69 -- Request for Information (RFI)

Request for Information (RFI)Introduction This publication constitutes a Request for Information notice and no formal Request for Proposals (RFP), solicitation, and/or additional information regarding this request will be issued. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness) will not issue paper copies of this request. Recognizing that asymmetric warfare will be the most likely means that potential enemies will continue to employ in their efforts to challenge U.S. interests, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) (OUSD P&R) previously tasked the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) to study how the military should train to combat asymmetric threats. IDA concluded that, because of the unpredictable nature of such threats, the military should emphasize the development of adaptive leaders, units, and commander/leader teams. In a new follow-on study, OUSD P&R has requested that IDA provide support in the development of an adaptability training strategy. As an initial part of that study, IDA will conduct an analysis of current adaptability training initiatives of the military Services, other government agencies, and private industry. Definitions To clarify what is meant by ?adaptability training,? a definition of adaptability is required. The IDA study agreed with a report by the Army Research Institute which defines adaptability as ?an effective change in response to an altered situation.? Thus, when looked upon as a skill, adaptability can be understood as the ability to recognize an altered situation and to conceive and produce an effective response to that altered situation. Adaptability, while considered a skill in itself, was further decomposed for the purposes of the IDA study as a function, first, of the cognitive skills of intuition and critical and creative thinking and, second, of the relational skills of self-awareness and of team social skills. ? Intuition, as defined by Gary Klein, author of The Power of Intuition, is ?the way we translate our experience into action.? Intuition is the process by which one recognizes how a given situation fits a particular pattern and makes corresponding decisions about how to react to that situation. Studies have shown, with or without training, that is what leaders do. ? Critical and creative thinking are understood to be interrelated and complimentary aspects of thinking. Critical thinking, a widely used term, has been simply defined by Air Force Colonel Michael Guillot as ?the ability to logically assess the quality of one?s thinking and the thinking of others to consistently arrive at greater understanding and achieve wise judgments.? Creative thinking most often relates to innovation and requires imagination, originality, and flexibility. Most education institutions advertise the development of critical thinking as a primary goal ? Self-awareness relates to a realistic assessment of one?s own abilities that allows the individual to play to his or her strengths while remaining aware of his or her weaknesses. Self-awareness includes an individual?s understanding of how he or she is perceived by others and contributes directly to one?s ability to work effectively with others and as part of a team. ? Team social skills are simply those skills that allow groups of individuals to work together effectively. The Consortium for Research on Emotional Intelligence in Organizations has identified one representative sample of key social skills which adaptive leaders and leader teams require. A number of those skills involve social awareness?a parallel to self awareness. These include empathy?an understanding of and interest in the concerns of others, service orientation?a commitment to the needs of those being served, and organizational awareness?recognition of the key relationships and dynamics within the group. Other social skills involve the ability to lead and manage within a group. They include the ability to inspire others, to help others develop their own skills, to initiate and manage change, to manage conflict, to influence others to agree with a position or proposed action, and to build relationships that contribute to creating a shared vision and desire to work collaboratively. Purpose The purpose of this REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) is to obtain information concerning existing training and education programs being employed in industry, academia, and other government agencies that are designed to develop and enhance adaptability skills and the four components thereof as defined above. All information received will be provided to IDA for use in its assessment. General Information 1. Requesting Agency Name Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division Orlando, Florida [ 2. Request for Information Title: Initiative to Support Adaptability Training Throughout the Department of Defense 3. Request for Information Number: 4. Response Date: Information Papers: 15 October 2007 5. Request for Information Description: Respondents are encouraged to provide information concerning one or more of the following: ? Methodologies being used to train leaders and leader teams to recognize an altered situation and to conceive and produce an effective response to that altered situation. ? Methods being provided to leaders or leader teams in order to increase the reliability of their intuition and their confidence in their decision-making processes. ? Education and training methodologies designed specifically to foster critical and creative thinking, as well as metrics being used to measure the development of critical and creative thinking skills. ? Methods currently being employed to develop self-awareness of leaders. ? Training methodologies designed to develop team social skills in groups accustomed to working under pressure to meet changing requirements in an uncertain environment. 6. Points of Contact: Questions shall be directed to , as specified below: Benn Aaronson Acting Deputy Director, Cross-Warfare Programs NAWCTSD 12350 Research Parkway Orlando, FL 32826-3275 E-mail: benn.aaronson@navy.mil Voice 407-380-8250, FAX (407) 380-4442, DSN 960 Application and Submission of Information 1. Application and Submission Process: The due date is no later than 4 PM (Local Eastern Time) on 15 October 2007. The Government will not reimburse any costs associated with the development and submission of materials in response to this request. The papers submitted in response to this notice are expected to be unclassified. The submitted responses will be protected from unauthorized disclosure in accordance with FAR 15.207, applicable law, and DoD/DoN regulations. Submitters are expected to appropriately mark each page of their submission that contains proprietary information. Responses will not be disclosed outside the Department of Defense and IDA without the submitter?s written authorization. 2. Address for the submission of Information Papers: Benn Aaronson Acting Deputy Director, Cross-Warfare Programs NAWCTSD 12350 Research Parkway Orlando, FL 32826-3275 Electronic file transmissions are encouraged. Send e-mail responses to the following e-mail address: benn.aaronson@navy.mil NOTE: RESPONSES SENT BY FAX WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.