MASINT5 Industry Brief Approved

Industry Perspective on AGI/MASINT*StaffingDecember 2006Greg Masse: 

Industry Perspective on AGI/MASINT* Staffing December 2006 Greg Masse *Advanced Geospatial Intelligence/Measurement and Signature Intelligence

Outline: 

Outline General Labor Trends MASINT Labor Observations Final Observations

Labor Shortfall: 

Labor Shortfall By 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says that nearly 50 percent of the workforce will become eligible for retirement. Shortage of available skilled workers may exceed 10 million by 2010. Within the next 10 years, 18 million jobs will require individuals with degrees. At current graduation levels, the Employment Policy Foundation predicts a shortfall of 6 million.

Labor Shortfall (continued): 

Labor Shortfall (continued) 20 percent of this country’s large established companies will be losing 40 percent of their top-level talent in the next five years. The replacement pool of 35-44 year-olds will decline by 15 percent during the same period. Of the 20 fastest growing occupations listed in the 2004-05 Occupational Outlook Handbook, all of the corporate positions are in information technology. Project Manager is #1 - Development Dimensions International, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Employee Loyalty: 

Employee Loyalty According to a new Society of Human Resources Management survey 75 percent of American employees and 82 percent of American executives are looking for a new job.

Where Do We Find AGI/MASINT Candidates for Industry?: 

Where Do We Find AGI/MASINT Candidates for Industry? 20 years ago, most would have come out of the government Cleared Trained Technically focused 10 years ago, about half would have come from government and the remainder from recent college grads Today Experienced MASINT personnel often come from within industry The government pool is shrinking and graying fast Majority are recent grads or changing jobs for a variety of reasons Clearances are an industry nightmare and limiting factor

Where Do We Find Candidates?February 2005 – April 2006: 

Where Do We Find Candidates? February 2005 – April 2006 SAIC Web site: candidates applied via saic.com or resumes found in Web resume Internet: resumes from job boards, personal home pages, conference attendee lists, published articles, etc. Open House/Job Fair: candidates attend this event Campus: new/recent graduates or interns Agency: search firms

2006 Graduate Starting Salaries: 

2006 Graduate Starting Salaries Chemical engineering ($55,900) Computer engineering ($54,877) Electrical/electronics and communications engineering, ($52,899) Mechanical engineering ($50,672) Computer science ($50,046) Accounting ($45,723) Economics/finance, including banking ($45,191) Civil engineering ($44,999) Business administration/management ($39,850) Marketing/marketing management, including marketing research ($36,260) The following majors have the highest salaries paid to 2005-06 graduates. Average salary offers in parentheses. National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).

Retaining AGI/MASINT Personnel: 

Retaining AGI/MASINT Personnel More difficult to retain qualified MASINT personnel today Long-term outlook for AGI/MASINT employment is unclear – especially for younger folks Escalating salaries and competition outside of MASINT Paradox of better AGI/MASINT exploitation tools Lower morale based on increasing sophistication of tools that emphasize production and remove the “science = fun” part Greater focus on IT contribution over science and phenomenology If we make the work seem mindless, we lose MASINT expertise developed over years

Retaining AGI/MASINT Personnel (continued): 

Retaining AGI/MASINT Personnel (continued) Shrinking R&D budgets Industry invests little in basic research – limited commercial applications of AGI/MASINT government funding favors shorter timelines with emphasis on transition to ops Looking more to academia for R&D but clearances are typically a problem Myth of “low hanging fruit” Sad irony: real-world problems are more difficult and the science more demanding

The Contract/Hiring Dilemma Deeply Affects Morale: 

The Contract/Hiring Dilemma Deeply Affects Morale Problem: Assemble a first-rate, cleared, trained MASINT team Keep together for a limited-life contract Develop new work, new customers to sustain the team Place employees in other work if unsuccessful at receiving new MASINT tasking We win work based on the quality of our resumes Attracting and retaining skilled people is difficult without assurances of long term employment Clearances – what can be done? Training is critical to replace aging MASINT workforce Customers often mention a lack of local scientists and phenomenolgists

TS Clearance Cycle Times Survey Results September 2006: 

Cycle time for 105 Top Secret Cases Closed During September ‘06: Initial Cases – 504 calendar-day average from submittal to Final Clearance Authorization (n = 25 Cases) 16 months, 24 days Periodic Reinvestigations – 470 calendar-day average from submittal to Final Clearance Authorization (n = 80 Cases) 15 months, 20 days Combined Average – 478 days (15 months, 28 days) TS Clearance Cycle Times Survey Results September 2006

Timeliness Comparison - Feb ‘06 to Sep ‘06: 

Timeliness Comparison - Feb ‘06 to Sep ‘06 Average Days to Close (Submittal to Posting) Top Secret: February 2006 – 419 calendar day average from submittal to Final Clearance Authorization (142 cases) September 2006 – 478 calendar day average from submittal to Final Clearance Authorization (80 cases) Worsened by 59 days

MASINT Training Requirements: 

MASINT Training Requirements As senior MASINT personnel retire from industry and government over the next 5 years, MASINT training becomes increasing critical to mission success MASINT skills are unique and require formal training, science or engineering background, unique mission understanding, and mentoring Training needs are different for each: Skill – Tasking Collection Processing Exploitation Dissemination (TCPED) MASINT sub-discipline and category Age group Bottom line: training is more important than ever to sustain the AGI/MASINT core

Age Profile of MASINT Personnel: 

Age Profile of MASINT Personnel Veterans Born 1922-1943 (Age 63-84) “Manhattan Project” Born 1977+ (Age ?-29) “9/11” Summary of ages over six SAIC MASINT Divisions Note: four distinct generations in the workplace today 3 percent 6 percent 37 percent 54 percent Baby Boomers Born 1943-1960 (Age 46-63) “Cold War” Generation Xers Born 1960–1980 (Age 26-46) Generation Nexters “Gulf War”

Final Observations: 

Final Observations The first wave of boomers is now reaching retirement age Represents the most experienced MASINT scientists and phenomenologists – primary in traditional MASINT systems Retention techniques - provide opportunities for personal growth, involvement, and public recognition Bulk of MASINT workforce is now Gen Xers More technology savvy and appreciate diversity and pragmatism Top things wanted in a job: Positive relationships with colleagues Interesting work Continuous opportunities for learning Gen Nexters Although small part of the current MASINT workforce are a primary concern for MASINT staffing and training Reflect a mix of values of both previous generations

Gen Xers - The Primary MASINT Workers in Industry: 

Gen Xers - The Primary MASINT Workers in Industry Gen Xers would change jobs for 51 percent to telecommute 61 percent of Gen X women for more flexible hours 77 percent for increased intellectual stimulation What Gen Xers Do Not Care About Recognition Very Low Salary Third from last A signing bonus will not keep someone at work Power and prestige Dead last Shelton Survey of 1200 Gen Xers