NCOIC Update

Written by Hans Polzer and Dr. Aaron Budgor

MIT 2009 Volume: 13 Issue: 11 (December)

(Editor’s Note: This is one of a series of updates from the Network Centric Operations Industry Consortium (NCOIC), an organization dedicated to network-centric operations (NCO) and the interoperability that NCO can bring to its customers.)

The Network Centric Analysis Tool (NCAT) is a collaborative, Web-based tool that measures the interoperability of reference models, architectures, systems, programs, capabilities and even entire organizations. NCAT features a questionnaire format, so assessors can select from an NCOIC template containing 300 questions, and then tailor those questions or create new ones.

NCOIC recently released NCAT V3, which combines its Systems of Systems, Capabilities, Operations, Programs and Enterprises (SCOPE) tool with NCAT V2. The new version also includes enhanced user interfaces and ease-of-use features. NCAT V3 expedites questionnaire formation by allowing users to create and change questions within the tool itself, rather than relying solely on previously developed questions generated either by NCOIC or the user.

As designed, SCOPE is first used to pose exploratory questions, including: How net-centric are the elements of your current systems? How much net-centricity do you need to achieve the mission? What are the operational interactions between enterprises? Answering these questions can help users to extract greater operational effectiveness from a given set of resources.

Once a user has established an ideal level of interoperability via SCOPE questions, NCAT is then used to independently assess all elements that the developer deems essential to interoperability. For example, is the level of net-centricity right for the intended environment? Will the program hit that mark? Will it interoperate with other programs?

NCAT facilitates evaluation of the essential elements to determine the level of interoperability compliance achieved.

To summarize, NCAT V3 gives tool set users the ability to perform a net-centric two-step. Step one uses SCOPE questions to analyze how far in, or out of, the “networkcentricity box” a system is, and how well it would work with other networked systems. Step two uses NCAT questions to measure how well a design meets the requirements to support the desired level of interoperability.

When developers have used SCOPE to establish the breadth of a net-centric evaluation, and used NCAT to measure how well a design meets those requirements, they will have greater confidence that the system or capability can operate in a network-centric environment within the selected and/or established operational scope.

NCOIC member companies and partners are using NCAT to assess “go/no go” decisions about new business pursuits that require net-centric compliance, to evaluate capabilities that support interoperable decision-making, and more.

“We have used NCAT to assess levels of interoperability during NATO Response Force exercises. The Centre of Excellence found the tool to be very helpful and useful in establishing the level of interoperability,” said Commander Fred van Ettinger, section head at the Multi National Command and Control Centre of Excellence.

The U.S. Air Force Space Command indicates that it needs to do more than 100 net-centric assessments to determine which programs to support. It is using NCAT, with a tailored set of 180 questions, to accomplish those assessments.

“Boeing has used NCAT to assess programs from the very small to the very large and complex,” said Ken Cureton, senior engineering manager at Boeing and vice chairman of NCOIC’s Technical Council. “NCAT has uncovered surprises and sometimes forced us to re-evaluate our plan. If you want to increase interoperability and achieve your strategic intent, this is the tool to use.”

Lockheed Martin has used SCOPE to selectively evaluate existing programs and proposals—always striving to increase their effectiveness within a mission space—and to reframe that challenge in the context of network-centric operations.

SCOPE and NCAT V3 are available, free of charge, at www.ncoic.org. ♦

Hans Polzer is chairman of NCOIC’s Net-centric Attributes team and a Lockheed Martin fellow. Dr. Aaron Budgor is senior technical advisor to NCOIC.

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