Integrated Planning for the Air Force Senior Leader Workforce. Background and Methods

Abstract : Organizations such as the United States Air Force, which encompass a wide variety of operational, technical, and business-oriented activities, are complex. And the task of ensuring the continued availability of individuals having the competencies required to lead those activities effectively also complex, especially in an organization that largely selects leaders from within its own ranks. This study, conducted in the Manpower, Personnel, and Training Program of RAND Project AIR FORCE, examined: 1. Competency requirements for Air Force senior leader positions, including both general officer (GO) and Senior Executive Service (SES) positions. 2. Optimal competency mixes in the inventory of senior leaders, recognizing that competency requirements for individual positions cannot be met perfectly in a closed personnel system. 3. Flexibility in the boundary between GO and SES utilization in order to better meet organizational needs and enhance career development.