A Performance-Based Approach to Human Resource Readiness

摘要: Efforts to accurately assess and report naval readiness have been ongoing for over - 40 years. Despite some technical improvements over the years, the Navy's system for assessing the readiness of its forces has not progressed much beyond taking static snapshots of current levels of resources in the areas of personnel, material, logistics, and training. Recently, readiness assessment has come under the microscopes of several agencies (e.g., GAO, CBO), and the reports have not been complimentary. The major problems with measuring and reporting readiness today are inaccuracy, lack of comprehensibility, and the inability to forecast trends. This report represents the initial stages of a long term program to improve how the Navy measures and reports its' readiness status. The present study (1) discusses the nature of readiness' assessment in the context of measurement theory, (2) presents a conceptual model of the readiness process, (3) reports on preliminary findings on linking predictor variables to readiness performance, and (4) discusses the probable impact of adopting three new analytical tools (structural equation modeling, artificial neural networks, and multi-level analyses) to the study of readiness. The report concludes that progress can be made toward more accurate and comprehensive readiness assessment, which is vital to our national interests. The research strategy recommended will lead to a better understanding and prediction of the military capability of our armed forces.