Mission Analysis / Appendix B: Mission Need Statement Template

(Name of MNS)

Mission Need Statement

Number (XXX)

(Revised 7/98)

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE MISSION NEED STATEMENT

The Mission Need Statement must justify in rigorous analytical terms the need for agency action to resolve a shortfall in the agency's ability to provide the services needed by its users or customers or to explore a technological opportunity for performing agency missions more efficiently or effectively. The Mission Need Statement must be derived from rigorous mission analysis (i.e., continuous analysis of current and forecasted mission capabilities in relationship to projected demand for services) and must contain sufficient quantitative information to establish and justify the need. Extensive performance analysis should be completed and capability shortfalls should be identified before preparing the mission need statement.

NOTE: The Mission Need Statement is a summary document that describes the operational problem and presents the major decision factors that the Joint Resources Council should evaluate in considering the need. Detailed quantitative and analytical information should be included as attachments.

1.0 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

a. MNS Title:

b. MNS Number:

c. Originator:

d. Originator's Organization:

e. Originator's Phone Number:

f. Sponsoring Line of Business:

g. Sponsor's Focal Point:

h. Sponsor's Focal Point Phone Number:

i. Submission Date:

j. Revision Number:

k. Revision Date:

Signature:

Joint Resources Council Mission Need Determination approval:

__________________________________ ________________________

Associate Administrator of Date
(Sponsoring Line of Business), A(XX)-1

2.0 IMPACT ON FAA MISSION AREAS

Briefly describe the impact of the capability shortfall or technological opportunity with respect to performance metrics, goals or standards in FAA mission areas. [Detailed analysis is provided in Section 5]. Performance goals are delineated in the FAA Strategic Plan, FAA Business Plans, and in the FAA R, E & D and F & E Annual Performance Plan prepared in compliance with the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 (Public Law 103-62). Mission areas include the following:

Safety -- The range of FAA activities that minimize the chance of injury or death and damage or loss of property due to accidents/incidents within the National Airspace System;
Capacity -- The range of FAA activities that increase and maintain the ability of the National Airspace System to govern the flow of traffic. Activities in this mission area provide for maximizing aircraft throughput while minimizing delay in the face of increasing demand for services or adverse weather;
Security -- The range of FAA activities that minimize the chance of injury or death of people or damage or loss of property due to hostile acts of terrorism that may be directed to the National Airspace System;
Industry Vitality/Efficiency -- The range of FAA activities that minimize the costs to users of the NAS of actions undertaken or proposed by the FAA;
Environment -- The range of FAA activities that minimize injury, damage, disruption, and unacceptable levels of intrusion imposed on the nation's environment resulting from the operations of the National Airspace System;
Business Practices/Productivity -- The range of activities that increase the ability of the FAA to operate on reduced financial resources without reducing the system operational safety, security, and capacity. Activities in this area are those that enable the FAA to operate the NAS at reduced cost and staffing. Additionally, this area includes activities focusing on improving FAA business practices, transforming the internal FAA workplace into a Federal model, and improving internal communications within the work force.

If appropriate, also identify the applicable domain(s) (e.g., flight service stations, towers/surface, terminal, en route, oceanic, air traffic management, or infrastructure).

3.0 NEEDED CAPABILITY

Describe the functional capability needed or technological opportunity. Describe needed capability in terms of functions to be performed or services to be provided. Cite any Congressional, administrator, or other high-level direction, such as international agreements, to support the needed capability. Cite any statutory or regulatory authority for the need. Provide validated growth projections based on operational analysis.

This is not a description of an acquisition program (i.e., not the details of a particular hardware or software solution). Never describe needed capability in terms of a system or solution.

4.0 CURRENT AND PLANNED CAPABILITY

Describe quantitatively the capability of systems, facilities, equipment, or other assets currently deployed or presently planned and funded to meet the mission need. Use tables to present the information where applicable. Reference should be made to the NAS architecture. Provide back up data, if applicable, in attachments.

5.0 CAPABILITY SHORTFALL

Describe the capability shortfall and explain the performance analysis that was used to identify and quantify the extent of the shortfall over time. Define, in detail, the specific limitations of current facilities, equipment, or service to meet projected demand and the needed capability. Explain the criteria used to measure performance. Include appropriate graphs, tables, and formulas to define the extent of the shortfall. Identify databases and other sources of data upon which the analysis is based. Identify models and methodologies used to quantify the shortfall.

Alternately, describe the technological opportunity in terms of improved FAA productivity, facility availability, or operational effectiveness, or describe the technological opportunity in terms of improved aviation industry efficiency. In attachments, explain the analysis used to quantify the magnitude of the opportunity, and identify and describe databases, models, and methodologies used to support the analysis.

Provide specific operational and performance analyses, quantitative projections, maintenance indicators, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) reports or recommendations, other supporting data, or other analyses as attachments.

6.0 IMPACT OF NOT APPROVING THE MISSION NEED

Describe the impact if this capability shortfall is not resolved relative to the FAA's ability to perform mission responsibilities, on the mission area in particular, and on the aviation community in general. Categories of impact include performance in safety, capacity, productivity, efficiency, environmental impact and security. Define the expected change in mission performance indicators if the capability shortfall is not resolved.

Include as attachments appropriate graphs, tables, and formulas used to quantify the impact on performance. Identify databases, other sources of data, models, and methodologies used to support the impact analysis. Explain performance analyses used to quantify the impact of not implementing the opportunity, and identify the external factors (such as validated growth projections) used to support the analysis.

7.0 BENEFITS

Summarize the Mission Analysis Team's determination of benefits. Describe the benefits accrued by the needed capability or technological opportunity in the following mission areas: safety, capacity, security, industry vitality/efficiency, environment, and business practices/productivity. Benefits may accrue from more efficient operations, increased safety, lower operational costs, or other savings.

The summary of accrued benefits should describe ground rules and assumptions, benefits estimating methods, sources, and models. Include as attachments appropriate graphs, tables, and formulas used to quantify the benefits.

8.0 TIMEFRAME

Identify when the capability shortfall will seriously affect (e.g., decrease safety, reduce capacity, reduce service, etc.) the agency's ability to perform its mission if no action is taken. Establish when the agency must take action to avoid the adverse impact on services that will result. Explain the performance analysis used to quantify the extent of the impact over time.

9.0 CRITICALITY

State the priority of this mission need relative to other agency needs. First, define the priority of this need relative to other needs within the line of business, and then define the priority relative to needs across all lines of business. Characterize whether the mission need identifies internal FAA capability shortfalls or mainly aviation community shortfalls.

10.0 LONG RANGE RESOURCE PLANNING ESTIMATE^{Revised
7/98}

Provide a rough estimate of the resources the agency will likely be able to commit to this mission need in competition with all others within the constraint of realistic projection of future agency budget authority. Summarize the resource planning estimates for inclusion in the NAS Architecture and for consideration by the investment analysis team when developing and evaluating alternative solutions. The resource planning estimate becomes a "placeholder" in the NAS Architecture upon approval of the mission need, and is quantified more accurately during investment analysis and baselined at the investment decision.

Resource estimates are also boundaries for investment analysis. They bound what the agency is able to spend on each mission need within the timeframe that the needed capability must be provided. Resource planning estimates are translated to sound engineering estimates during investment analysis and firm cost baselines are established for each new program at the investment decision.

Resource planning estimates may be based on cost estimating relationships, engineering judgment, and cost estimating experience. Resource planning estimates in the MNS are NOT engineering-derived life cycle cost estimates. They are derived from the benefit to the agency and the aviation community if the need is satisfied, the cost of not addressing it (e.g., travel delays, increased maintenance cost, lost productivity), and the scope of changes to the agency's asset base likely to be required.

Present the planning estimate in the following format, using the most likely estimate of resources.

Table 6-1: Resource Planning Estimates

	FY + 5	FY XX	FY XX	FY XX	FY . . .	FY + 20	TOTAL
F&E
OPS