Analysis Working Group (AWG) Support

The Support for Analysis Working Group program is a strategic initiative under the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Its primary objective is to enhance the Department's analytic capabilities by supporting the Office of the Director, Cost Assessment & Program Evaluation (CAPE). This program aims to provide robust and high-quality strategic analysis products that assist the Secretary and Deputy Secretary in decision-making processes. The overarching goal is to create an agile and responsive analytic enterprise that can offer sound decision support, ensuring a sustainable and long-term advantage for the U.S. military.

The Analysis Working Group (AWG) plays a crucial role in this initiative by guiding and marshalling the Department’s analytic capabilities. It focuses on advancing key strategic priorities through improved analytic foundations for senior leader decisions. Additionally, it addresses necessary reforms within the analytic community, such as enhancing data sharing and knowledge management practices. By doing so, it aims to establish clear priorities and standards that focus analysts on providing effective decision support.

In fiscal years 2024 and 2025, the program plans to concentrate on several critical areas. These include improving transparency across the analytic community, enhancing data quality, expanding access to data, and evolving methods and tools used in strategic analysis. These efforts are designed to ensure that the Department's analytic enterprise remains high-performing and innovative, with appropriate policies, structures, people, and tools in place to support timely strategic decisions.

The acquisition strategy involves a mix of research provided by university-affiliated research centers (UARCs), Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs), and competitive contracts with commercial firms. This diverse approach ensures that a wide range of expertise is leveraged to achieve the program's objectives effectively. Through these collaborative efforts, the Support for Analysis Working Group aims to maintain its commitment to developing an advanced analytic enterprise capable of meeting future challenges.