The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) Cost Department is widely recognized as the premiere cost group within the Department of Defense (DoD). Comprised of over 400 personnel across four major sites, together, we provide quality cost estimates and analysis throughout the life cycle of naval aviation programs and their affiliates.

 

AIR-4.2 is a Level 2 competency under the NAVAIR Research and Engineering (AIR-4.0) Level 1 competency. NAVAIR is a Competency Aligned Organization (CAO), meaning that its organized into "competencies" or communities of practice. Competencies provide support (people, processes, tools, training, mission facilities, and core technologies) to Naval Aviation Program Executive Officers (PEOs) and their assigned Program Managers (PMs). PEOs and PMs are responsible for meeting the cost, schedule and performance requirements of their assigned programs.

 

AIR-4.2 is organized into three Divisions, each focusing on a specific phase of the acquisition cycle:

• Acquisition Cost Estimating (ACE — AIR-4.2.1),
• Integrated Logistics Support/ Operations and Support (ILS/O&S — AIR-4.2.2), and
• Integrated Project Management (IPM — AIR-4.2.3)

ACE focuses on the planning aspects of a program, while IPM focuses on program execution. ILS/O&S spans both planning and execution.

 

Each Division is led by a Division Head who is responsbile for the overall operation and conduct of the Division. This includes making certain that the Process Groups and Branches are working together, and that the Division is working well with the other two Divisions and the Focus Initiatives to ensure a consistent, credible product is delivered to our customers.

 

Within each AIR-4.2 Division are Process Groups that are responsible for developing and maintaining processes, tools, training, and validating that credible products are being produced. As the name implies, Process Groups maintain a "Process Focus."

 

Each Process Group is led by a Process Champion who is responsible for making certain that the Division's processes and toolkits reflect the way the Division is operating. (The formerly used title "Process Owner" is reserved solely for use by the Department Head.) Process Champions are also responsible for constantly looking for ways to improve the way we do business. Process Groups may have one or more Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to assist them in that endeavor. Further, analysts within the Branches and across all sites, assist Process Groups in updating and maintaining the processes and tools and supporting other customer needs as required.

 

The aforementioned can only be accomplished by close coordination with Branches. However, Process Champions make final decisions on process issues.

 

Within each AIR-4.2 Division are Branches that are responsible for maintaining a direct interface with one or more customers. This interface is primarily with the PEO, PM or Deputy PM, and Integrated Product Teams (IPTs). While Process Groups maintain a process focus, Branches maintain a "Customer Focus."

 

Each Branch is led by a Branch Head who is responsible for day-to-day interaction with the analysts that they lead across all sites to ensure that quality products are delivered to our customers. Branch Heads also serve as the focal point for the PEO's with whom they work to coordinate program resource requirements.

 

Branches provide input and feedback to Process Groups which enables continuous improvement of Department processes and tools, and initiates the development of new processes and tools where missing. Branches keep in constant communication with Process Groups to ensure that quality products are produced in line with Division processes, and that better ways of doing businesss are explored.

 

Multi-disciplinary Program Teams are the primary means by which the Department provides our customers with fully-integrated products and services that span a product's life-cycle. Teams are typically comprised of analysts across one or more Divisions, and across multiple Sites in some cases, which are supplemented by Subject Matter Expert (SME) support from Process Groups as needed. Teams provide a direct interface with the program offices and its IPTs.

 

Each Program Team will have at least one Team Lead, but in most cases have a Team Lead per Division. Team Leads are not only responsible for coordinating the efforts of the team, but are ultimately responsible for delivering quality products to our customers, following Department policies and processes, and incorporating lessons learned from across the Department as well.

 

Together, the AIR-4.2 Focus Initiates are a high-level strategic analysis team composed primarily of Subject Matter Experts in the areas of Total Ownership Cost (TOC), Contractor Cost Structure and Rates, Production Management, Supplier Management, Business Collaboration, and Enculturation (i.e., Changing the Culture). While the team provides high-level analytical support, the ultimate goal is to integrate their efforts into the work of the entire Department and NAVAIR. The efforts of this group will have the greatest impact by having the entire Department integrating the ideas and concepts into the projects/support across NAVAIR. In supporting this concept, Focus Initiative analysts must work closely with Department program teams/analysts, other NAVAIR competencies, industry, and other DoD agencies when appropriate. By teaming in this manner, the efforts will have a more significant impact.

 

A site is an AIR-4.2 field organization providing AIR-4.2 products and services from a location other than Patuxent River, Maryland. (While technically a site itself, Patuxent River is considered the HQ activity in this context.) Sites are organizationally aligned under the AIR-4.2 Deputy Director and are led by a Site Manager. AIR-4.2 sites are structured by Divisions to provide proper organizational alignment and communication channels back through the Department.

 

The following lists each recognized AIR-4.2 site and its area of expertise: