Social Sciences: Economics and Cost Analysis

A Gap Analysis of Life Cycle Management Commands and Best Purchasing and Supply Management Organizations

Jan 2013

147 pages

Authors: Nancy Y Moore; Mark Y Wang; Carol E Fan; Clifford A Grammich; RAND ARROYO CENTER SANTA MONICA CA

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To help it improve its implementation of best purchasing and supply management practices, the Army asked RAND Arroyo Center to compare the implementation of these practices by the Army Materiel Command (AMC) to those of leading commercial enterprises. We then identify areas where AMC can expand its implementation of best purchasing and supply management practices. To do this, we first reviewed and synthesized the academic and business literature on best ...

Army Networks: Size and Scope of Modernization Investment Merit Increased Oversight

Jan 2013

48 pages

Authors: Belva M Martin; William R Graveline; William C Allbritton; Marcus C Ferguson; Kristine Hassinger; Sean Seales; Robert S Swierczek; Paul Williams; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

For nearly 20 years, the Army has had limited success in developing an information network sensors, software, and radios to give soldiers the exact information they need, when they need it, in any environment. Such a network is expected to improve situational awareness and decision making in combat. Under its network modernization strategy, the Army is implementing a new agile process intended to leverage industry technology solutions. The Army estimates ...

What Is the Potential Impact on the Department of Defense (DOD) Military Treatment Facility (MTF) Pharmacies due to the Increased Copays and the Disenrollment of a Retail Pharmacy from the TRICARE Network?

14 Dec 2012

143 pages

Authors: Veronica L Hager; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS

The Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented an increase in Triple Option Benefit Plan Available for Military Families (TRICARE) copayments, which DoD military personnel and their dependents will pay if they use the TRICARE Retail Network Pharmacies and the TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery system. Another change is that the Walgreens retail pharmacy is no longer in the TRICARE Retail Pharmacy Network, so DoD military personnel and their dependents will no ...

The United States' Vulnerability to Coercion by China in the Rare Earths Market

14 Dec 2012

97 pages

Authors: William D Hobbs; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS

This thesis looks at the importation of rare earth elements, which are considered vital to the security of the United States and are used to manufacture products for the U.S. defense industry. The purpose of the thesis is to answer the primary research question: Has the United States allowed itself to be placed in a position within the world economy that makes it vulnerable to coercion by another world actor, ...

United States Military Support to American Strategic Goals in the Philippines

14 Dec 2012

101 pages

Authors: James R Coughlin; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS

Treaties and agreements for mutual support and defense link the United States and the Philippines. This relationship traces back to Manila Bay in 1898. In the years since 1898, the United States' role in the relationship between the two nations has transitioned from occupier, to defender, to liberator, to colonial power, to coexistent partners. Each nation has strategic goals that it would like to accomplish in its relationship with one ...

Strategic Resource Dependence, Conflict, and Implications for U.S. National Security Policy in the Twenty-First Century

14 Dec 2012

103 pages

Authors: David W Mayfield; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS

The purpose of this study was to examine technological strategic resource dependence, its potential for conflict in the 21st century, and subsequent influences on United States national security policy. In particular, the study explored whether the belief that nations are in a constant state of armed conflict over strategic resources, or preparing for such conflict, is substantiated. To gain insight into this issue, the study explored five interrelated concepts within ...

Exploring the Effects of Demographic, Economic, and Social Factors on China's Economy

14 Dec 2012

109 pages

Authors: Timothy J Woodruff; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS

This thesis examines demographic, social, and economic factors in China and their effect on China's economic growth. The thesis uses Michael Porter's economic development model and various economic indicators to compare China's economic growth from 1978 to 2011 to Japan's economic growth from 1945 to 1978, and to the United States' economic growth from 1919 to 1952. The purpose of this analysis is to identify whether China will become a ...

Anti-Corruption Measures: Persistent Problems Exist in Monitoring Bulk Cash Flows at Kabul International Airport

11 Dec 2012

8 pages

Authors: SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION ARLINGTON VA

The international community, including the U.S. government, has long held serious concerns about the flow of cash out of the Kabul International Airport (KBL). According to the Congressional Research Service, an estimated $4.5 billion was taken out Afghanistan in 2011. While large cash movements are typical in Afghanistan because it is a cash-based economy, these bulk cash flows raise the risk of money laundering and bulk cash smuggling tools often ...

Risk Assessment of Readiness and Life Cycle Cost for Weapon Systems

07 Dec 2012

34 pages

Authors: Keebom Kang; Kenneth H Doerr; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY

Given an acceptable level of military performance, arguably the two most important criteria for weapon systems performance are readiness (operational availability, or Ao) and life-cycle cost (LCC). These two criteria are in conflict: one may maximize Ao by increasing LCC or minimize LCC by degrading Ao. In this paper, we develop a model to analyze risk factors associated with this bi-criterion problem. To analyze the impact of input factors on ...

Historical Review of U.S. Foreign Aid as a Tool of Foreign Policy in Israel and Egypt During 1952-1969

06 Dec 2012

38 pages

Authors: Lai M Lee; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED MILITARY STUDIES

Foreign aid is considered a continuation of diplomacy by other means and a tool of foreign policy. However, in the current lean economic times, the competition for limited budgetary resources is fierce and the effectiveness of U.S. foreign aid at projecting U.S. influence is hotly debated within the government and the American public. This research examines the use of foreign aid as a U.S. foreign policy tool in Egypt and ...

Revolution in Egypt and the Potential for a New Suez Crisis

06 Dec 2012

79 pages

Authors: Robbin A Hafen; ARMY COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLL FORT LEAVENWORTH KS SCHOOL OF ADVANCED MILITARY STUDIES

What is the probability for renewed conflict in the Sinai region in light of Egypt's recent revolution? This monograph examines that question by analyzing Nasser's Free Officer revolution of the 1950s that led to the 1956 Suez Crisis (Nasser era) and the recent 2011 Egyptian revolution (Muslim Brotherhood era). The monograph uses a comparative case study methodology to analyze both revolutionary environments against political, economic, social, and military variables. A ...

An Analysis of Aviation Maintenance Operations and Supporting Costs, and Cost Capturing Systems

04 Dec 2012

86 pages

Authors: Alejandro Palomino; Jesse C Epp; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY

By analyzing the current data-collecting systems utilized by the Department of Defense (DoD), can naval aviation accurately predict proper inventories, safety stocks, and costs associated with organizational-level, intermediate-level, and depot-level maintenance? Are the current data systems capturing the necessary data to make cost-effective maintenance decisions at these levels of maintenance? If not, what data fields should be added? What can be done to improve data collection? The United States Navy ...

Defense Management: Opportunities Exist to Improve Information Used in Monitoring Status of Efficiency Initiatives

04 Dec 2012

27 pages

Authors: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

The military departments and SOCOM have taken various steps to track the implementation of their efficiency initiatives. In addition, the military departments and SOCOM have developed approaches to periodically review the progress of the efficiency initiatives such as expected completion dates for actions related to implementing the initiatives and progress in achieving planned savings through their existing internal governance organizations. Finally, the military departments and SOCOM have also tracked the ...

DOD Financial Management: Actions Needed to Address Deficiencies in Controls over Army Active Duty Military Payroll

Dec 2012

39 pages

Authors: Asif A Khan; Gayle L Fischer; Lauren S Fassler; Donald D Holzinger; Katherine Lenane; Sheila D Miller; Meg Mills; Heather L Rasmussen; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

Why GAO Did This Study. In March 2012, GAO reported on challenges that DOD and the Army face in achieving audit readiness with respect to the over $45 billion in reported fiscal year 2010 Army active duty military payroll disbursements. In performing that work, GAO identified indications of possible weaknesses in selected processes, systems, and controls relied on to reasonably assure the validity and accuracy of reported Army active duty ...

Defense Contracting: DOD Initiative to Address Audit Backlog Shows Promise, but Additional Management Attention Needed to Close Aging Contracts

Dec 2012

41 pages

Authors: Timothy J DiNapoli; Tatiana Winger; Arkelga Braxton; Virginia Chanley; Nicole Dery; John Krump; Janet McKelvey; ANH NGUYEN; Robert Swierczek; Omar Torres; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

Why GAO Did This Study: DOD has a large volume of contracts that have not been closed on time. Closing a contract includes tasks such as verifying that the goods and services were provided and making final payment to the contractor. Closing contracts within required time frames can limit the government s exposure to certain financial risks. One reason why some contracts are not being closed is the large backlog ...

Evaluation of JSAF EM Propagation Prediction Methods for Navy Continuous Training Environment / Fleet Synthetic Training Results and Recommendations: Part 4 - JSAF Potential Improvements Cost/Benefits Analysis

Dec 2012

14 pages

Authors: Peter S Guest; Paul A Frederickson; Tom Murphree; Arlene A Guest; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA DEPT OF METEOROLOGY

In previous reports, the authors suggested several potential changes that would improve the realism and accuracy of JSAF range predictions for radar, communications and jamming systems. This report analyzes the estimated benefits and costs of implementing these and other potential changes to JSAF. This information is intended to be used a guide to help JSAF developers and managers prioritize which potential changes would provide the most benefits to JSAF users ...

Evaluation of JSAF EM Propagation Prediction Methods for Navy Continuous Training Environment/Fleet Synthetic Training Results and Recommendations: Part 4 - JSAF Potential Improvements Cost/Benefit Analysis

Dec 2012

14 pages

Authors: Peter S Guest; Paul A Frederickson; Tom Murphree; Arlene A Guest; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA

Rapid Execution of an Analysis of Alternatives for NATO Special Operations HQ: A Smart Defence Approach

Dec 2012

113 pages

Authors: Marcos A Cervantes; Christopher K Enderton; Joshua S Powers; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY

NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ) determined a need for an air wing after years of conducting operations in Afghanistan. Air enablers are critical to Special Operations Force's combat effectiveness. This capability is not assembled overnight, and training and equipment are vital to mission success. Under the new national strategy for a Smart Defense approach, a Rapid Analysis of Alternatives is needed to find the best way to establish an NSHQ ...

Weapons Acquisition Reform: Reform Act Is Helping DOD Acquisition Programs Reduce Risk, but Implementation Challenges Remain

Dec 2012

47 pages

Authors: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

For the past 3 years, DOD has been implementing the Reform Act requirements which are aimed at helping weapon acquisition programs establish a solid foundation from the start. This helps to prevent cost growth, thus helping the Defense dollar go further. This is the third in a series of GAO reports on the Reform Act. GAO was asked to determine (1) DOD's progress in implementing Reform Act provisions; (2) the ...

The U.S.-Panama Free Trade Agreement

08 Nov 2012

36 pages

Authors: J F Hornbeck; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE

On June 28, 2007, the United States and Panama signed a free trade agreement (FTA) after two and a half years and 10 rounds of negotiations. Negotiations formally concluded on December 16, 2006, with an understanding that changes to labor, environment, and intellectual property rights chapters would be made pursuant to future congressional input. These changes were agreed to and the FTA was signed in time to be considered under ...

Fully Burdened Cost of Retrograde, Redeployment, Reconstitution, and Reset and Analysis of Alternatives (FBCR4 & AoA): New Model to Formulate Strategic Decisions for Deployed Ground Vehicle Equipment

05 Nov 2012

146 pages

Authors: Jonathan P Farrar; John P Lloyd; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY

The retrograde cost for Afghanistan is complex and involves many uncertainties, yet it is a part of military operations when nations go to war. This report introduces the fully burdened cost of retrograde, redeployment, reconstitution, and reset and analysis of alternatives (FBCR4 & AoA) as an estimating tool that can be used to analyze many of the different variables included in bringing equipment home. The tool can be tailored for ...

Leveraging Agriculture to Break Nigeria's Oil Curse

02 Nov 2012

26 pages

Authors: Benjamin W Spencer; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

The term oil curse is used to describe how countries blessed with great natural petroleum wealth seem to have problems translating that blessing into higher performing economies, especially when compared to countries not similarly gifted with this resource wealth. An analysis of the Nigerian economy reveals a textbook case of the oil curse, primarily manifested through Dutch Disease, which has decimated Nigerian agriculture. A means of breaking the oil curse ...

Maritime Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, Regional Challenges and Solutions

02 Nov 2012

26 pages

Authors: Jimmie E Sullivan; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

The growing threat of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea poses a direct threat to the economic and security interests of Nigeria and the entire West African region. With the largest population and economy in the region, Nigeria arguably stands to lose the most if the maritime security environment continues to decline, but the entire region will suffer as well. Major international powers like the United States and Europe are ...

Screaming Trees: The Nigerian Deforestation Crisis

02 Nov 2012

28 pages

Authors: James B Wellons; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

Nigeria has the highest rate of deforestation in the world, and the Government of Nigeria (GON) has failed to implement an effective response to this worsening crisis. Deforestation degrades land quality and agricultural output, resulting in forced migration and increased competition for scarce resources. This erodes government legitimacy and, ultimately, leads to conflict that results in more deforestation. The GON and international community must act to break this cycle and ...

Nigeria's Roadmap for Power Sector Reform -- Will It Succeed?

02 Nov 2012

25 pages

Authors: Scott E Williams; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

Nigeria has an electricity problem. Decades of neglect and mismanagement have left the nation with an anemic electrical power grid, one that is utterly incapable of powering the modern economy of Nigeria's aspirations. Recognizing that solving Nigeria's electricity woes are foundational to achieving the Nigeria Vision 20: 2020 socio-economic development goals, the Goodluck Jonathan administration has put electrical power sector reform among its highest priorities. The administration's ambitious reform plan ...

Nigeria: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

02 Nov 2012

22 pages

Authors: Ricardo Miagany; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

The people of Nigeria have many grievances with their elected government. They can be grouped into three major areas or categories: poor governance, through rampant misadministration and widespread corruption; poor economic development and staggering levels of poverty; and an overall tenuous security environment, which results in an embattled subsistence way of life. Although the GON has attempted to modernize its society as a means to improving the everyday citizen's quality ...

Corruption of Democratic Principles as a Source of Internal Conflict in Nigeria

02 Nov 2012

26 pages

Authors: Leon A Higgins; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

Since gaining its independence in 1960, Nigeria has struggled to establish stable governance to effectively manage and administer the tremendous resources of the nation for the common good. Since gaining independence, Nigerian officials have squandered over $400 billion through corrupt practices, while poverty among the population has grown and the income disparity between the elite and abject poor has increased significantly. Given the growing inequity among the people and officials ...

Power to the People: Developing Electrical Co-Ops to Improve Stability in Nigeria

02 Nov 2012

38 pages

Authors: Joel J Luker; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

Nigeria has long recognized the need to support entrepreneurial business growth to reduce its severe levels of poverty and improve socioeconomic stability. Attempts to provide this support have been largely ineffective, due in large part to the poor state of Nigerian electrical power infrastructure. In 2010, Nigeria renewed its emphasis on improving its power sector, including privatization of the formerly state-run system, but this plan requires several adjustments to optimize ...

Oil and Agriculture: Can They Mix?

02 Nov 2012

23 pages

Authors: Janeva R Maxson; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

According to the Fund for Peace, Nigeria is in the top-20 list of failing states. Although the nation is awash in oil, the people of Nigeria are among the poorest in Africa. In fact, Nigeria's standard of living has actually decreased since the discovery of its vast petroleum wealth. However, Nigeria has the potential to revitalize its economy to become less dependent on oil for its revenues. One way to ...

China in Nigeria

02 Nov 2012

35 pages

Authors: Mark A McDowell; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

China's involvement in Africa continues to be a security concern of the United States, and nowhere is China more relevant in Africa than in Nigeria. With the continent's second largest economy, 160 million potential customers, and abundant natural resources, Nigeria is a regional power and China is finding increasing opportunity there. An examination of China's military, economic, and cultural dealings with Nigeria show that China is supplanting the United States ...

Benchmarking Dutch and U.S. Naval Shipbuilding: Reducing U.S. Naval Shipbuilding Costs Using Collaborative PLM and 3D Imaging

02 Nov 2012

100 pages

Authors: Kevin Shannon; Thomas J Housel; Erik Jansen; Trent Silkey; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF OPERATIONAL AND INFORMATION SCIENCES

U.S. Navy shipbuilding contractors need to find a way to reduce costs without sacrificing current reliability and quality requirements. 3D Laser Scanning Technology (3D LST) and Collaborative Product Lifecycle Management (CPLM) are two technologies that are currently being leveraged by international ship construction organizations to achieve significant cost savings. 3D LST dramatically reduces the time required to scan ship surfaces as opposed to the traditional photogrammetry techniques currently used, but ...

Import Bans as an Element of Nigerian Trade Policy, a Failed Approach

01 Nov 2012

27 pages

Authors: Marc Langevin; NAVAL WAR COLLEGE NEWPORT RI JOINT MILITARY OPERATIONS DEPT

This paper examines the impact of the prohibited import list as a part of Nigerian trade policy. Since their adoption in the mid 1970s, the import bans have directly contributed to a higher cost of living, created incentives for smuggling and corruption, and reduced the number of goods available to the consumer. By removing the bans and replacing them with tariffs comparable to similar products, Nigeria will reduce smuggling and ...

Summer 2012 Colorado Wildfire Non-Profit Sector Case Study

01 Nov 2012

36 pages

Authors: Elizabeth DiPaolo; CUBIC CORP SAN DIEGO CA

This Case Study provides observations and recommendations on the work that the non-profit and faith-based organizations carry out during disaster response, relief, and recovery efforts. Many of these organizations such as the American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, and the Southern Baptists Convention are included in local emergency response plans and have a disaster mandate as part of their charter. But, many charitable organizations jump in during a disaster because ...

Costs of Military Pay and Benefits in the Defense Budget

Nov 2012

50 pages

Authors: Matthew S Goldberg; CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE (U S CONGRESS) WASHINGTON DC

Compensation of military personnel takes up a substantial portion of the nation s defense budget. In its fiscal year 2013 budget request, for example, the Department of Defense (DoD) requested about $150 billion to fund the pay and benefits of current and retired members of the armed services. As in most recent years, that amount was more than one-quarter of DoD s total base budget request (the request for all ...

China's Leadership Transition: What's at Stake?

Nov 2012

160 pages

Authors: Alison A Kaufman; CENTER FOR NAVAL ANALYSES ALEXANDRIA VA

On September 12, 2012, CNA China Studies held a conference to examine the implications of the leadership transition that was about to take place at the 18th Party Congress of the Chinese Communist Party. This report discusses five key themes that emerged in the conference. First, party Congresses are important because they mark a transition both in personalities and in policy. The identity of the individuals ascending to China's highest ...

Fighter Aircraft: Better Cost Estimates Needed for Extending the Service Life of Selected F-16s and F/A-18s

Nov 2012

30 pages

Authors: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

Fighter aircraft are important to achieve and maintain air dominance during combat operations as well as to protect the homeland. DOD plans to replace many of its current fighter fleet with the F-35; however, the F-35 program has experienced numerous delays and cost increases. To maintain fighter capabilities and capacity, the Air Force and Navy have decided to upgrade and extend the service life of selected F-16 and F/A-18 aircraft. ...

Costs of Military Pay and Benefits in the Defense Budget

Nov 2012

50 pages

Authors: CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE (U S CONGRESS) WASHINGTON DC

DOD Joint Bases: Management Improvements Needed to Achieve Greater Efficiencies

Nov 2012

63 pages

Authors: Brian J Lepore; Laura Durland; Jameal Addison; Grace Coleman; Chanee Gaskin; Simon Hirschfield; Gina Hoffman; Charles Perdue; Michael Silver; Michael Willems; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE WASHINGTON DC

GAO has designated DOD support infrastructure as an area of high risk and included one key related category installation support as an area for potential savings. In 2005, DOD recommended to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission combining 26 installations into 12 joint bases to generate efficiencies and cost savings and, in 2010, completed this consolidation. GAO assessed the extent to which (1) DOD developed and implemented a plan to ...

Economic Effects of Policies Contributing to Fiscal Tightening in 2013

Nov 2012

17 pages

Authors: CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE (U S CONGRESS) WASHINGTON DC

Substantial changes to tax and spending policies are scheduled to take effect in January 2013, significantly reducing the federal budget deficit. According to the Congressional Budget Office s (CBO s) projections, if all of that fiscal tightening occurs, real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) will drop by 0.5 percent in 2013 (as measured by the change from the fourth quarter of 2012 to the fourth quarter of 2013) reflecting a ...

Development Fund for Iraq: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Has Missing Receiving Reports and Open Task Orders

26 Oct 2012

33 pages

Authors: James Shafer; Benjamin H Comfort; M G Knoepfle; L M Welsh; SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION ARLINGTON VA

The Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) was established in May 2003 to provide for the temporary governance of Iraq following the conclusion of major combat operations in that country. United Nations Security Council Resolution 1483 created the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) in May 2003 and assigned the CPA full responsibility for managing the fund. Resolution 1483 specified the DFI should be used in a transparent manner and for: (1) the ...

Navy Force Structure and Shipbuilding Plans: Background and Issues for Congress

25 Oct 2012

64 pages

Authors: Ronald O'Rourke; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS WASHINGTON DC CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE

The planned size of the Navy, the rate of Navy ship procurement, and the prospective affordability of the Navy s shipbuilding plans have been matters of concern for the congressional defense committees for the past several years. In February 2006, the Navy presented to Congress a goal of achieving and maintaining a fleet of 313 ships, consisting of certain types and quantities of ships. On March 28, 2012, the Department ...

A Network Analysis of the Economic Development Community of Ethiopia Part 2

15 Oct 2012

23 pages

Authors: Lauren Kewley; Daniel Evans; MILITARY ACADEMY WEST POINT NY NETWORK SCIENCE CENTER (NSC)

As part of an effort to create a network analysis tool kit, our team compared and contrasted two networks of the Ethiopian economic development community. The purpose of this initial analytical effort is to develop the capability to classify and identify influential nodes in a network model. The team developed an initial model collected through open data sources and then, based on feedback from the US Embassy in Addis Ababa ...

Extended Warranty Management in the Department of Defense

01 Oct 2012

52 pages

Authors: Noah Myung; John Khawam; NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL MONTEREY CA GRADUATE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND PUBLIC POLICY

We provide a formal economics model to help consumers understand what types of warranty may be provided by producers, and to help consumers make decisions as to what type of warranty to select. To maximize profit, a producer always wants to sell with some type of warranty as opposed to selling with no warranty. The extended warranty is more likely to be provided as the consumer becomes more patient, as ...

State-Building Challenges in a Post-Revolution Libya

Oct 2012

69 pages

Authors: Mohammed El-Katiri; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA

Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) inherited a difficult and volatile domestic situation following the overthrow of Muammar Qadhafi. The new leadership faces serious and simultaneous challenges in all areas of statehood. Libya's key geostrategic position, and its role in hydrocarbon production and exportation, means that the course of internal developments there is crucial not only to the Libyan people, but also to neighboring countries both in North Africa and across ...

A Hollow Army Reappraised: President Carter, Defense Budgets, and the Politics of Military Readiness

Oct 2012

80 pages

Authors: Frank L Jones; ARMY WAR COLL STRATEGIC STUDIES INST CARLISLE BARRACKS PA

The term hollow army or the broader expression, hollow force, has as much currency today as it did when an Army Chief of Staff first uttered the phrase 3 decades ago. In this period of declining defense budgets, the President of the United States, the Secretary of Defense, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have articulated how the newly released strategic guidance and budget priorities represent a ...

Afghan National Security Forces Facilities: Concerns with Funding, Oversight, and Sustainability for Operation and Maintenance

Oct 2012

55 pages

Authors: SPECIAL INSPECTOR GENERAL FOR AFGHANISTAN RECONSTRUCTION ARLINGTON VA

WHAT SIGAR REVIEWED: In February 2011, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Training Mission- Afghanistan (NTM-A) developed the Infrastructure Training Advisory Group (ITAG) Campaign Plan, which calls for the transition of operation and maintenance (O&M) of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) facilities to the Afghan government and full Afghan-led sustainment by 2014. Because the Afghan government currently lacks the capacity to provide O&M, NTM-A obligated $800 million to fund these services ...

Public-Private Cooperation in the Department of Defense: A Framework for Analysis and Recommendations for Action (Defense Horizons, October 2012)

Oct 2012

13 pages

Authors: II Wells Linton; Samuel Bendett; NATIONAL DEFENSE UNIV FORT MCNAIR DC CENTER FOR TECHNOLOGY AND NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY

In 2010, a National Defense University (NDU) research project called TIDES (Transformative Innovation for Development and Emergency Support) was invited to partner with a company to produce a tradeshow about humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions and related capabilities. Despite senior-level Department of Defense (DoD) guidance to pursue public-private partnerships, DoD attorneys told TIDES managers to reject the agreement. Differing legal interpretations of the word partner generated concern that the ...

Can NATO Meet Defense Challenges in an Era of Austerity?

Oct 2012

6 pages

Authors: RAND NATIONAL DEFENSE RESEARCH INST SANTA MONICA CA

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has strived since 1949 to safeguard the security and freedom of its member countries. However, in the coming decade, NATO will have to operate in an environment of fiscal austerity and declining defense budgets. The onset of the global economic crisis has forced all major force contributors to NATO to trim their defense budgets. These cuts have been driven almost entirely by the need ...

Sanction Effectiveness in Iran: A Network Optimization Approach

Oct 2012

20 pages

Authors: Louis Boguchwal; MILITARY ACADEMY WEST POINT NY NETWORK SCIENCE CENTER (NSC)

In this project, we apply network flow algorithms to evaluate the effectiveness of existing or additional sanctions for hindering the progress of Iran s nuclear program. We restrict our attention to sanctions that disrupt flows of pertinent resources to appropriate individuals or organizations. This research uses minimum cut methods to provide the key and minimum number of edges in a resource network to cut, such that the nuclear production process ...

MSCoE IDIQ (Manueuver Support Center of Excellence Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity)

Oct 2012

6 pages

Authors: ARMY MISSION AND INSTALLATION CONTRACTING COMMAND FORT LEONARD WOOD MO

The MSCoE IDIQ contract was transferred from MICC-Fort Eustis to MICC-Fort Leonard Wood in Feb 2011. The IDIQ contract supports technical services for the Chemical, Engineer and Military Police Schools and activities. There are nine Prime Contractors supporting the IDIQ.