Information managers transform into knowledge operations managers

  • Published
  • By Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Call
  • Knowledge operations management/postal career field manager
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  Airmen in the former information management career field started a two-part transformation Oct. 31, 2008, as they changed their job titles to knowledge operations managers.

Airmen in the knowledge operations management career field will undergo another transformation in October 2009 when it officially migrates into the cyberspace workforce and takes on a new Air Force specialty code, 3D0X1. 

One of the most dramatic changes will occur when the client support administration, or CSA, competency is officially transferred from the 3A0X1 AFSC to a new AFSC, 3D1X1, client systems. This new AFSC will be centralized into base-level communications squadrons to provide computer touch maintenance support to base-level users. Units will no longer have CSAs scattered throughout their branches to provide this support. Centralizing support reduces the number of personnel authorized elevated network access, tightens network security, reduces the risk of vulnerabilities, and enhances training to produce better qualified technicians.

The transformation of the information management career field was not an attempt to reallocate unit-level manpower, but a necessity to survive a 2,636 manpower reduction in the 3A0X1 workforce. 

"Knowledge operations managers will be key to providing this data in a presentation format so our key leaders can make timely decisions. Our knowledge operations managers, along with the new tools at their disposal, can significantly enhance support to the warfighter and our ability to leverage data, information, and knowledge to achieve knowledge dominance and information superiority," said Maj. Gen. John W. Maluda, the director of cyberspace transformation and strategy.

Prior to Program Budget Decision 720, information managers were used to augment unit commander support staffs and other organizations according to authorized Air Force manpower standards. Their core competencies were to provide information management support (publishing, Air Force Portal, records management and CSA) to units and base organizations. While deployed, you could find information managers in just about every organization accomplishing administrative tasks.

PBD 720 reduced the information management workforce by 28 percent over the last three years, as most bases lost 35 to 45 percent of their enlisted 3A0X1 manpower authorizations. This forced the career field leaders to rethink how they provide support to organizations. 

The base-level centralized information management role to provide records management, Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, publishing, and enterprise information management support to all assigned base personnel remains intact at the host base communications squadron. But, at the unit-level, to survive such a drastic force reduction in the 3A0X1 workforce, remaining unit-level positions were consolidated to group-level knowledge operations work centers. This work center is directly responsible for providing oversight of planning, coordinating, managing, sharing, and controlling the group's data assets. 

The knowledge operations work center is the center of excellence for ensuring units are managing information in accordance with Public Law, Department of Defense mandates, and Air Force mandates. The work center focuses on workflow, content management (of Air Force Portal and SharePoint site administration), and both paper and electronic records management functions. The work center is also charged with ensuring units understand what a knowledge-based operations environment is and how it can benefit their mission. 

Knowledge-based operations structure data and information for a specific purpose in a specific context for collaborative groups of users to exchange information in pursuit of goals, interests, missions, or business processes. Units must capitalize on the expertise of their group-level knowledge operations work center to gain insight into managing databases for storage, modification, and retrieval of information to produce reports, answer queries, and record transactions. Today's knowledge-based operations environment operates within a SharePoint presentation layer, which allows users to store and share data, information, and knowledge, and to collaborate in a standardized operating environment. 

Recent manpower reductions were not the only driver in changing this career field's core competencies. Evolving information technology and the need to manage data, information, and knowledge more effectively was a necessity. This evolution brought a new focus to better manage knowledge, both explicit (documented) and tacit (undocumented, what one knows). Knowledge operations managers are charged with evolving people, processes, and technology into a net-centric environment to achieve knowledge dominance by managing information systems to create, collect, process, disseminate, use, store, protect, and dispose of information. 

Shifting from many military information managers performing at the unit-level to very few military knowledge operations managers performing operations at the group-level is a huge paradigm shift. This change provides focused attention on knowledge operations management core competencies, provides depth in operations during deployments, and provides a training and mentorship capability that was rare in most units where personnel were usually one-deep. Although there are some units with military 3A0X1s still assigned, a manpower study is being conducted to determine the right number of knowledge operations managers to perform the mission from the group-level.  

"The Air Force needs knowledge operations managers more than ever in today's information-saturated environment," General Maluda said. "We need experts in managing data, information, and knowledge to educate all users of the importance (legal) and benefits (ease of access). As we continue to evolve our cyberspace support workforce, I see this AFSC as becoming even more critical to ensuring information access is only permissible to those with a 'need to know' and to leverage collaborate knowledge to facilitate delivery of information to the warfighter."