The Navy must continue to apply data analytics and demand data-driven decisions from those leaders who are charged with solving the challenges of today's Navy. A workforce comprised of highly skilled and trained analysts is required to execute this critical mandate. OPNAV N81 is proud to serve as the Community Manager for military and civilian operations analysis (OA) professionals. The success of our community relies on a vibrant and robust exchange of ideas, knowledge, skills, and abilities with the goal of increasing operations analysis capacity and capability throughout the Navy. A trusted partner to the field, N81 works tirelessly to ensure all trained OA experts have the tools and resources needed to be successful, as we collectively seek to deliver timely, trusted, and relevant analysis to our internal and external partners throughout the Department of Defense.
Overarching Goals:
• Increase the population of officers with OA education
• Improve Navy-wide utilization of OA-trained personnel
• Improve Fleet utilization of OA personnel through ad hoc projects/assignments
• Improve management of the OA community through focused oversight
People, Places and Billets
Working in concert with OPNAV N1, Navy Personnel Command, the Navy Manpower Analysis Center, and the Operations Analysis Community Council of Captains OPNAV N81continues to emphasize the impact trained OA Officers have on our Navy. With OA billets at numbered Fleet, System Command, and Type Command headquarters, OA Officers have an opportunity to utilize their talents across an array of OA billets directly supporting key decision makers.
The Operations Analysis Billet Dashboard contains OA assignments that will assist you in preparing to have an informed discussion with your detailer and your family about your next OA assignment. Click on the button to view the dashboard. There is a 'HELP - Instructions' tab to assist you on how to utilize the dashboard.
The chart below displays the quantity and proportion of OA authorized billets by officer community within the URL, RL, and Staff Corps.
The map below displays the CONUS OA authorized billet distribution, by rank, at Navy-centric units. OCONUS OA authorized billets are available and can be reviewed in the Billet Recommendation Dashboard.
Data Analysis Tools and Resources
N81 is committed to providing the field with the tools and resources needed to be successful as an OA professional. Our goal is to provide access to analytic tools, such as R and Python, which are familiar to OA graduates of the Naval Postgraduate School. Providing R and Python natively on your desktop remains out of reach but several cloud-based solutions exist. We have explored these solutions and developed (or borrowed) some simple guides to access and use the sites. The DoD has established the Advana platform to enable alignment of decision-making with data. This platform utilizes Amazon Web Services cloud computing to store data sets, perform analytics, and produce dashboards and graphs. Navy's enclave, JUPITER, is funded centrally by SECNAV for all Navy activities.
Cloud Based Tools and Data Sources:
Jupiter: Jupiter is the Navy's ADVANA enclave. It is a clearing house for data with analytic tools like Qlik Sense and Databricks. Databricks provides a notebook style interface for R, Python, and SQL code. Jupiter is accessible on NIPR and SIPR.
Access main Jupiter Advana here: Jupiter Advana
Access Databricks here: Databricks Advana
Access Jupiter Advana training material here: Jupiter Advana Training Material
DoD High Performance Computing Centers: The DoD high performance computing centers have R, Python, MATLAB and many other tools available to its users. The DoD HPC has unclassified (NIPR) and classified (SIPR, JWICS) accessible nodes.
Access DoD HPC here: DoD HPC
SIPR and JWICS tools: There are cloud analytic tools available to users on both SIPR and JWICS enclaves. If you have a need, please email the OA Community Manager for more details.
Education and Training
To support the growing demand for operations analysis capability throughout the Fleet, the Navy has reinvigorated educational opportunities available to military and civilian personnel. Advanced operations analysis degrees can be obtained through multiple programs at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) or at civilian institutions. N81 serves as the curriculum sponsor to three NPS masters curricula and is constantly striving to improve the curriculum, the degree options available, and the manner in which they can be earned. While the traditional Masters of Science in Operations Research curriculum takes up to 27 months, the new and revamped Masters in Operational Warfare Analysis takes only 18 months, greatly improving career timing and opportunity for URL officers. For officers who can’t take time out to pursue in-residence education, the Masters in Systems Analysis is a part-time distance learning opportunity to consider. Officers are encouraged to seek guidance from their detailers and explore which avenue for OA certification works best in their career path.
The Naval Postgraduate School also has certificate programs for military and civilians who want education in OA and data science, but who may not need an additional degree or do not have the time. Credits earned for the Certificate in Systems Analysis can also be applied to a future Master’s degree in Systems Analysis. A full menu of NPS offerings is as follows:
Masters in Operations Analysis (360)
Masters in Operational Warfare Analysis (355)
Masters in Systems Analysis (363) (DL)
Certificate in Systems Analysis (281) (DL)
Certificate in Data Science (268) (DL)