R 231317Z JUN 00 ZYW
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC//MI//
TO MARADMIN
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UNCLAS //N01080//
MARADMIN 315/00
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC/MI//
SUBJ/TOTAL FORCE ADMINISTRATION SYSTEM (TFAS) QUALITY LEADERSHIP
/BOARD (QLB) AFTER ACTION REPORT//
REF/A/RMG/CMC WASHDC/YMD:000223/230800//
AMPN/REF IS ANNOUNCEMENT OF TFAS QLB MEETING//
RMKS/1. THE PURPOSE OF THIS MARADMIN IS TO UPDATE MARINES AND THEIR
COMMANDERS ON TFAS. PER THE REF, THE TFAS QLB MET RECENTLY IN
QUANTICO TO REVIEW PROGRAM PROGRESS, REFINE THE TFAS VISION/END
STATE AND MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT ADMIN PROCESSES BEING REENGINEERED BY
THE TFAS STEERING GROUP.
2. THE TFAS QUALITY LEADERSHIP BOARD (QLB) HAS DONE TREMENDOUS WORK
TO ARTICULATE A CLEAR CONCEPT AND ROADMAP FOR THE TFAS INITIATIVE.
THE CONCEPT AND ROADMAP THAT REFLECT THE LATEST WORK OF THE TFAS QLB
INVOLVE EVOLUTIONARY STEPS THAT WILL PRODUCE REVOLUTIONARY CHANGES
TO HOW WE CURRENTLY CONDUCT PAY AND PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION. THIS
MARADMIN DISCUSSES THIS CONCEPT AND ROADMAP AND PROVIDES A PROGRESS
UPDATE. THE CONCEPT AND END STATE THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FOR PAY AND PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT IN THE 21ST CENTURY ARE SIMILAR
TO THE FIVE ECHELONS OF EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE:
A. FIRST ECHELON OF PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION WILL BE A
SELF-SERVICE CAPABILITY ALLOWING MARINES TO ACCESS THEIR RECORDS AND
MAKE ROUTINE RECORD CHANGES VIA A WEB SITE, INTERACTIVE VOICE
RESPONSE SYSTEM OR BY TALKING DIRECTLY TO A REPRESENTATIVE AT A
CORPS-WIDE CONTACT CENTER. ANY TRANSACTION SUBMITTED BY THE
INDIVIDUAL MARINE WILL GENERATE A FEEDBACK ADVISORY TO THE
COMMANDER. THE EMPLOYEE/MEMBER SELF SERVICE (E/MSS) CAPABILITY
RECENTLY FIELDED BY DFAS IS AN EXCELLENT START FOR THIS ECHELON OF
SUPPORT AND IS EXPANDABLE. ALTHOUGH THERE MAY BE SOME RESISTANCE TO
THE IDEA OF SELF-SERVICE CAPABILITY FOR ROUTINE ACCESS AND RECORDS
CHANGES, OUR MARINES COME FROM A WORLD WHERE TECHNOLOGY IS
COMMONPLACE AND INTO A CORPS WHERE THE COMMANDANT'S GUIDANCE IS
CLEAR: 'IF WE BELIEVE THAT MARINES TRY TO DO THE RIGHT THING, IT
FOLLOWS THAT OUR POLICIES AND DIRECTIVES SHOULD REFLECT THAT
CONVICTION. JUST AS WE TRUST ONE ANOTHER INSTINCTIVELY IN COMBAT,
SO TOO CAN WE ENJOY THE SAME CONFIDENCE IN OUR DAILY LIVES.'
B. SECOND ECHELON SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED BY SMALL UNIT LEADERS.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT TURNING LEADERS INTO ADMIN CLERKS. THESE LEADERS
WILL DO THE SAME WORK THEY ARE DOING TODAY, ONLY DIFFERENTLY.
ELECTRONIC DEVICES WILL REPLACE CLIPBOARDS AND PAPER ALPHA ROSTERS
AND ALLOW SMALL UNIT LEADERS TO ACCESS AND INITIATE CHANGED
INFORMATION IN MCTFS THAT THEY CURRENTLY REPORT EVERY DAY.
EXAMPLES OF SECOND ECHELON REPORTING INCLUDE INDIVIDUAL TRAINING
INFORMATION, PRO/CON MARKS, ANNUAL LEAVE, BILLET MOS AND OTHER
NON-TECHNICAL INFORMATION THAT DOES NOT REQUIRE SCHOOL-TRAINED
ADMINISTRATORS TO REPORT. TODAY, OUR SMALL UNIT LEADERS COLLECT
THIS INFORMATION AND USHER IT THROUGH A LABORIOUS PROCESS THAT
CULMINATES WITH UNIT DIARY CLERKS KEYING THE INFORMATION INTO MCTFS.
SECOND ECHELON REPORTING WILL STREAMLINE THESE PROCESSES AND REDUCE
ERRORS. WHILE TFAS ACTIONS TO DATE HAVE CENTERED AROUND
CONSOLIDATING ADMIN CAPABILITY, THESE TWO ECHELONS OF SUPPORT
REPRESENT AN ENORMOUS DECENTRALIZATION OF ADMINISTRATION.
C. THIRD ECHELON SUPPORT WILL HAVE TRAINED PERSONNEL
ADMINISTRATORS TO REPORT INFORMATION INTO MCTFS. A SMALL NUMBER OF
PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATORS LOCATED AT THE BATTALION/SQUADRON S-1
OFFICE, OR IN A SIMILAR CAPACITY AT OTHER COMMANDS, WILL REPORT
LIMITED TECHNICAL TRANSACTIONS WITH THE ABILITY TO REACH BACK
(IN GARRISON OR DEPLOYED) TO THE FOURTH ECHELON CAPABILITY FOR
ASSISTANCE WITH MORE TECHNICAL PROCESSES/TRANSACTIONS. THIRD ECHELON
CAPABILITY WILL BE SUFFICIENTLY ROBUST TO PROVIDE FIRST AND SECOND
ECHELON SUPPORT IN A DEPLOYED ENVIRONMENT AND IN GARRISON.
D. FOURTH ECHELON SUPPORT WILL BE PROVIDED BY A SINGLE MARINE
CORPS TOTAL FORCE ADMINISTRATION CENTER. THIS CENTER WILL SUPPORT
PROCESSES THAT REQUIRE IN-DEPTH TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE AND HIGHER-LEVEL
CONTROL/OVERSIGHT FOR REGULAR, RESERVE AND RETIRED MARINES. THIS
FOURTH ECHELON CAPABILITY WILL BE PART OF THE MAGTF. IT WILL SUPPORT
OMFTS CONCEPTS BY SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE FOOTPRINT ABOARD SHIP
AND ASHORE. A PRELIMINARY ESTIMATE IS THAT 25 TO 30 PERCENT OF
THE TRANSACTIONS CONDUCTED IN TODAY'S CONSOLIDATED ADMIN OFFICES
WILL BE CONDUCTED BY THE FOURTH ECHELON.
E. FIFTH ECHELON SUPPORT WILL CONTINUE TO BE PROVIDED BY HIGHER
HEADQUARTERS ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT DIVISION AT
HQMC (E.G.,AOWP AND PROMOTION ENTRIES) AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
OFFICES. ABOUT 20 PERCENT OF TODAY'S TRANSACTION REPORTING IS DONE
THROUGH THIS ECHELON OF SUPPORT.
3. THE ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENT TFAS INCLUDES FOUR PHASES:
A. PHASE ONE HAS TWO PARTS: FIELD-LEVEL CONSOLIDATIONS AND
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT. FIELD-LEVEL CONSOLIDATION ABOVE THE
TRADITIONAL BN/SQDN LEVEL THROUGHOUT THE OPERATING FORCES AND MAJOR
BASES AND STATIONS IS A MEASURE TO MAKE ENDS MEET AS WE ABSORB THE
IMPACT OF THE 1,067 BILLET CUT FOR ADMINISTRATORS. THE TARGET
DATE FOR THE COMPLETION OF THESE CONSOLIDATIONS IS SEP 2001. IN THE
FIRST QUARTER OF FY02, WE WILL CONDUCT A STRUCTURE REVIEW TO PROVIDE
THE INTERIM STANDARDS FOR PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION T/O REQUIREMENTS.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT COMMANDERS MEET THE SEP 01 TARGET AS EARLY AS
POSSIBLE SO THEY HAVE THE EMPIRICAL DATA TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE
STRUCTURE REVIEW. THE SECOND PART OF PHASE ONE IS PROGRAM
DEVELOPMENT. THIS INCLUDES DEVELOPING THE ACQUISITION STRATEGY FOR
THE TECHNOLOGY ENABLERS AND IDENTIFYING THE MILCON REQUIREMENTS
DISCUSSED BELOW. WE EXPECT PHASE ONE TO BE COMPLETE IN EARLY FY02.
B. PHASE TWO IS THE DECENTRALIZATION PHASE. PROCESS ENHANCEMENTS
AND TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE FIELDED TO THE FIRST THROUGH THIRD ECHELON.
PHASE TWO WILL BE COMPLETE WHEN THE SRB/OQR IS COMPLETELY AUTOMATED
AND THE FIRST THROUGH THIRD ECHELON REPORTING CAPABILITIES ARE FULLY
IMPLEMENTED. PHASE TWO WILL START IN FY02 AND BE LARGELY COMPLETED
BY FY05.
C. PHASE THREE IS THE CORPS-WIDE CONSOLIDATION OF OUR FOURTH
ECHELON SUPPORT CAPABILITY INTO A SINGLE TOTAL FORCE ADMINISTRATION
CENTER FOR THE MARINE CORPS. THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS REMAINING
AT THE REGIMENTAL/GROUP/INSTALLATION CONSOLIDATED ADMINISTRATION
OFFICES WILL MIGRATE TO THE CENTER. WE WILL ASSESS THE NEED FOR
LIMITED FOURTH ECHELON CAPABILITIES AT OTHER LOCATIONS DEPENDING ON
LOCAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. TECHNICAL SUPPORT OFFICES, SIMILAR TO
TODAY'S MARINE CORPS ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYSIS TEAMS AND THE MANPOWER
INFORMATION SYSTEMS SUPPORT OFFICES, WILL BE ESTABLISHED AT MAJOR
INSTALLATIONS. THESE OFFICES WILL ALSO PROVIDE LIMITED REDUNDANCY
FOR THE MARINE CORPS TOTAL FORCE ADMINISTRATION CENTER IN CASE OF
CATASTROPHIC FAILURE/ASYMMETRIC ATTACK. THIS PHASE WILL COMMENCE
IN FY05 AND BE COMPLETED IN THE FY07/08 TIMEFRAME.
D. PHASE FOUR IS AN OPTIMIZATION PHASE FOR REFINEMENTS AND
PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS AS WE INSTITUTIONALIZE AND MATURE TFAS.
4. CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN PHASE ONE OF THIS ROADMAP.
WE HAVE AN APPROVED REQUIREMENT IN THE COMBAT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
AND HAVE RECEIVED A FAVORABLE MILESTONE 0 DECISION IN THE
ACQUISITION PROCESS. THE ASSESSMENT OF THE TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURE
IS UNDERWAY AND IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS
SUMMER. THE SUPPORT FOR THIS INITIATIVE IN THE FY02 POM PROCESS
HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS. THERE IS STRONG RECOGNITION THROUGHOUT THE
MARINE CORPS THAT WE NEED A SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE IN OUR OVERALL
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT PROCESS FOR MARINES AND COMMANDERS. THE
INITIATIVE IS CURRENTLY ABOVE THE LINE FOR FUNDING IN POM-02. WE
EXPECT TO DEFINE THE MILCON REQUIREMENT FOR A TOTAL FORCE
ADMINISTRATION CENTER BY THE END OF FY01.
5. SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS HAS ALSO BEEN MADE THROUGHOUT THE OPERATING
FORCES TO CONSOLIDATE ABOVE THE TRADITIONAL BN/SQDN LEVEL. THE
MARFOR G-1S REPORT THAT THE SEP 01 TARGET DATE WILL BE MET. I MEF,
WITH SUPPORT FROM REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER CONSOLIDATED UNITS
THROUGHOUT THE CORPS, IS DEVELOPING AN INTERIM SET OF AUTOMATED
TOOLS AND PROCESSES THAT WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE CORPS-WIDE BY THE
END OF FY00. THESE INTERIM TOOLS AND PROCESSES ARE INTENDED TO
BRIDGE THE GAP AS WE PURSUE THE LONG-TERM PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY
SOLUTIONS THROUGH THE ACQUISITION PROCESS. AT THE HQMC LEVEL, WE
NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND LOCAL RESOURCE SHORTFALLS AND, WHERE
POSSIBLE, HELP IDENTIFY RESOURCES FOR PHASE ONE CONSOLIDATION
EFFORTS.
6. WE HAVE A GOOD DEAL OF WORK TO DO BEFORE WE CAN FULLY IDENTIFY
THE STRUCTURE REALIGNMENTS THAT WILL RESULT FROM THIS INITIATIVE. IT
IS CLEAR, HOWEVER, THAT STRUCTURE REALIGNMENT, BEYOND THE INITIAL
1,067, IS POSSIBLE WITH TFAS. THE INITIAL GOAL WAS AN OVERALL
REALIGNMENT OF 33 PERCENT OF OUR ADMIN STRUCTURE AND INDICATIONS ARE
THAT WE WILL MEET OR EXCEED THAT GOAL. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
THAT WE NOT EXECUTE THOSE REALIGNMENTS UNTIL THE NECESSARY
ORGANIZATIONAL, PROCESS AND TECHNOLOGY ENHANCEMENTS HAVE BEEN PUT IN
PLACE. IDENTIFYING THESE REALIGNMENTS AND EXECUTING THEM IN AN
ORDERLY FASHION WILL ALSO BETTER POSITION US TO FORMULATE THE
MANPOWER INVENTORY MANAGEMENT PLANS THAT WILL MINIMIZE THE IMPACT
ON THOSE MARINES AFFECTED.
7. THIS IS A MAJOR CHANGE IN HOW WE CONDUCT PERSONNEL
ADMINISTRATION. IT WILL TAKE UP-FRONT INVESTMENTS, INFRASTRUCTURE
ENHANCEMENTS, CHANGES TO TRAINING AND A SIGNIFICANT MINDSET CHANGE
IN HOW WE PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT TO MARINES AND COMMANDERS.
THIS IS A PROACTIVE, FORWARD-LOOKING PLAN THAT WILL TAKE US WELL
INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. IT INCORPORATES STATE-OF-THE-ART METHODS TO
TAKE CARE OF OUR MARINES, LEVERAGES THE TECHNOLOGICAL TALENTS OF
INDUSTRY AND OUR NEWEST GENERATIONS OF MARINES AND PROVIDES
TREMENDOUS POTENTIAL TO REDUCE OUR TOOTH-TO-TAIL RATIO IN THE MAGTF.
8. FOR PLANNING PURPOSES THE NEXT QLB CONFERENCE IS TENTATIVELY
SCHEDULED TO BE HOSTED BY MCRSC KANSAS CITY 13-15 SEPT 2000.
9. POC: MR J. D. KENKEL OR CWO4 T. TORRESRAMOS (HQMC MIP) DSN
278-9060, COML (703)784-9060, EMAIL KENKELJD@MANPOWER.USMC.MIL OR
TORRESRAMOST@MANPOWER.USMC.MIL.//
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