AETL-RM (25-1)

MEMORANDUM FOR : HEADQUARTERS, UNITED STATES ARMY EUROPE AND SEVENTH ARMY, DEPUTY CHIEF OF STAFF INFORMATION MANAGEMENT, ATTN: AEAIM-P, APO 09403

SUBJECT: Draft AR 25-8, Army Information Standards Management (AISM) Program

1. Reference USAREUR Memorandum, AEAIM-P, SAB, dtd 14 Apr 88.

2. This response is intended to address some conceptual/perceptual oversights in an otherwise solid approach to Army Information Standards Management.

3. In this draft, comments are made regarding manual information systems, but Army standards for development, control or use of manual systems (policy and procedure publications and forms) are not addressed. These policy and procedure publications are the basis from which functional requirements are identified. The forms/formats used to satisfy the procedural reports are the basis for identification of data element requirements. An organization cannot state its information resource requirements effectively without well managed and documented procedures and forms. An initial step in developing an automated information system is to go through the stages of analyzing and documenting the manual system. Draft AR 25-8 needs to include standards for manual information systems as well as automated ones.

4. In light of the recent issuance of AR 611-101 (Update 12, 13 Apr 88), Commissioned Officer Classification System, it is suggested that the function of Records Management be merged into the function of Data Administration, and that this consolidated function of Data Administration be placed as an area of concentration of the Officer Career Management Field of 42E (Administrative Systems Management). This is a logical step because neither the 25 (Signal) or 53 (Systems Automation) branches address Data Admininstration or Records Management as an area of concentration or career progression and would also track with the civilian career program for Records Management.

5. The Army should transfer all functions related to Data Administration and Systems Analysis (management systems, functional systems) to the Productivity Analysis Branch of the Resource Management Office's Management Analysis Division. This move would allow one office to evaluate resources properly and is validated by the Manpower Staffing Standards System (MS3) review of Resource Management Productivity Analysis functions. It is submitted that information resource requirement identification is an expected and natural subelement of any management/functional analysis. See Enclosure 1.

6. Since the Army is pursuing a standard systems engineering methodology, it is reasonable to extend that methodology to manual as well as automated systems. Manual system development, documentation, design, operation and maintenance is within the purview of the Management Analysis Division of Resource Management. An Army standard Computer Aided Systems Engineering (CASE) tool, operating at all three IMA tiers could be used for systems design by all system analysts, not just computer/software system analysts. The entire family of Resource Management functions lend themselves to an Army standard methodology for systems management, and are at the heart of an Information Resource Management approach. In addition, the project management component of a complete CASE tool could be used as an integrated Resource Management environment. The data dictionary component of a CASE tool would serve as the data dictionary for the corporate data administrator, data base administrator, and organizational policy/procedure/application/publication/forms developers.

7. This places the "Information" component of Information Resource Management into a position where it supports the performance and productivity of the organization's functions, plans and priorities; while giving the "Information Systems" development, operation and maintenance to the hardware/software oriented 25 and 53 career fields. In this way the Resource Management community could approach Information Resource Management from a "Data Perspective" in developing organization requirements. This will allow the 25/53 community to pursue an "Application Perspective" in terms of implementing hardware and software.

FOR THE COMMANDER:

ENCL: WILLIE J. CLINE

as CPT, AG

Assistant Adjutant General