DTIC ADA317343: Assessing the Performance of the Army Reserve Components School System.

160 Pages·6.1 MB·English

by  Defense Technical Information Center

Assessing the
Performance
of the
Army Reserve
School System
RAND
John D. Winkler
Michael G. Shanley
James C. Crowley
Roger A. Madison
Diane Green
J. Michael Polich
Paul Steinberg
Laurie McDonald
Arroyo Center
The research described in this report was sponsored by the United
States Army, Contract No. MDA903-91-C-0006.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Assessing the performance of the Army Reserve Components school
system / John D. Winkler ... [et al.].
p. cm.
"Arroyo Center."
"Prepared for the United States Army."
"MR-590-A."
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-8330-2377-2 (alk. paper)
1. United States. Army—Reserves. 2. Military education—
United States—Evaluation. I. Winkler, John D., 1953-
II. Arroyo Center. III. United States. Dept. of the Army.
UA42.A74 1996
355.3'7'0973—dc20 96-18922
CIP
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Assessing the
Performance
of the
Army Reserve
Components
School System
John D. Winkler
Michael G. Shanley
James C. Crowley
Roger A. Madison
Diane Green
J. Michael Polich
Paul Steinberg
Laurie McDonald
Prepared for the United States Army
RAND
Arroyo Center
Approved for public release; distribution unlimited
PREFACE
The U.S. Army is launching a series of initiatives to streamline and
consolidate its extensive system of schools, including institutions
that serve both the active and reserve forces. The eventual aim is to
develop a Total Army School System (TASS) that would be more effi-
cient and integrated across the Active Component (AC) and the
Army's two Reserve Components (RC), which include the Army Na-
tional Guard (ARNG) and the U.S. Army Reserve (USAR).
Prominent among these initiatives is a prototype regional school sys-
tem the Army is establishing and testing in the southeastern region of
the United States during fiscal years 1994 and 1995. This report pro-
vides a baseline description of the RC training system and an outline
of how the prototype may affect the range of problems described by
the data. It provides a starting point for assessing school system
performance and observing how this changes in response to restruc-
turing initiatives. The results should be of interest to policymakers
and analysts concerned with defense manpower and training.
The research was sponsored by the Deputy Commanding General,
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, and was conducted in
the Arroyo Center's Manpower and Training Program. The Arroyo
Center is a federally funded research and development center spon-
sored by the United States Army.
CONTENTS
Preface in
Figures ix
Tables xi
Summary xv
Acknowledgments xxi
Abbreviations xxiii
Chapter One
INTRODUCTION 1
Army Institutional Training: Context and Definitions.... 2
Structural Changes in the Army School System 4
Concept for a Total Army School System 5
Evolution of the TASS Prototype 6
Research Objective 7
Research Approach 7
Identifying the Critical Areas for Assessment 7
Specifying Quantifiable Measures 8
Collecting Data 8
Report Organization 10
Chapter Two
TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AND DELIVERY 13
Background 13
Research Questions 16
Data Sources and Definitions 17
Key Findings 19
vi Assessing the Performance of the Army Reserve Components School System
Overview 19
The DMOSQ Training Requirement Is Sizable 20
RCTIs Can Serve Only a Small Part of the DMOSQ
Training Requirement 24
The NCOES Training Requirement Is Potentially
Larger 30
RCTIs Can Meet the Promotion-Based, But Not the
Backlog-Based, Part of the NCOES Requirement 36
Utilization of Training Capacity Can Be Improved 41
Chapter Three
QUALITY OF TRAINING 43
Background 43
Research Questions 44
Research Approach and Data Sources 45
Comparison Regions 46
Sample of Schools and Courses 46
Data-Collection Methods 50
Key Findings 52
Overview 52
Current AT Instructors Meet Qualifications Standards. . 54
Problems Exist in Obtaining Enough Qualified
Instructors 57
Courseware Is a Major Problem 59
Other Support Problems Impede Quality Training 62
Overall, Courses Were Conducted to TRADOC
Standards 65
Chapter Four
RESOURCES AND COSTS OF TRAINING 69
Background 69
Research Approach 71
ResourceAreas 72
Funding Sources 73
Interaction Between ResourceAreas and Funding
Sources • • • 74
School Type 74
Research Questions 75
Performance Indicators 75
Data Sources 76
Key Findings 78
Contents vii
Overview 79
RCTI Training Is Personnel-Driven 80
TDA Authorizations and Unit Training Dollars Account
for Most System Resources 81
The Net-Dollar Cost of Training Is Small, But Changes
Could Be Expensive 82
Unit Training Dollars Fund Most of Student Costs 83
The Use of AT Training Is Increasing 84
TDA Authorizations Fund Most Costs of Training
Manpower 86
TDA Man-Days Are Structured Differentiy by the
Different School Types 86
The Use of TDA Versus Borrowed and Purchased
Man-days Differs Significantly by School 87
Supplementing Manpower Can Be Efficient
Up To a Point 89
The Net-Dollar Cost of O&S Mission Support
Is Smaller 90
Most O&S Funds Are Centrally Managed and
Not Identifiable to the Schools 92
The Current Extent of Equipment Borrowing
MayNotBe Efficient 93
The Net-Dollar Cost of Installation Support Is Small ... 94
Installation Costs Are Not Identifiable to the Schools .. 94
Most Schools Use Multiple Sites for Primary Training
Areas 95
Sources of Inefficiency in RCTI Training 96
RC Training Uses More Support Days Than AC
Training 98
Specialized RCTIs Use Less Training Manpower
per Student Day Than Multifunctional Schools 99
Regional NCOAs and RTS-Ms Benefit from More
Centralized and Well-Established Support
Arrangements 100
SMAs Have a High Training Manpower Days
per Student Day Ratio 101
Low-Organic SMAs Use More Training Than
High-Organic Ones 102
Conclusions About Efficiency 103
viii Assessing the Performance of the Army Reserve Components School System
Chapter Five
IMPLICATIONS 105
Systemic Problems Affecting the RC School System 105
Problems the Prototype Can Address 106
Remaining Problems and Potential Means to Address
Them 107
Getting More (Right) Students to School 108
Investing to Maintain Courseware Quality and Improve
Its Distribution 109
Recruiting and Training Qualified Instructors 110
Managing and Supporting IDT Ill
Achieving the Right Amount and Mix of Training
Manpower 112
Tracking Training System Resources 113
Integrating AC and RC Training Systems 114
Appendix: EXAMPLE SURVEY INSTRUMENTS 115
References 137
FIGURES
4.1. Process for RC Institutional Training 71
4.2. Total Cost of RCTI Training in Regions C and E
by Resource Area 81
4.3. Total Cost of RC Training in Regions C and E
by Resource Area and Funding Source 82
4.4. Ratio of Support Days to Student Days
by Type of RCTI 100
TABLES
1.1. RCTIs in Regions C and E 11
2.1. Data Elements and Sources 18
2.2. Enlisted Personnel Requirements, Authorizations,
On-Hand, and Assigned Drilling Reservists 19
2.3. DMOSQ Training Requirement by Component 21
2.4. DMOSQ Reclassification Requirement by Duty Skill
Level 22
2.5. DMOSQ Training Requirement by Unit Priority
Status 23
2.6. DMOSQ Training Requirement by TASS Functional
Area 24
2.7. Availability of RC3 and Course Offerings for
Reclassification Training by TASS Functional Area ... 26
2.8. DMOSQ Training Requirement by Functional Area .. 27
2.9. RCTI DMOSQ Capacity Utilization for AT/ADT
by Functional Area . . . 28
2.10. RCTI DMOSQ Production for AT/ADT
by Functional Area 29
2.11. NCOES Requirements 30
2.12. FY94 E-4 Through E-6 Promotions by Component
and Grade 32
2.13. Promotions and Completions of NCOES by
Component and Grade 33
2.14. Backlog-Based NCOES Requirements by Component
and Grade 34
2.15. FY94 NCOES Requirements by Component and
Course 35