Analytic Architecture for Joint Staff Decision Support Activities

The second of two reports on a RAND study, "Analytic Architecture for Joint Staff Decision Support Activities." The earlier report, MR-511-JS, sought to identify architectures, including the strategy-to-tasks (STT) framework, that could provide an efficient structure and a common tableau. This report develops the STT framework further, as part of a more general, ideal analytic support architecture that might be adopted by the Joint Staff. It also considers methods for incorporating the ideal framework into existing processes. The recommended "ideal" architecture is an expanded STT framework for representing the defense posture analytically, relating means to ends at four levels: policy, operations, assignment, and programming. The STT framework aids in understanding distinct processes and relationships, as well as identifying issues and requirements and improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness.