WJTC 02 Dueouts

1
Joint Staff J-7
Joint Staff Officer Study Preliminary
Findings 10 March 2008
2
JSO Study

• Who were the respondents
• What they do
• What they need to be more effective

3
JSO Study Survey Respondents
Staff Officers
52.5
Senior Leaders (Div Chiefs and Above)
4
JSO Profile
64 say the learning curve is 7 months or
longer 44 have less than a year in billet 40 of
work time is spent on written tasks 33 of work
time is spent on creating and contributing to
briefings 52 of survey respondents are in
grades O-4 and below 71 have not attended JPME
II and are not scheduled to go 42 work 50 or
more hours per week
5
JSO Background and Experience

• 23 are in their first staff assignment
• 68 are in their first joint assignment
• 69 are in their first Combatant Command
  assignment
• 35 are working directly with Interagency
  personnel for the first time
• 20 are working with contractors for the first
  time
• 14 are working with multinationals for the first
  time
• 8 are working with government civilians for the
  first time

6
JSO Work Products

• Create/Deliver Briefings
• Development of Plans/Plan Annexes
• Ghost Writing
• Info Papers
• Reports
• Lead for task inside directorate
• Provides input within own directorate
• Lead for task with input from multiple
  directorates
• Analysis of Multiple Sources of Info
• Providing input for Directorates inside Command
• Reviewing for accuracy others reports
• Providing input /information to other COCOM
• Coordination of information from multiple
  sources

7
JSO Writing Tasks
Sr. Leaders say staff officers need to improve
writing skills and to learn to write strategically
40 of work time is spent on writing tasks
8
Briefings
Sr. Leaders say staff officers need to improve
creating briefings, presentation, and PowerPoint
skills
33 of work time spent on preparing and
contributing to briefings
9
Characteristics and Capabilities of the Ideal
Staff Officer
Service and Subject Matter Capabilities and
Experience
Business and Professional Skills
Joint Knowledge and Mindset
Personal Attributes/ Characteristics
Combatant Command Level Mindset and Capabilities
Work Ethic/Perseverance
Interpersonal, collaboration, and communication
skills
Leadership and Management Skills
Lifelong Learner
10
Joint Staff Officer Personal Attributes and
Attitudes

• Confident Staff Officers MUST arrive with the
  confidence that they are THEIR Service's BEST and
  will be taken care of by their Service.
• Positive, can do attitude never says "that's
  not my job finds ways to accomplish the task at
  hand with understanding of long range mission
• Pleasant demeanor a good person to be around and
  to have around
• Proactive vs. reactive anticipates and leans
  forward
• Exhibits honor, courage and commitment to mission
• Morally sound ethical, honest, trustworthy,
  empathetic, and compassionate
• Self Motivated go getter does not need
  prompting to do work
• Separates passion from emotion
• Good sense of humor, and uses it effectively
• Is conscientious and detailed
• Intelligent, bright, articulate
• Self assured confident in own abilities
• Decisive

11
JSO Competencies

• Competency 1 Able to read, write, and conduct
  research at an advanced level appropriate for
  work performance at the strategic level.
• Competency 2 Ability to prepare and deliver
  briefings at executive levels in a strategic
  context.
• Competency 3 Able to use a variety of
  communication styles and methods effectively at
  executive levels and across a diverse workforce.
• Competency 4 Able to work collaboratively with
  and effectively supervise and manage a diverse
  workforce (civilians, contractors, Guard and
  Reserve, interagency, and multinational
  personnel)

12
JSO Competencies, contd.

• Competency 5 Knowledge and understanding of US
  government agencies (State Department, Department
  of Justice, Department of Homeland Security,
  Department of the Treasury, etc.), their
  organizational and decision-making structures,
  and their relationships with the Combatant
  Commands
• Competency 6 Advanced knowledge of parent
  Service organization, capabilities, and business
  practices
• Competency 7 Advanced knowledge of Joint
  organization, capabilities, and business
  practices
• Competency 8 Knowledge of treaties, title
  authorities, and regulatory requirements
  affecting the command

13
JSO Competencies, contd.

• Competency 9 Able to maximize technology
  software and hardware capabilities
• Competency 10 Able to effectively participate
  in exercise preparation/planning
• Competency 11 Exhibits the characteristics and
  behaviors of a lifelong learner

14
Too Much Learning by Doing
of Those who Learned on Their Own
Content Area

• COCOM vision/mission/strategy---------------------
  -----
• Guiding Documents (e.g., UCP, NSP)----------------
  ---
• Tasking Process-----------------------------------
  -------------
• Command Directorate Roles/Respons.----------------
  -
• POCs within J-Codes-------------------------------
  ----------
• SMEs within Command------------------------------
  --------
• Types and Availability of Training----------------
  --------
• Joint-, Multinational, Interagency-
• Specific Information-----------------------
  ------------
• Other types of Information------------------------
  ----------

53
70
61
62
77
79
50
70
77
15
JSO Preferred Learning Methods
85
Staff officers prefer the interactivity of the
classroom.
16
Training Needs as Identified by Staff Officers

• Joint knowledge
• Directorate specific roles, responsibilities,
  POCs, and SMEs
• Ability to think and produce products at a
  strategic level
• Use of tools (to include joint tools, tasking
  system, and Microsoft Office)
• Action officer/staff officer requirements (to
  include products, formats, and processes)

17
Training Needs Identified by Leaders

• Leadership says that the 1 Priority for
• staff officers is to know basic staff skills
• As one leader explained, They loved the
  tactical work, but now they have to be super
  admins and they are totally out of their comfort
  zones.
• Currently there is an inability of O-4s and O-5s
  to understand the basics/fundamentals of staff
  work
• Need to understand what questions a staff officer
  needs to ask
• Need to respond to taskers rapidly with an
  all-encompassing approach
• Need to understand their function is to identify
  a problem, analyze it, identify COAs and make
  recommendations suitable for a GOFO level
• Need the ability to understand task, its purpose,
  and foresee desired end state
• Must be able to think in someone elses
  perspective
• Need to have good knowledge of staffing process
• how to construct a staff package for submission
  up chain of command
• better coordination between members of the staff
• attention to detailneed to avoid incomplete
  staffing such as overlooking issues, fundamental
  ones like other directorates/offices with which
  the given staff action should be coordinated.

18
JSO Recommendations to Commands/Directorates
Micro-organizational issues common to all
Combatant Commands

• Streamline the internal staffing process
• Assign tasks more accurately and more timely
• Clarify roles and responsibilities
• Provide more guidance, mentorship, and direction
• Help facilitate willingness of people to share
  information
• Provide more targeted training, and provide time
  to attend
• Help assure attendance to JPME I/II (and any
  other needed training) prior to beginning
  assignment

19
JSO Recommendations to Services
Macro-organizational issues common to all
Combatant Commands

• Assure attendance at appropriate training and
  education programs prior to arrival at Command
  (spec. JPME I and II)includes funding and more
  throughput of officers.
• Provide joint experiences (assignments, training,
  education) earlier and more often in careers
• Make a better effort to assign people more
  accurately

20
JSO Recommendations to Joint Staff
Macro-organizational issues common to all
Combatant Commands

• Select and implement a single, standardized
  tasking tool, formats, and processes
• Ensure attendance at JPME I and II prior to
  arrival at Commandincrease billets, provide
  mobile teams
• Streamline tasking process from JS downbetter
  coordination before sending, reduction of pop-up
  taskers, better prioritization system
• Provide more realistic timelines for review and
  completion (e.g., with pubs)

21
Conclusions

• Processes and products appear to be common across
  the Combatant Commands tasking management
  systems, task formats, and portals, however, are
  Command-unique and cause problems with staff
  officer work.
• The requirement exists for training for common
  staff officer competencies currently there is no
  comprehensive, consistent or cohesive approach to
  staff officer development and preparation.
• JPME I and II were not designed to teach staff
  officer skills however, they are intended to
  provide some of the joint knowledge staff
  officers need to work in a combatant command.
  There are not enough billets to meet the
  need.
• The need exists for standardization of tools,
  processes, and formats as used among the Joint
  Staff and the Combatant Commands for staff work.
• Efficiencies can be gained within each Command
  and in the Joint Staff by streamlining the
  staffing process the current volume can be
  reduced by eliminating redundancies and overlap,
  by more effective assignment of tasks, and by
  promoting willingness to share information.

22

• Questions/Discussion

23
Backup

24
Joint Staff Officer Study Number of Joint
Staff Officers
Combatant Command HQ Staff Officers in
(authorized/ approved billets)

49.8
Total number of O-4s and below is actually higher
because assignments are allowed at one grade
higher or lower.
25
JSO Profile by Component
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JSO Work Products-Common Across Commands
Cr Create Briefings De Development of
Plans De Deliver Briefings An Annexes for
Plans GH Ghost Writing Le Lead for task
inside directorate In Info Papers Pr
Provides input within own directorate Re
Reports Le Lead for task with input from
multiple directorates An Analysis of Multiple
Sources of Info Pr Providing input for
Directorates inside Command Re Reviewing for
accuracy others reports Pr Providing
input /information to other COCOM Co
Coordination of information from
multiple sources
No unique products were identified by any
directorate or any command the differences
identified in products were in topic areas
27
Tasking Management Systems
Request to Joint Staff standardize tools
707
49.5
TMS

47
3.3
iStars
12.5
178
JWICS
In current use across COCOMs
72
5.0
JSAP
STACS
154
10.8
Outlook
56.0
799
Human Handoff
25.2
360
Other
132
9.2
28
Task Formats
Request to Joint Staff standardize formats
Over 20 other Formats in use
29.5
421
eSSS
Form 14
117
8.2
Outlook Email
896
62.7
239
16.7
Other
29
Interpersonal Communication/ Collaborative Skills
Senior Leaders say staff officers need improved
interpersonal skills for supervising in a diverse
workforce
Supervision of of
officers with no training
30
528
Other Services Personnel
376
32
Government Civilians
354
35
Contractors
33
76
Interagency Personnel
44
93
Multinational Personnel
45
128
Individual Augmentees
30
Interpersonal Communication/ Collaborative Skills
Senior Leaders say staff officers need improved
interpersonal skills for working in a diverse
workforce
Working with of officers
with no training
1285
36
Other Services Personnel
Government Civilians
34
1238
1196
Contractors
36
Interagency Personnel
36
943
877
Multinational Personnel
39
40
698
Individual Augmentees
31
Tools and Training
Sr. Leaders say staff officers need better skills
in using primary tools

• Microsoft Word 48.5 have had no training
• PowerPoint 58.6 have had no training
• Excel 58 have had no training
• Tasking Mgmnt Sys 45 have had no training

32
Study Objectives

• The primary objective of the study is focused on
  identifying required knowledge, skills,
  abilities, attitudes, and attributes (KSAAAs)
  that can
• (1) minimize the learning curve of new staff
  officers,
• (2) improve accuracy, quality, and competency of
  job performance.
•  
•  
•     To answer questions 1 and 2 the study was
  conducted in 2 Phases
• Phase One Site visits and small group
  discussions with 250staff officers and 50 senior
  leaders
• Phase Two Web-based survey answered by 1428
  staff officers and 137 senior leaders

33
Study Approach

• Data was reviewed to identify KSAAAs by
  attempting to determine the following
• 1. Products, processes, and tools common to
  all Combatant Commands
• 2.  Products, processes, and tools unique to
  individual Combatant Commands
• 3.  KSAAAs considered important for successful
  staff officers common to all Combatant Commands
• 4. KSAAAs unique to each Combatant Command
• 5.  Unique requirements within specific joint
  divisions within Combatant Commands
• 6. Organizational (macro- and micro-levels)
  considerations common to all Combatant
  Commands         
• 7.  Organizational (macro- and micro-levels)
  considerations unique to each Combatant Command.
•  

34
Survey Respondents by Directorate
35
Command-Unique KSAAAs

• USSOUTHCOM Regional knowledge languages good
  knowledge of interagency, multinational , and NGO
  partners knowledge of the principle players and
  authorities for the War on Drugs treaties,
  agreements, and regional partnerships
• USPACOM Regional knowledge languages good
  knowledge of interagency, multinational, and NGO
  partners for GWOT treaties, agreements, and
  regional partnerships.
• USEUCOM Regional knowledge languages good
  knowledge of interagency, multinational, and NGO
  partners treaties, agreements, and regional
  partnerships good knowledge of NATO
• USTRANSCOM Project management, acquisition
  knowledge, logistics background, knowledge of
  COCOM being supported by embedded teams
• USSTRATCOM Nuclear, space, and communications
  knowledge high capability in technology systems.
• USJFCOM In depth knowledge of Combatant
  Commands extensive knowledge of Services
  capabilities extensive military operational
  experience.
• USCENTCOM Regional knowledge languages good
  knowledge of interagency ad multinational
  partners for theater operations treaties,
  agreements, and regional partnerships.
• USSOCOM SOF background, acquisition knowledge
• USNORTHCOM Extensive knowledge of interagency
  partners, Canadian partners and NORAD mission,
  other multinational partners extensive knowledge
  of Titles and authorities governing use of
  National Guard and Reserve knowledge of
  intergovernmental partners

36
Tools most Common to all Combatant Commands
Training for the common tools below varies
significantly among the Commands
JWICS Microsoft Outlook Microsoft
Project RELCAN Sharepoint

• AMHS
• DCTS
• DTS
• DTW
• GCCS
• JOPES
• SMS

37
Products, Processes, and Tools Unique to
Individual Commands

• Each Command has its own task management system
• Each Command has its own web portal system
• Each Command selects its own LMS
• In addition to common tools (e.g., JOPES, JWICS,
  JTIMS, additional Microsoft Office tools) the
  Commands identified approximately 250 additional
  technical tools.(USTRATCOM identified 50
  additional tools)