Force generation through information sharing

When IT capabilities are focused to meet the information needs of the Warfighter, information can be employed as a force multiplier.

a.             Force-multiplier benefits of information. Information becomes a force multiplier when it provides a capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment. Information technology and DM provide tools that enable the Army to achieve force multiplication through information sharing and network-centric operations. Command and control has been a recognized force multiplier, and improvements in information technologies offer opportunities to improve existing information sharing and explore new approaches.
                                      
b.             Customer-focused information technology management. The IT community professionals will maintain customer focus in their support of system users and the Warfighter.


(1)          The Army IT community provides information capabilities and services for the benefit of Army, DOD, non-Defense Federal agencies, coalition partners Enterprise Email, and the general public. The IT capabilities and services are not ends in themselves. Ultimately, they have value only when they support the Warfighter and the Army’s mission. Because of the strategic and tactical roles of IT in support of the Army’s missions, the IT community must maintain focus on the needs of its customers.


(2)   This customer focus should include awareness of current user requirements, the quantity and quality of the support provided, future customer requirements, and emerging IT capabilities. The Army’s use of IT requires a strong relationship between the IT community and its customer, where both the customer and the service provider take responsibility for communicating with one another. Each organization’s ITM process must have that same communica-tion strength. Although primary responsibility must be assigned to the various aspects of this process, both IT providers and their customers must remain actively engaged for the process to succeed.

c. Customer participation in information technology management.

(1)          Army customers must be sensitive to the IT community’s need for customer involvement in seemingly unrelated management issues because of the potential IT impacts to Army organizations. Customers must also be willing to participate actively in the support process, especially in defining their requirements. Customers must identify their IT requirements and communicate these clearly to IT personnel (that is, information management officers (IMOs), S–6, G–6, or network enterprise centers (NECs)) throughout the procurement process to ensure the customers’ needs are fulfilled.

The IT community must embrace accountability to the customer. Ensuring that customer requirements are identified and met are essential elements of the ITM process. The IT community’s acceptance of an agreed-upon customer support level must be fully backed with adequate IT staff and resources in order to meet the commitment at the supported installation site. Service and accountability to the customer will be incorporated into the analysis to outsource or consolidate, and included in agreements and contracts for IT support capabilities.

Information accountability and transparency

a.                                                          Record-keeping requirements. Records created under the purview of this regulation, regardless of content or format, will be kept, at a minimum, in accordance with the retention schedules found at https://www.arims.army.mil. The Army Records Information Management System (ARIMS) is a role-based system managed and operated by the U.S. Army Records Management and Declassification Agency (RMDA). The primary purpose of ARIMS is to provide authorized personnel with Web-based tools and technology to manage both hardcopy and electronic Army records. Additional requirements at the State level, including statutory, legal, financial, or administrative by the authority of the State’s governor and adjutant general, will be governed by Title 32 of the United States Code and managed in accordance with State policy. Note that information used in decision-making and business processes is Army record material (whether stored electronically or as a hard copy), and is scheduled, maintained, and preserved in accordance with AR 25–400–2.

b.                                                          Information as a resource.



(1)          Except where restricted for reasons of national security, privacy, sensitivity, or proprietary rights, personnel will manage information as a shared resource and make it available to all authorized to access the information to accomplish their mission and functions. The cost to the Army of collecting Enterprise Email, processing, distributing, and storing information makes it impossible to view information as a free commodity. Army personnel must carefully plan requirements for information and supporting IT. The management of information resources and IT is applicable to all Army organizations.

 

(2)          The IT and related investments will be evaluated in terms of direct support and compatibility with Army enterprise (AE) solutions, mandates, and processes and their corresponding information requirements.



(3)          The IT embedded in or integral to weapon systems, machines, medical instrumentation, servomechanisms, training devices, or test and evaluation (TE) systems, except for those systems with no external interface, are included in the provisions of this regulation. This regulation supports the precept that information is a strategic defense asset during peacetime and wartime, and the peacetime information infrastructure must support wartime requirements by providing information services for rapid deployment and sustainment of U.S. Armed Forces around the world.


The Army information architecture (AIA) was developed based on DOD’s information enterprise architecture (IEA) in order to enable better understanding and interoperability of shared information by providing guidance and compliance requirements to Army stakeholders. The AIA enables the design, development, deployment, and use of information systems that are consistent, comprehensive, compatible, and integrated across the Army enterprise. This multiplies the impact of agile, adaptive IT by leading to more efficient and effective computing environments; which as part of the common operating environment are less costly to develop, design, field, and support. In addition, the AIA aligns to the Army and DOD data strategy to make data visible, accessible, understandable, trusted (to include protection, assurance, and security), and interoperable throughout their life cycle to any authorized Army consumer or mission partner possessing the appropriate security clearance and need to know. The end state of the LandWarNet, enabled by integrating the AIA into overall Army Enterprise Architecture (AEA) activities, will consist of data-enriched applications with an increased ability to access, interact with, and use diverse data stores. This is done via a layer of standard data services, informed as needed by information exchange standards specifications (IESS) within or among communities of interest (COIs).

Army Information Technology

This regulation establishes policies and assigns responsibilities for in-formation management and information technology. It applies to information tech-nology contained in both business systems and national security systems (except as noted) developed for or purchased by the Department of Army. It addresses the management of information as an Army resource, the technology supporting infor-mation requirements, and the resources supporting information technology. This regulation implements 40 United States Code, Subtitle III; 44 United States Code, Chapters 35 and 36; 10 United States Code, Sections 2223 and 3014; and DODD 8000.01. It establishes the Army’s Chief Information Officer. The full scope of the Chief Information Officer’s respon-sibilities and management processes are delineated throughout this regulation. These management processes involve stra-tegic planning Enterprise Email, capital planning, business process analysis and improvement, assess-ment of proposed systems, information re-s o u r c e m a n a g e m e n t ( t o i n c l u d e investment strategy), performance meas-urements, acquisition, and training.

 

Applicability. This regulation applies to the Active Army, the Army National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve, unless otherwise stated. Portions of this regula-tion prescribe specific prohibitions that are punitive, and violations of these provi-sions may subject offenders to non-judi-cial or judicial action under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. During mobili-zation, procedures in this publication can be modified to support policy changes as necessary.

Proponent and exception authority.

The proponent of this regulation is Chief Information Officer/G–6. The proponent has the authority to approve exceptions or waivers to this regulation that are consis-tent with controlling law and regulations. The proponent may delegate this approval authority, in writing, to a division chief within the proponent agency or its direct reporting unit or field operating agency, in the grade of colonel or the civilian equiv-alent. Activities may request a waiver to this regulation by providing justification that includes a full analysis of the ex-pected benefits and must include formal review by the activity’s senior legal offi-cer. All waiver requests will be endorsed by the commander or senior leader of the requesting activity and forwarded through their higher headquarters to the policy proponent. Refer to AR 25–30 for specific guidance.

Army internal control process. This regulation contains internal control provi-sions and provides an Internal Control Evaluation for use in evaluating key inter-nal controls (see appendix C).

S u p p l e m e n t a t i o n . Supplementation of this regulation and establishment of com-mand and local forms are prohibited with-out prior approval from the Chief Information Officer/G–6 (SAIS–PRG), 107 Army Pentagon, Washington, DC 20310–0107.

Suggested improvements. Users are invited to send comments and suggested improvements on DA Form 2028 (Recom-mended Changes to Publications and Blank Forms) directly to Office of the C h i e f I n f o r m a t i o n O f f i c e r / G – 6 (SAIS–PRG), 107 Army Pentagon, Wash-ington, DC 20310–0107 (cio-g6.policy.in-box@mail.mil).

Committee management. AR 15–1 re-quires the proponent to justify establishing or continuing committee(s), coordinate draft publications, and coordinate changes in committee status with the U.S. Army Resources and Programs Agency, Depart-ment of the Army Committee Manage-ment Office (AARP–ZA), 9301 Chapek Road, Building 1458, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060-5527. Further, if it is determined that an established “group” identified within this regulation, later takes on the characteristics of a committee, as found in the AR 15–1, then the proponent will fol-low all AR 15-1 requirements for es-tablishing and continuing the group as a committee.

Distribution. This publication is availa-ble in electronic media only and is in-tended for command levels B, C, D, and E for the Active Army, the Army Na-tional Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and the U.S. Army Reserve.