12.1 Manpower Management (AFH-1 Section 12C)

12.1 Manpower Management (AFH-1 Section 12C)

Quick Answer: A requirement is the manpower needed to accomplish a job, mission, or program. AFH 1 documents it as a funded manpower authorization or an unfunded requirement. The Unit Manpower Document (UMD) lists both. Assignment is placing people into positions — military personnel are assigned only to positions that meet DoD military-assignment criteria. Do not treat a vacant authorization as an unfunded requirement, and do not submit a manpower change request for short-term surge.

Section 12C is A for SSgt and B for TSgt. TSgt application is using the terms when the shop is short or a function may be inherently governmental.

Constrained resource, authorizations, and surge

"Manpower is a constrained resource that comprises a significant portion of the USAF budget." All missions and programs compete for authorized military and civilian end-strength and established grade distributions, so they must comply with guidelines as directed by Congress. Manpower must be programmed in accordance with validated manpower requirements, within fiscal limits and acceptable risks. The Directorate of Manpower, Organization and Resources, Program Development Division allocates programmed resources by command identifier, program element code, resource identification code, and country state code, then translates them into manpower authorizations by updating the unit manpower document.

Major commands should use means other than programmed manpower change requests for short-term mission or surge workload: (1) available funds and command civilian employment plans to employ civilians; (2) overtime, temporary full-time, part-time, or overhire of civilians; (3) Air Reserve Component support via military pay appropriation funds; (4) temporary duty military and civilian personnel; and (5) contract service. TSgt application: a 60-day surge is one of those five alternatives, not "grow the UMD." Changes to command-specific military and civilian manpower requirements must be validated and approved by Headquarters Air Force before programming and resourcing.

Requirements, standards, and assignment

Three types of manpower conduct the mission: military personnel, in-service civilian employees, and contracted services. The services assign military personnel only to positions that directly contribute to the prosecution of war; are military by law, custom, or tradition; or are needed for overseas rotation, operational deployment augmentation, or career field sustainment.

The requirements determination process systematically identifies manpower required for approved missions. Defense planning guidance defines the planning scenarios used to size and shape the Total Force. Requirements are sized for the most demanding phase of the scenario construct, including rotational forces needed for prolonged conflicts. Manpower and organization flight personnel objectively quantify those requirements. Key services include peacetime manpower standards development, wartime manpower requirements, and commercial services management (public-private competition, in-sourcing, business process reengineering). Peacetime manpower standards give the function an objective size.

Requirement, authorization, assignment, funded, unfunded

Citing AFI 38-101, AFH 1 defines a manpower requirement as "the manpower needed to accomplish a job, mission, or program" and states it can be documented as a funded manpower authorization or an unfunded requirement.

The UMD describes positions, not people. A vacant funded authorization is still an authorization.

The Unit Manpower Document

The UMD is "the primary document that reflects the manpower required to accomplish the unit mission" — a computer-generated product listing funded and unfunded requirements. Data elements: position number, Air Force Specialty Code, functional account code, office symbol code, grade, personnel accounting symbol, and reason code. TSgt application: check the UMD for accuracy and track authorized strength. Submit a manpower change request with justification to the servicing manpower organization; approved changes appear as a change notice generated by the manpower programming and execution system.

Commercial services, competitive sourcing, and in-sourcing

Manpower and Organization Flight core competencies are organization structure, requirement determination, program allocation and control, and process improvement.

Commercial Services Management uses competitive sourcing, in-sourcing, and post-competition accountability under the major command Manpower Organization and Resources Office. Three goals: sustain readiness; improve performance and quality by doing business more efficiently and cost effectively; and focus available personnel and resources on core USAF missions. It will not affect military-essential skills or inherently governmental functions. The Air Force Manpower Analysis Agency develops tools, administers the inherently governmental/commercial activities inventory, and monitors post-competition accountability.

A competitive sourcing study is a public-private competition of in-house cost versus private-sector cost of the same activity. The mission remains essentially unchanged. It is the composition of the workforce that changes. Where military personnel performed the mission, the provider becomes civil servants or contract employees, freeing military personnel for core military-essential activities.

In-sourcing is "the conversion of a contracted function to Department of Defense civilian or military performance, or vice versa." A business case analysis compares contract cost to DoD civilian cost. It applies when the function: (1) was performed by DoD civilians in the previous 10 years; (2) is closely associated with an inherently governmental function; (3) was awarded noncompetitively; or (4) a contracting officer determined it was performed poorly in the preceding five years because of excessive costs or inferior quality. Functions that are inherently governmental, exempt from contract performance, unauthorized personal services, or experiencing contract administration problems shall be in-sourced regardless of cost.