Research for Programs

This paper describes two federal programs that could facilitate the Navy's efforts to recruit pretrained people as well as benefit general recruiting efforts from community colleges: the School-to-Work Opportunities Act and the Tech Prep Act. It offers recommendations on how to apply these programs specifically to the Navy, in terms of the types of targeted fields of study and activities for active participation that are vital components of these federal programs. It also recommends forming partnerships to create tailor-made courses of study around training curricula that have significant civilian overlap, which could save significant training costs and enhance Navy's recruiting efforts at community colleges.

The Department of the Navy asked CNA to explore the idea of 'strategic reinvestment of military resources to strengthen youth.' The Bay Area was chosen because (1) many bases are scheduled for foreclosure; (2) a wealth of resources to include buildings, equipment, and skilled personnel may soon become available to local communities; and (3) many youth in this area are living under conditions of stress, physical danger, and hopelessness, in spite of the many programs and services already in place. Although the focus of this paper is 'Youth Within Communities,' we will keep in mind two questions that are addressed throughout this study: (a) Might the military be able to play a valuable and strategic role within communities by reinvesting resources as a result of the military drawdown to strengthen youth? and (b) Are Bay Area communities receptive to this type of support and collaborative intervention from the military? In this paper, we will look closely at three Bay Area communities--Alameda, Oakland, and San Francisco. For each of the three we will examine: the assessment process; the 'community pulse' or levels of community interest in youth initiatives; the issues, objectives, and perceived solutions as expressed by local individuals and groups; the common issues, objectives, perceived solutions, and the potential for collaborative efforts; and the views of the young people themselves. See also CRMs 94-154, 94-155, 94-157, and 94-166.

In response to a request from the Commander in Chief, U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT), the Center for Naval Analyses conducted a study of the mid- and long-range importance of Latin America in U.S. Navy strategic planning, especially that of and in relation to CINCLANTFLT. The study considered the full range of hemisphere navy-to-navy relations and examined the modalities and value of activities to both the U.S. Navy and to Latin American navies. It also examined future developments for Latin American navies in light of the changing international security environment and the roles that Latin American can play. This research memorandum is one of a series of documents prepared in response to CINCLANTFLT's request. It contains the detailed analytical data supporting the study's final report. It is an extensive catalog of U.S. Navy program and dealings with Latin America and Latin Americans. In-depth analyses and extensive interview data permitted us to evaluate the scope and impact of programs and to assess their contribution to national security goals. The Navy program are divided into the following categories: (1) Political-military interaction; (2) Facility access in Latin America; (3) Exercises and other operations; (4) Operational exchanges; (5) Professional military-education programs; (6) U.S. Marine Corps activities; (7) Interoperability; (8) Security assistance; (9) Research and development; and (10) Miscellaneous.

Some activities performed by government employees are similar to those performed in the private sector. Government policy -- outlined in Office of Management Budget circular A-76 -- is to allow private sector companies to compete with government organizations for this work. The goal is to use competition to encourage efficiency -- whether the function is contracted out or not. The Navy's Commercial Activities (CA) program is responsible for implementing this competition program within the Navy. Over the last decade, the Navy has studied about 1,000 activities -- covering about 29,000 billets (both civilian and military). Due to changes in legislation, the Navy is not doing any CA studies at this time. In this research memorandum, we examine: (a) the savings achieved as a result of CA studies; (b) whether the initial savings diminished over time; and (c) the prospect for future studies. Full documentation of this work appears in CRM 92-226.10, 'Analysis of the Navy's Commercial Activities Program.'