DTIC ADA587737: Force Oriented Cost Information System (FOCIS) User's Manual

18.7 MB·English

by  Defense Technical Information Center

I N S T I T U T E F O R D E F E N S E A N A LY S E S
Force Oriented Cost Information
System (FOCIS) User’s Manual
James L. Wilson
Kenton G. Fasana
Charles V. Fletcher
Alexander O. Gallo
Timothy J. Graves
Kevin B. Mills
Harold W. Laughlin
David Tran
Wade P. Hinkle, Project Leader
January 2013
Approved for public release;
distribution unlimited.
IDA Document D-4318
Log: H 13-000041
INSTITUTE FOR DEFENSE ANALYSES
4850 Mark Center Drive
Alexandria, Virginia 22311-1882
About This Publication
This work was conducted by the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA)
under contract DASW01-04-C-0003,Task BA-6-2789, “Developing Management
Processes/Analyses of Defense Programs/Developing Democracies (DRMS),”
for the Office of the Director, Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE).
The views, opinions, and findings should not be construed as representing
the official position of either the Department of Defense or the sponsoring
organization.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Dr. Robert Zirkle and Mr. Jack Law for their
contributions to this final document; their comments materially improved
the paper and made it a much more helpful document for FOCIS Users. The
authors also wish to thank Mrs. Betsy MacCarthy for her effort in editing and
formatting the chapters and for keeping up with the progress of the document
from start to finish.
Copyright Notice
© 2013 Institute for Defense Analyses
4850 Mark Center Drive, Alexandria, Virginia 22311-1882 • [phone].
I N S T I T U T E F O R D E F E N S E A N A LY S E S
IDA Document D-4318
Force Oriented Cost Information
System (FOCIS) User’s Manual
James L. Wilson
Kenton G. Fasana
Charles V. Fletcher
Alexander O. Gallo
Timothy J. Graves
Kevin B. Mills
Harold W. Laughlin
David Tran
Wade P. Hinkle, Project Leader

Force-Oriented Cost Information System
(FOCIS)

User’s Manual

Executive Summary

This user’s manual describes the capabilities of the Force Oriented Cost Information System
(FOCIS) model and how it is used in a Defense Resource Management Study (DRMS)
program. The Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) was tasked to develop analytic
techniques to assist the DRMS program in formulating affordable multi-year plans for
countries needing improvement in their management practices. The work resulted in the
development of a computer model to help countries understand the relationships between
defense forces and costs.
What is FOCIS?
FOCIS is a computer application that is used to develop, evaluate, and track multi-year
defense program plans. FOCIS operates on personal computers running Microsoft XP or any
currently existing later operating system (VISTA or Windows 7), as a standalone application
or on an existing local area or wide area wired or wireless network.
The foundation of FOCIS is a user-entered, unit-level force structure database that can be
modified to reflect alternative defense planning strategies. FOCIS provides functions to
estimate the costs of the program plans. FOCIS also provides a suite of integrated analysis
tools that allow users to evaluate program resources using common defense analysis models
that can be constructed as combinations of missions, military functions, geographic locations,
and other taxonomies deemed useful.
FOCIS gives a country’s defense planners the ability to understand the total cost of
alternative program plans, to determine whether they are affordable, and to understand how
their resources are being used relative to national defense priorities.
How is the FOCIS Model used in Defense Resource Management?
FOCIS’s primary contribution to defense management is the linkage it provides between
physical resources, capabilities, and costs. The fundamental underlying concept of FOCIS is
that Units are the building blocks of military capability and those Units need resources to
produce these required military capabilities. By linking funding requirements to specific
defense military and administrative characteristics, defense establishments can better explain
their budget requests to their governments and establish a baseline for linking the use of
budget funds to performance indicators. When funding can be clearly related to the resources
and activities, it is easier for defense institutions to justify their requests, including increases
in budgets if they are needed to fulfill accepted government defense objectives.
It is the linking of Units (including personnel, equipment, and activity) with basic cost
relationships that gives FOCIS its primary power to support defense resource analysis and
decisions in ways that are not available with traditional defense management systems. FOCIS
iii
provides useful estimates of funding requirements at the individual Unit level where defense
capabilities are found. By associating costs with Units, users can gain insight into how
funding relates to missions and other ways of describing defense capabilities.
How the FOCIS Model is used in DRMS Studies
A modular approach for DRMS provides a four-phase, building block process to
management reform. The four phases are:
1. Assessment: DRMS begins with a detailed assessment of the current management
system, including force, resource, and budget planning activities to document how
well the existing system functions and identify opportunities for improvement.
During the Assessment phase, the DRMS team will investigate whether a resource
management model, such as FOCIS, could be useful in improving the efficiency of the
management system.
2. Preparation and Skill-Building: The next phase focuses on suggestions for
improving existing systems and procedures while concurrently preparing the host
country to implement new management processes and procedures. A critical part of
this phase involves identifying the personnel and organizational realignment needed
to implement the new processes, and assisting in development of specialized skills
and information systems. If the FOCIS model is selected for implementation for the
DRMS program, the model will be installed during the Skill-Building phase. User
training, data gathering, and validation of the FOCIS model will also occur during
this phase.
3. Implementation: The host country creates its first resource-constrained, multi-year
program and budget using the new processes and procedures. The host country
creates or adjusts management and implementation directives to align with necessary
changes. The FOCIS model will support the programming and budgeting process
during the Implementation phase.
4. Sustainment: Finally, a sustainment effort supports institutionalization of the defense
reform effort, primarily from an advisory role. FOCIS will become institutionalized
as part of the new management practices.
Other Defense Resource Management Studies (DRMS) Publications
This publication represents only a portion of the work that IDA has pursued with the DoD
regarding the DRMS program. The following publications document other aspects of IDA’s
work in this area.
Best Practices in Defense Resource Management. IDA Document D-4137. C. Vance Gordon,
Wade P. Hinkle. Alexandria, VA: Institute for Defense Analyses. January 2011.
Defense Resource Management Studies (DRMS): Introduction to Capability and Acquisition
Planning Processes. IDA Document D-4021. Mark E. Tillman, Alfred H. Gollwitzer,
iv
Gregory H. Parlier, Charles V. Fletcher, Wade P. Hinkle. Alexandria, VA: Institute for
Defense Analyses. August 2010.
Institute for Defense Analyses. “IDA Reading Guide: Planning, Programming and Budgeting
(PPBS), Multi-year Programming, Defense Resource Management” website.
http://www.readingguide.org/.
Planning, Programming, and Budgeting System (PPBS)/Multi-Year Programming Reading
Guide. IDA Document D-4057. Milton L. Tulkoff, C. Vance Gordon, Rachel D. Dubin,
Wade P. Hinkle. Alexandria, VA: Institute for Defense Analyses. September 2010.
User Manual for IDA Reading Guide Website Users. IDA Document D-4426. Milton L.
Tulkoff, Rachel D. Dubin, Wade P. Hinkle. Alexandria, VA: Institute for Defense
Analyses. January 2012.

v