Geoffrey McGovern

The authors present lessons learned and observations from an effort to help inform future U. S. Marine Corps Joint Cyber Weapon program acquisition information requirements and educate Department of Defense Software Acquisition Pathway (SWP) program planning efforts. Programs can better use the SWP by prioritizing the acquisition artifact schedule, ensuring stakeholder communication, tailoring artifacts to program needs, and resourcing the program effectively.

This report describes the creation, organization, governance, and operation of asbestos personal-injury trusts and compiles publicly available information on the assets, outlays, claim-approval criteria, and governing boards of the 26 largest trusts. The authors find that important data are incomplete, often shallow, and inconsistent.

Reported here is an investigation into the current baseline level of intellectual property (IP) support at the U. S. Department of Homeland Security and its components. The results suggest that IP initiatives offer greater opportunities for operational improvement than department leadership currently recognizes. The research revealed several examples of overlooked IP issues that are currently exposing programs to substantial risk.

This report provides a closer look at the current state of the Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) program as well as how new CUI rules might affect DoD acquisition data management. We found a high degree of overlap in the content of past and present CUI labels used for acquisition data, but the problem going forward is translating new policy into practice.

Acquisition data play a critical role in the management of the U. S. Department of Defense s portfolio of weapon systems, but identifying which unclassified but potentially sensitive data require protection as Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and how to label them appropriately is a challenge. The authors evaluated current CUI labeling procedures, practices, and security policies and recommend improvements."

Increased use of the reserve component, particularly since September 11, 2001, and an expectation that this role will continue and possibly increase in the future has renewed interest in the question of the appropriate number of reserve component general and flag officers (RC G/FOs). RAND researchers conducted a review of requirements and authorized strength for RC G/FOs.

Acquisition data underpin the management and oversight of the U. S. defense acquisition portfolio. However, balancing security and transparency has been an ongoing challenge. This report identifies the problems and challenges associated with sharing unclassified information within the U. S. Department of Defense and investigates the role of policies and practices associated with such sharing.

This report investigates whether bankruptcy reduces the likelihood that exposure to the asbestos-containing products of bankrupt parties will be identified in interrogatories and depositions. It also presents plaintiff and defense perspectives on whether the findings are a cause for concern and what, if anything, should be done in response.

This report describes an analysis of the effects that current employment rights protections for Reserve Component members and related support programs can have on employers, given increased mobilization of the National Guard and Reserve, and makes recommendations stemming from that analysis.