe Army, this is extremely difficult. Each individual Staff Agencyis capable of managing its own data, but there is no explicit managementof the data that flows among the agencies. Furthermore, the individualagencies each manage their own data in different ways, making thecorrelation of data at higher levels difficult or impossible. Who hasaccess to the data, who actually uses the data, under what conditionsis the data valid, when can it be released by an organization, whencan it be removed or changed, how can it be shared among organizations,and how much does it cost to collect, store, and process the data areall questions relevant to the management of the information resource.

Such questions are, at best, difficult and, sometimes, impossibleto answer consistently across HQDA. And yet, the answers to suchquestions are central to information sharing, improved managementreporting, and more effective decision-making. To accomplish thisobjective, we believe HQDA must establish an effective program forinformation resource management.

Information resource management is an approach predicated on thephilosophy that information is a basic resource in its own right andsomething which can be managed effectively through the aoolicaticn oftraditionally sound business practices. The view of information asan item of economic worth, with measurable characteristics, and whichis capable of being planned, budgeted, and accounted for is fundamentalto the improved management of information.

Viewing information as a resource of HQDA provides some advantagesin the management of information:

A horizontal view of information across functional areas tomaintain a HQDA perspective

A coordinated approach to resolving inter-organizationaldifferences in the definition of the characteristics ofinformation

The fixing of responsibilities throughout HQDA pertainingto information collection, definition, manipulation,reporting, and retention

A mechanism for identifying and controlling informationredundancies and inconsistencies.

(3

This view does not necessarily imoly that a single person ororganization should be placed in charge of all information for H'or that the various functional agencies should relinquish control overtheir individual data bases. What is implied is the need forcoordination and cooperation in the management of information for thebenefit of HQDA as a whole.

Exhibit I presents the conceptual information resourcenvironment and identifies three communities in relation to it. Theinformation resource management community is responsible for thedefinition, description, and location of the information while theinformation resource handling community is responsible for thehardware, software, and telecommunications involved in the acquisition,processing, and transmission of information. The information resourceuser community includes the mission-oriented organizations which outthe information to use and define the requirements for it. Thisinformation resource environment does not currently exist inHeadquarters, DA. There is, in fact, no central leadershio or directionin the information management domain.

Information resource management does not imaly a single, all-inclusive integrated data base of every data element used by HQD4.Such a massive HQDA data base is probably not technologically feasiblenor organizationally desirable. Further, it is not necessary to theimplementation of information resource management. What is necessaryis the establishment of special types of data bases which containinformation describing the characteristics of the individual databases and files of the Staff Ngencies. This special tyoe of data aboutdata is termed metadata and is essential to the management ofinformation.

2. STUDY FINDINGS AND ISSUES

Our study analysis was based upon an extensive data collectionmethodology as illustrated in Exhibit 2. We have used this data toidentify the need and to develop a conceptual program for managingautomated information as a HQDA organizational resource. During ourdata gathering activities we identified several issues which are ofmajor concern to HQDA with regard to information management. Theseissues are shown in Exhibit 3 and discussed briefly in the paragraohswhich follow.

(1) Limited sharing of information among Staff Aqencies and DPIsresults in redundant reporting requirements for the fieldand increased data processing costs.

HQDA is concerned about the perceivei excessive andredundant reporting requirements imposed on the field. There arenumerous instances, such as with personnel and financial data,where essentially the same information is reported uo throughparallel, but distinct channels to HQDA. This information maythen be used by the various Staff Aqencies to manage their

4

V f

-z

I LU

U4

>wZ > /a Z

Lu w

U3 w

(n LLU 4 Z CA

E 4.4 CA

CLUALU Accession

zz

Djj(AD( Lu/

EXHIBIT 2

MI= 1 1 ,4 ..

l i t"-A

C D

le 1. Atl :-.

iAli

>0 A

0 0 * ai! "-4 - 1 j.~:!

ioi : -="- Nl i

I" ~4- ''' - 4°-.

; il0 u' ==

I ' .

. . . ... .. ..

" ...At

1wI

,2~ illlli=i

-- , 1 .

"" ' '"!'--- I I =-

.4

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .! - -" I - _ = 's,

y w

EXHIBIT 3

- LJJ U.

C w Z U. -

- R- L, ..

c.. U. ca

z < Z < <

- < aU2 <

Cn <

wzz < >~cc0 z z< -u (0 < aL z. U.

U) LI z< >

< X" ~ 10

n duaI zro~rans ut fer. ~ not shared azr~s ==r

a r ea s HQD A 1 ac~s a r e fe ct e -lec- 3 r, ~r -7, 7,r~ ncontrli.ng the costs ass ca-e wih t e recov i " 7

Afeld as wel as it own -Zff nenc e a -07s.

31 Lack of a central information locator ser':ice for a: .information inhibits timeiv response for action jtes.

A large part of an Action Officer's time in work :ic an actionis spent in determining where relevant information might be foundwithin HQDA. There is no central reference service in HPDA whio.can rapidly direct an Action Officer to possible sources o4relevant automated information. The OPTIMIS system is one nDoiwhich has been developed to assist Action Officers in identini,-previous action recorts. However, OPTIMIS often does not conraosufficient information to permit a comolete resoonse to an acn.;'.Thus, an information network of Action Officers has evol':'which. an experienced Action Officer attemots to locate theapprooriate data via telephone calls to other staff -enhe-.Given the long learning curve associate., with this formi

tne .n o rma t i C- r -- ''- - v.

'Dr Dut of sync- ~ c p~~7t37t~~correct. T-e san -- --- -C- r

for msg9.ded ;- -. ns.

(5] Current HQDA automated manaceoent 3n-rmatlon s.*.-not Dro,;iJe sufficient suPcort for analys s o 3 7a7en-alternatives.

N common exercise on the 9QDA -Staff concerns letnr-1ni-.the impact of selected changes in the militarv -nironT,7_ ::as budget cuts or mobiljzation. These "what " nv7e L ( -are common on the Staff, but t-e currt : D'reatired informat7on is slow and frecuennlv 71res o-nsi.:e.:nformation to suocor- these analvses oce r e : -

mf nanual processes or e subDect of larte stdelaborate, speca!I, bu it models. A substantial :ost emthese exercises is the location of aoorooriate information -nothe interoretation of this data across systems and! -rta'.

(6) Because no single HQDA organization has been assice teoverall coordinatinq responsibili ': for automatedinformati:n manaaement the Staff Acencies and Ps are_stablisr.uo their own information manaceme n- rccram.

The activities pertinent to the management of automated.nformation as a resource are described in the next section DIthis summary. Some of these activities are currently beinaperformed in several Staff kgencies and some are not beinooerformed at all. The responsiblity for establishing oolicv withregard to the management of automated information is distributedamong ACSAC, TAG, COA, the Computer Systems Command, and the;arious Staff Agencies and DPIS. No one is currently in charoeof information management, and the agencies, oerceivina a lac ofdirection, are proceeding to develop localized, indeoendentsolutions to their information management oroblems. There 1zlittle consistency among these efforts, and what -ODA informationoolicies do exist are not followed uniformly. These individualsolutions, if left uncoordinated, will result in furtherinformation conflicts and inhibited information sharing.

(7) Anticipated increases in inter-DPI data flows cannotadequately be handled by the current HQDA, telecommunicationscapability.

The dynamic nature of the HQDA environment is causingLncreased demands for data by other agencies in addition to theDPI's functional proponent. DPI managers envision ever increasingrequests for data, but the DPIs do not have sufficient automatedtelecommunication interfaces to supoort this increased demand.

AA

o toe .::er-aP c i . J 3 Str-, O - -Ztof magnetic ries Or nar COv recorts. !nf:rna,:i.r sh

.'ca ', azdresso- on s :ase-ov-case baS1 s3 th3t tte .:.-robim of comm:nicatini large v7Ol-, es' o4 3aa -Iono Dn[1 3I:scured.

The common theme among these issues indi:ates a concon znover the effectiveness of the current aooroach to managino _nformar-i.nand a widespread recognition that a new aporoach is required.Typically, HQDA management today focuses on the logistics of handinoinformation and not on the management of the information itself. Hence,there are organizations responsible for data processing,communications, word processing, forms management, reports control,records retention, etc. But these activities, while necessary, tenAto focus on the medium of the information and not on the informa-ioni tself.

Information is one of four fundamental resources of 9eadouarter,Deoartment of the Army: people, money, equi:oent, and information.9QDA is currently organized around the management of plans, svste-slife cycles, supoorting services, and 1rmy resources. In the area oiresource management there are agencies resconsible for managingpersonnel (ODCSPER), finances (OCOA), and equipment (ODC1LOG), bu!_here is no single organization clearly responsible for rnanaqingnformation as a resource.

Information resource management is concerned with the knowle9eand management of the composition, description, acauisition,lissemination, and flow of data or information where the informationis held to be a resource of the entire organization. This does notiiply that the management of these activities requires the executionof these functions by a single organization, nor that informationresource management will control the collection, processing, orreporting of information to the exclusion of the individual StarAgencies. These activities may be performed at many locationsthroughout HQDA, but there is the need for some consistent directionand guidance.

The full benefits of information resource management are lonq-range in perspective. The realization of some of these benefits mayrequire several years to develop fully. However, immediate substantialbenefits may be obtained earlier through implementation of IRMpolicies, procedures, and methodologies which will result in areduction of redundant collection, processing, and storage of data.In addition, near-term improvements in the utility of existing databases for multiple users can also be expected. The total impact ofIRM will be seen as new information systems are developed and installedor as older systems are upgraded or replaced.

7

ALr

:? INFGIRMA:--.I o) P 'Z -11 p GX CC r .11:' 7 .

The requirements for informa:ion manageTen7: at jQD 3n~~tneed for an information resource managenent prouram :Rkip to a-iressthese issues. Such a Program -dll include:

An information management philosophy which must become anintegral part of HQDA's management approach

A set of policies and procedures to impart the ohilosoohvand to govern the program

An organizational structure to develop, implement, monitor,and execute the procedures and the orogram itself

A set of tools to assist the develooment, implementation,monitoring, and execution process.

We have identified 11 activities which are relevant to themanagement of information as a resource of HQDA. These activities arepresented in Exhibit 4 and summarized in the followinq paraqraohs.

(1) Information Policy Development and Promulqation

A key concept of information resource management is thedevelopment and promulgation of a consistent set of policies forHQDA with regard to information and information management.Basically, these policies relate to the remaining 10 activitiesof the information resource management program listed below.There is no single source of information policy in HQDA, today.Several agencies have a portion of this responsibility, including

ACSAC, TAG, and the individual Staff Agencies themselves.

(2) Review and Coordination of Information Systems Planning

The vertical orientation of current HQODA information systemsplanning tends to focus on systems more than on the informationthey contain. There needs to be a horizontal view of informationsystems in HQDA which considers the potential use and availabilityof information among all of the agencies and organizations inHQDA. Such a horizontal view of information is rare in H004.

(3) Information Resource Education

One of the major benefits of the information resourcemanagement program is the ability to provide HQOD personnel withinformation on the location, description, use, and constraints ofthe data in the information resource. The development of suchan information locator service and the education of HQD personnelin the availability and use of the information resource is asignificant activity of the program. Little effort is now devoteito the information resource education function.

13

EXHiBIT 4

C

CD 0oz

z

2 C,z4 LUJo cn

0 r-

2 0 <S0 a

o 4 za w zw L . I

CLLU LU Z az

1LU to o LU Un Z LU 2U3 Y) u 0 N LU LU

LUw4 Z- 0 Z0 > uj LU 4 <

< 2a4 < -0 Z

S4LU z 04<0

.4) Information Resource Technoloa %ssess2en-.

information technology is a raiy chan-n and wfield. Nn important function of an information resourcemanagement program is the trackina and assessment of currenttechnol3gzcal trends and evelooments in inf3r-i- n mata ..While the assessment of equipment technoloqies may he betterconsidered an ADP function, there will be sufficient technolosiiand methodologies relevant to information resource management towarrant a specific function in the program devoted to theassessment of information resource technology. Currently, thisfunction is primarily addressed in the OPIs.

(5) Metadata Management

Metadata is data about data. Just as there is oersonneldata for the personnel resource or financial data for thefinancial resource, so too, is there metadata for the inf-rma-ionresource. The management of metadata is basic to develooinz anunderstanding of the contents and characteristics of theinformation resource. A metadata management system desilned tosupport IRM is critical to the effective and efficient executionof the program. Individual efforts at managinq metadata areunderway in several DPIs.

(6) Data Base Administration

Data Base Administration (OBA) is concerned with thetechnical design and maintenance of data bases used in informationsystems. Data Base Administration is a highly technical areawhich requires significant technical training. The DPls arebeginning to address the DBA function, but DBA skills are scarcewithin the Army today. Training, guidance, and assistance Oroqramswill need to be established as part of the information resourcemanagement program.

(7) Data Standardization

Data standardization is the development, maintenance, andenforcement of DA standard data element names, values, and codingschemes. The Army is currently pursuing a program in datastandardization under ACSAC, CSC, and the DPIs. A data standardsprogram is an integral and essential part of an informationresource management program.

(8) IRM Policy Compliance Audit

An important aspect of a program involving policies andstandards is the development of a process for auditing compliancewith that program. The auditors (e.g., the Tnspector General)will require sufficient technical training to determine policycompliance and sufficient authority and backing to insurecooperation in the audit process.

9

.4. _

(9) Forms Management

Forms management concerns the design and control of theempty forms to be used as input media to automated informationsystems. The management of forms addresses the possible use o4alternative forms, the consolidation of redundant forms, 3n!retention or purging of existing forms. Forms management orovidesa method for monitoring and controlling the information reoortingrequirements levied on the field. TAG is currently resoonsiblefor forms management, Army-wide.

(10) Records Management

Records management includes the management activitiesrelating to the creation, maintenance, and use of official records.An information resource management program is concerned withmonitoring and coordinating the information content of theserecords and managing the availability of official records forthe benefit of the entire organization. TAG is the orooonent forrecords management for the Army.

(11) Reports Management

Reports management involves the management of the reoortsproduced by HQDA's information systems. This function includestracking the need for continued production of (possibly outdated)reports and coordinating the development of new (possiblyredundant) reports. TAG currently runs the reports managementprogram for the Army.

a believe these 11 functions are basic to a program for managing theitomated information resources of HQDA. Many of these functions areaing performed in HQDA today, but they are lacking overall directionid a coordinated approach. We believe an information resourceanagement program can provide that direction and coordination.

STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS

We have developed the following recommendations for HQDA in3tablishing an initial program for information resource management.nese recommendations are summarized in Exhibit 5.

ECOMMENDATION 1: The concept of information as an organizationalresource should be recognized by HQDA managementand promulgated as Army policy.

Information is critical to the performance of ODA managerialinctions. To provide proper focus and direction for information3nagement at HQDA, we recommend that the concept of information as a3luable and expensive organizational resource be recognized by HODAanagement and promulgated as Army policy. The promotion of thisrganizational philosophy is needed so that managers throughout FOA

10

16

EXHIBIT 5

P~ige 1 of 2

u

0J =

U.1 LI0

0r - 0

O zC' L LL.

0 NZ 0

C ~ < zU)c z z

o no0.< z zc

~~LLU0 M

< 1 c) z

ci~~~ Na 0 L~s-. ZI > zc

U.j 0 ZCw 0 U LCO< qA >> LL-

I-c9< i-1 40 z1_0 Su 6 0

>(L

4q I -

EXHIBIT 5Page 2 of 2

cn

m9 z

Z U.1

I.-14 00 >

N U.1 Z~ 21

0 0 ~ I-U10 P >

a- DLU - 0 -jiriC

n Jceveiocp :2e -erscecte nec-ess ary :r ti-e ies~' 7nY 1 ~ tf nforaton resorce 7anagement.

RECOMMENDATION 2: Too manaaement commitment and SuPPort s.o'!. egiven to tne development of 3n inLtort31tio-resource management-oroaram.

The implementation of any new orogram cutting acrossorganizational lines will fail without oositive and continuinmanagement backing. Recent initiatives in the NDP and infor-ationmanagement areas at HQDA, although offering the potential for imorov'nomanagement and organization effectiveness and efficiency, have no,been fully implemented. To realize the full benefits of 1RM an' -establish and maintain proper program direction, we recomrnen! that tcommitment and support of the Army Staff be given to the develoomentof an information resource management program.'

RECOMMENDATION 3: An evolutionary aooroach should be followed inthe development of the IRM program.

The implementation of the IRM program at MQD4 should not berevolutionary, but rather must be built on existing informationmanagement activities. Many of the functions relevant to '?M arecurrently being performed in a number of locations throughout QDA,but there is a lack of coordination among the activities, especialivacross Staff Agencies. There is also a lack of focus on managinqinformation as a resource, i.e., from a horizontal view. Instead, aconcentration exists on managing systems in a vertical fashion witha view of information as an integral part of each system. The resul_is the local optimization of information definition and reoresenrtationto achieve Staff Agency missions.

We recommend that the IRM program at HQDA be evolutionary innature. Initially, the concept must be established with sufficientresources to assure its growth. Too broad an objective at the outset,however, could prove fatal to the program by forcing change too raoily.A gradual controlled transition will be necessary over a period of,perhaps, 5-10 years. The transition must be directed or focused by anorganization or group of leaders with a long-term perspective: peoplewho can coordinate the ongoing and future development of informationsystems, but who can also achieve the shorter term benefits to ensuresuccess.

RECOMMENDATION 4: Automated information systems at HQDA should beused as the starting point for the implementationof the IRM program.

The overall success of the IRM program will be directly deoendenton its ability to demonstrate improvements in the early stages ofprogram development. A comprehensive program addressing all aspectsof information management would require major organizational andtechnological changes, and may encounter much resistance by 9QDz 1ta F

(11@

Agencies. Many management programs nav? faIed in th~e oast beciis?of the setting of over ambitious and unachivable oroaram :oals aniobjectives in their initial years of Jevelooment.

'We recommend that automated information systems at !ODA be us-Aas the starting point for the imnlementation of an IRM orooram. wthis more narrow focus, the information management staff canconcentrate on specific areas which will bring about the greatestreturn in terms of information improvement during the first severalyears of operation. There are already well-defined tools to assistin the management of automated information, and certain doctrines andconcepts relating to automated data bases and data administration arealready established. Further, metadata about automated information ismore readily available. This gradual implementation approach beqinninawith automated information is also compatible with the develooment ofalternatives for addressing the full spectrum of information, bothaitomated and manual. The IRM program for automated information coul-be used as a baseline for the development of a H.QDA or Nrmy-wile lonqrange plan for information resource management.

RECOMMENDATION 5: The development of the HQODA automated !RM orogramshould proceed in Phase II following thedistributed organizational aoproach.

We have defined the HQDA requirements for an IRM program forautomated information. Three organizational alternatives wereidentified and evaluated. These alternatives were:

Centralization of authority and responsibility at thehighest common point in HQDA to insure an efficient andeffective program

Distribution of operational aspects of IRM authority andresponsibility with centralization of information policyand some HQDA-wide information management activities.

Decentralization of authority and responsibility as closeas possible to the level of HQDA where the information isused; coordination of inter-functional area concerns wouldbe accomplished through an Oversight Committee.

Our assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of eachalternative, the demonstrated needs of HQDA, and the currentorganizational environment have led to our recommendation of adistributed approach which is a hybrid of the classical centralizedand decentralized approaches. The basic philosophy of this approachis analogous to that of distributed processing: Locate the work atthe level in the organization which is best suited to perform the task.We have developed the essential philosophy and concepts of thedistributed approach in Phase I of our study. In Phase TI we shallproceed with the detailed definition of the selected approach and thespecification of an implementation plan for installing informationresource management at HQDA.

12

20

the TRM croaram -r include non-autzmatedinformation after t--e basic rr. .establs-shed.

Our studi "aso fcused on evelopin; a croz;rr for -automated infortaton resource o' HQD. utomated infora-:ion is oni vone subset of the overall information resources of +1Z). -he conceotsof information management are equally applicable to non-autom3tedinformation and should be considered irresoective of the meimi onwhich the information is collected, stored, transmitted, or reoorted.Any future program development should consider the limitedorganizational scope of the present study. Much of the data receiveiby HQDA is submitted by field commands and operating agencies.Extension of the scope of the program beyond HQD% can facilitate thesubmission of this data.

We recommend that full consideration be given to the extensDnof the IRM program to include non-automated information as well as,nformation management ,olicies which are applicable to all Armv

activities. The early focusing of scope is commensurate with the long-term evolutionary approach to IRM by defining an achievable butimportant first step to serve as a prototype. The IRM program for.iQDA has been carefully designed so that future extensions of scooeare possible. It should also be pointed out that the growing trendtowards more and more automation in the Army implies that informationconsidered beyond the scope of this effort today may well be automatedand, hence, within the program scope in the near future. There is alsothe likelihood that an effective information resource managementprogram at qQDA will foster similar, related programs throughout Dzas well.

RECOMMENDATION 7: Consideration should be given by QTDA toomanagement to the placement of authority andassignment of responsibilities in establishingthe IRM orogram.

The management of the information resource must be accomolishedin a way that assists the various Staff Agencies (and, thus, the fieliand installation commands) in meeting their missions and not as aprogram which merely regulates their actions. To achieve this aoalwill require extensive user involvement in the process of managingthe information resource. User responsibilities will need to beclearly defined and accepted. Proponents, consumers, and sources ofinformation will need to be integrated into the information resourcemanagement process and not relegated to merely a passive, complianceor recipient role.

Given the present organizational structure of QDA and itsassociated information management functions, one of the most criticaldecisions to be addressed by the Army Staff in this area is theplacement of authority and assignment of responsibilities for

13

I 2

information resource management. we recr-mend t-t :arcconsideration be :ven by HQD-% too -nanac:rent -hr7r. Tplacement of authority and assignment of scor'.establishment of an IRM program for 9QDA. )rganizati;nalmust include the blendinq of the right oarticia1:s at'right 3egree of authority and control. The successfu I .- -Tn 0e 7 :nmof the program will depend upon the proper perception an! suooor -the program by the Staff.

RECOMMENDATION 8: Particular emphasis should be olaced on makinoimprovements in the data element standards, dataresource directory, quality assurance, andinformation cost accounting areas.

There are a number of improvements which can be made at 9On2 thatare a part of the overall IRM program but which could be imolementedindependent of a decision to proceed with the levelooment o4 in T

program. These improvements are directed at specific oroblems t"arwere identified during the conduct of the study. These soecilic ar?3sinclude data element standards, data dictionaries and directories,quality assurance, and cost accounting for data. These areas, althouo'somewhat independent of a full information resource management orogram,are essential to the success of IRM. In particular, the imolementationof a distributed metadata management system is essential to 900A'smanagement of its complex information environment.

5. CONCLUSION

As a result of implementing these recommendations, we anticioa:ethe Army will gain substantial near-term and longer range benefits.Hbowever, it should be recognized that IRM is necessary, but not alonesufficient to achieve these benefits. To achieve these benefits IRMmust be integrated into the Army's existing management process. Thedefinition of this integration is the subject of Phase II of thisstudy. The benefits the Army should expect to obtain are:

(1) More Effective Operational Decision Making

HQDA can facilitate effective decision making by enhancingthe sharing of information across functional organizations.Critical HQDA decisions typically require the integration ofinformation, thus implying the need to know where relevantinformation can be found and the context under which it shouldbe interpreted. The management of information as a resource canlead to reduced data inconsistencies and the identification ofconditions relating to the currency and accuracy of theinformation.

(2) Improved Planning and Resource Management

Managing information as a resource of HQDA can improve theplanning and resource management orocess by providing more

1!

22

__A:

-IfDr -,a 1 c -~C S2 3~ n 3_ 7 7V rthe coor !nat-7 3f recor i-'.cr ent. Te res '-r e e wa s.e, :3 s, 32.s n 1 D effec1zve e X c -. tI t n 4f .T he fIex bitv or:Diled 'b' na n 1 -V %rmatiLn, 2s D co5

za~~ig "ss ems, :a7 o E ':

~fcourse, thie eim irmanagement program ill not be :witou:"os. The mr irv :.sroe that associated wth oersonnel to estiblis a 'a -zrogram. 4owever, many of the activi es o nor-atin :es7:r> snanagement can be staffed from existing spaces. "ha- is curre-t Ilacking is coordinated direction o fnf0rmation ;en" t ...... 'across the Staff Agencies.

I signif icant cost item for the Army will be the develooment Dcan information system to manage metadata throughout HQDA. Thedevelopment of a Data Resource Directory will require a substantialeffort (perhaps phased over several years), but such a system can beexpected to provide considerable savings in the form of reduced sta =ftime to locate relevant information, identification of potentiallycostly information redundancies, and improved effectiveness ofselecting relevant and timely information in conducting studies andactions.

More and more information can be expecte4 to be automated in theyears ahead. Continuation of the Army's current aporoach to informationmanagement can be expected to lead to still further oroblems Inawareness, responsiveness, and reutilization of information.Implementation of an information resource management orogram now canestablish the process of organizing and inventorying the bNrmv'sinformation to facilitate the transition to this environment ofautomated support for the decision making process and to orovite amechanism for controlling the costs of automated systems.

16

24j

DAT

FILMEI

ITI