RESOURCE ALLOCATION

Capabilities

Federal, state, and local governments have formed partnerships in many program areas to jointly manage delivery of services. This has led to complex resource and cost allocation formulas. Together with corresponding reporting responsibilities, joint management has contributed to new data collection, accounting, and reporting techniques.

Effective resource allocation marries analytical expertise and functional experience to determine needs and evaluate alternative solutions. LMI provides analytical support to

• design and improve resource allocation and decision-making processes;
• develop tools and methods for analyzing cost, benefits, and risks; and
• help government clients analyze needs and evaluate alternatives.

We have developed a set of tools and methods to help our clients manage limited resources more effectively, including portfolio management, strategic technology roadmapping for research-oriented agencies, and analytical tools for prioritizing competing projects. All of these tools and methods align with higher-level agency objectives and performance measures, enabling better management and responsiveness to Office of Management and Budget evaluation criteria.

CLIENTS AND SOLUTIONS

DoD—Preparing DoD for an Unpredictable Future

Because DoD sought to improve the evaluation and alignment of its defense strategy, resources, organizations, and weapons systems, we were asked to help develop a solution.  Taking an innovative approach, we thoroughly evaluated the data used for DoD’s Future Years Defense Program.  Our unique approach successfully identified opportunities to both better align data content with decision-making needs and improve data quality.  It also provided a way for defense programs to be displayed within the Joint Staff’s new Joint Capability Areas—the framework for assessing overall defense capabilities.  Our pioneering work overcame several major analytical barriers and rapidly produced results that were credible to senior leaders by allowing them to see the defense portfolio from many angles—showing how programs change over time to address new challenges and threats.  This powerful work is being incorporated into the resource information system used by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, and military services to support defense analysis and decision making.