Homeland Defense/Civil Support Capabilities Based Assessment Overview

by Guy Varland, Architecture Project Lead

Introduction
HD/CS CBA Relationship to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear
The Homeland Defense/Civil Support (HD/CS) Challenge
The Integrated Architecture Development
10kt Scenario Architecture Animation Example
Summary
Author's Biography

Introduction

The Homeland Defense/Civil Support (HD/CS) Capabilities Based Assessment (CBA) was a 14-month analytical effort that examined DOD Homeland Defense and Civil Support (CS)/Defense Support to Civil Authorities (DSCA) missions (along with related Mission Assurance activities) in the 2012-2025 timeframe with primary focus on 2014-2016. The goal of the effort was to identify DOD HD/CS capability demands, determine capability gaps, and develop recommendations for actions the Department should take to address the identified capability gaps.

As directed, the Commander NORAD and USNORTHCOM led a CBA to help develop a clear understanding of DOD and interagency roles, responsibilities, and capabilities to enhance unified action and mitigate potential uncertainty. Partnering organizations during the analysis included principal Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) offices, DOD Agencies, other Combatant Commands, Joint Staff, Services, and the National Guard Bureau. In addition, the Department of Homeland Security and other United States government partners played a crucial role in helping ensure DOD capability requirements and shortfalls were informed by contributions from key mission organizations.

HD/CS CBA Relationship to Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear

The HD/CS Joint Capabilities Document (JCD) drafted as a result of the HD/CS CBA provides recommendations in the areas of biological incident support, Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) contamination, CBRN Urban Search and Rescue, isolation and quarantine support which will shape the future of CBRN capabilities and their supporting systems.

The Homeland Defense/Civil Support (HD/CS) Challenge

The size, scope and mission-perspective of this Capability Based Assessment (CBA) created a significant number of challenges for the study team. The first challenge was the difficulty in evaluating operational missions vice a system or weapons platform. Measuring mission success in an evaluative framework proved difficult since the answer was often "it depends" or varied widely with changing details. Furthermore, the size, scope, and operational perspective of the study provided significant challenges in performance measurement for finding, characterizing, and prioritizing gaps. Finally, the relative immaturity of the operational concepts in some domains lacked substantial previous analysis or real-world data that could provide meaningful information to the study. Because this CBA addressed capability gaps in both the HD and CS missions on behalf of the entire DOD, the analytical techniques utilized needed to account for, and remain valid in spite of the size and scope challenge.

The Integrated Architecture Development

Using the DOD Architecture Framework (DODAF), the HD/CS CBA Integrated Architecture served as one of the tools used by the team to support the analysis done in the CBA. Even though the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (JCIDS) only requires an operational concept description (OV-1) for the HD/CS JCD, the team recognized from the study's inception the utility of developing an integrated architecture in parallel with other CBA efforts. Given the fundamental linkages to every step of the CBA process (as depicted in Figure 1), the team used the integrated architecture to help articulate the operational concepts of Homeland Defense and Civil Support, facilitate the area and needs analyses, and capture the study findings for presentation with the Joint Capabilities Document. The team also recognized that early development of the HD/CS integrated architecture using a relational database would benefit those performing follow-on solutions analyses and concept development by capturing the data formally, thereby avoiding the need for data reconstruction.

Figure 1: Role of Integrated Architectures in a CBA

The initial foundation of the HD/CS Integrated Architecture (IA) was derived from previous work completed for NORAD and USNORTHCOM in support of the Maritime Homeland Defense (MHD) Capabilities Based Assessment (CBA), the Homeland Air and Cruise Missile Defense of North America (HACMD of NA) Functional Solutions Analysis (FSA), the Integrated Air and Cruise Missile Defense (IAMD) Evaluation of Alternatives (EoA), and the Asymmetric Defense Study (ADS). These architectures were expanded and refined by the study team to form a more extensive look at the demands of the Homeland Defense and Civil Support missions.

To build the architecture activity models and mission threads, the team utilized approved Joint Operations Concepts, Concept Plans (CONPLANS) and Concepts of Operation (CONOPS), and subject matter expert input to describe the operational HD/CS continuum. In this manner, the integrated architecture, in essence, became the overarching depiction of the concept of operations, as tasks played out in time-sequenced order against the backdrop of the three macro-scenarios. An architecture visualization capability was used to depict the tasks across multiple domains to enhance stakeholder comprehension of task definitions, sequencing, and interdependencies.

During the Functional Needs Analysis (FNA) phase, the integrated architecture was further refined based upon the three complimentary analyses performed. During stakeholder workshops, the team again used the mission threads to help examine task level gaps and provide further insights into their relative contributions mission success.

As a complement to the formal Joint Capabilities Document, the team reproduced the HD/CS architecture in electronic to promote enhanced understanding, sharing, and use of study content/findings with the broader community. A single electronic file contains a complete, guided review of the architecture as well as key documents and pertinent study artifacts.

Finally, in building an integrated architecture during the CBA, the team developed a relational database and populated it with all the area and needs analysis data. This database served as a common repository for the CBA results and drove the execution of the activity models including event traces and mission threads. In so doing, it also provides traceability and reusability of the data for follow-on analytic and acquisition efforts.

10kt Scenario Architecture Animation Example

Figure 2 depicts one of the scenarios utilized for analysis in the CBA, DOD's response to a ship-launched ballistic missile which detonates in the National Capitol Region with a 10 kiloton (kt) nuclear explosive yield.

Figure 2: 10kt Scenario in National Capitol Region

To develop the architecture activity model to depict DOD's response, strategic level documents (e.g. National Response Framework, USNORTHCOM's Concept Plan 3500 which provides for CBRNE Consequence Management) and Subject Matter Expert input provided the operational and tactical level tasks. This research identifies initial business use cases (BUCs - business processes that cut across organization boundaries, possibly including partners and suppliers, in order to provide value to a stakeholder of the business). Next, we continue to the refine each BUC; by identifying key operational roles, critical activities / processes, required data exchanges, etc. to initiate the initial framework of the architecture business process model. Finally, we capture the time-sequenced process mapping for each role within the applicable swimlane in yellow activity ovals and incorporate more detailed textual information and insert the information into each activity oval in the architecture model and map.

Figure 3: USNORTHCOM CONPLAN 3500 Phases

The architecture activity model derived from this scenario utilizes the phase flow depicted in Figure 3 (e.g. shaping, staging, deployment, etc.) and captures the associated tasks depicted in each stage (e.g. deploy Defense Coordinating Officer, position forces, etc. Utilizing DOD Architecture Framework (DODAF) compliant method, the activity model for this scenario was created and incorporated into an electronic database.

An example static screen capture from the architecture model is depicted in Figure 4 below. The yellow ovals under the pointer represent tasks required for the 10kt attack response sequence beginning with Assess Response Requirements, followed by Obtain Approval for DOD Assistance, etc. Each of these activity steps has corresponding textual information to provide further detail. At the top portion of the diagram, lanes are depicted to show where the activity is being performed – in this case the previously mentioned activity steps occur at the Coordinating Federal Agency (in this event most likely FEMA) initiating the response coordination with DOD.

Figure 4: Screen Capture from HD/CBA Integrated Architecture

Upon completion of the static architecture diagrams, the team applied an architecture animation capability which provides a dynamic visualization of the complex mission thread and enables the time-sequenced depiction of operational processes (e.g. FAA tasks) and information exchanges between DOD stakeholders for the 10kt attack response.

The animation serves as a "visual CONOPS" of the 10kt attack response scenario and is one of 13 scenario animations included (in addition to multiple other CBA products) on the HD/CS CBA Integrated Architecture compact disk. The architecture file is available by request to:

Mr. Bill Mathis, DAFC
Deputy Project Lead, HD/CS CBA
NORAD/USNORTHCOM J8C
DSN: 692-4435
Comm: 719-554-4435
Email: william.mathis@northcom.mil

Summary

The 438 HD/CS tasks identified in the Functional Area Analysis (FAA), the 105 Task Level Gaps (TLG) identified in the Functional Needs Analysis (FNA), and the 31 cross-domain functional Capability Gaps identified in the Joint Capability Document (JCD) are mapped within these architecture products. Additionally, the following JROC-validated Integrated Architectures (IA) is incorporated into a single HD/CS CBA IA: 1) NORAD Homeland Air and Cruise Missile Defense of North America (HACMD of NA) Joint Capability Document (JCD), 2) HACMD of NA Functional Solutions Analysis (FSA) and 3) USNORTHCOM Maritime Homeland Defense (MHD) CBA.

The Homeland Defense Civil Support Integrated Architecture supports 10 JCIDS documents and incorporates tasks, capabilities and capability gaps derived from each of three prior CBAs providing the true utility for requirements decision makers including the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and the Secretary of Defense.

Author's Biography

Guy Varland (Serco Inc.) served as the contractor lead architect to develop the USNORTHCOM HD/CS CBA Architecture. His additional homeland defense EA initiatives over the past six years include the NORAD Homeland Air and Cruise Missile Defense and USNORTHCOM Maritime Homeland Defense CBAs. Additionally, Mr. Varland has supported two Coast Guard EA efforts, a new high-speed ISR data link for the Air Force Research Laboratory and Global Strike EA initiatives for the AF's Electronic Systems Center. He is a retired Naval Aviator (F/A-18s) with two command tours, over 5,000 flight hours and combat experience in Iraq, Kosovo and Libya.