1 Introduction

The RAIN System and its associated development project are defined in detail at the website of Reference 1. Links to various locations at that and other sites are used herein to provide backup information amplifying elements of this plan. Consequently, it is highly recommended that this plan be viewed on an internet-enabled computer so those links can be conveniently exercised.

Printouts of the references will be provided to qualified requesters.

The site demonstrates how the RAIN System is composed of existing technologies that have been proven in other applications. There are many disparate technology areas, but they are known and essentially developed. The task of bringing this system into service to stop wildfires is then one of combining and integrating those technologies together for this new application.

Not only are the needed technologies known, but they are generally offered by going businesses who are providing them for various other applications. It becomes clear that the challenge of the RAIN System development is one of management: bringing these many technologies together in an efficient and effective manner.

Management issues and high-level plans are presented at Reference 2.There it is stressed that a central organization is needed (that will be called the Program Office or "PO" herein) to manage the development of this system. Several needed attributes of the PO and its staff are identified in that webpage and its children.

It is hereby noted that this is a familiar and highly effective management architecture for the development of a high-technology product. The Apollo moon program (see Appendix A) and Reference 3 addressing the Glomar Explorer intelligence project are two of many examples of the successful use of this management approach.

It is clear that the PO must be "up and running" with an appropriate set of management personnel and "tools" they will need before other aspects of the development are started. The subject of this present paper is that task: establishing a viable PO to provide the necessary steering for the development through all of its phases towards implementation of the system.

The next section is an Executive Summary of this plan. It provides an abbreviated summary of the rest of this document, including links to the other sections that can be used to amplify each point.

2 Plan Executive Summary

2.1 Introduction

Many have observed that management will be the main challenge associated with the development of the RAIN System. This point is elaborated on the website: Reference 2.

The goal of the effort planned herein is the establishment of a highly-effective management capability to steer the development of the RAIN System. More details are presented in the Goals section, below.

The needed management structure is driven by the nature of the development project itself (discussed at Reference 4) and summarized in the Conclusions Section, below. These conclusions are supported by the information given in the Background section as well.

A central "Program Office (PO)" structure is most appropriate for this project as the precedents of Appendix A) and Reference 3 attest.

2.1.1 The PO Must Come First

The PO must be in operational status before any other parts of the project begin (or else there would be effort underway with no management). See the Conclusions stressing "PO First", below.

2.1.2 Tools

Management will require a set of "Tools" to control the project. Those must be operational before actual management activities commence. They are detailed in the Tools Sections that follow.

Managers will have many uses for the Tools defined herein, as delineated in the Section on Tool Use. Such tools involve both software such as Project Planning and Simulation applications, and also "paper" tools such as Policies and Procedures and a formal Management Guidebook. The tools will provide quantitative support data to substantially improve the quality of management decisions that are all too often based on intuition only.

2.1.3 Personnel

Of course everything depends on the quality of the management Personnel. Attributes of these individuals are discussed in Reference 15. Means for finding them are discussed in Reference 20.

2.1.4 PO Testing

Once established the PO must be tested, like any other document. Steps to do this are presented in the Section dedicated to PO Testing, below.

2.1.5 Promotion by the PO

The RAIN System development project will require constant Promotion throughout its life. This will include the preparation and maintenance of suitable materials such as promotional videos, the website, slide presentations, etc. PO personnel, being the most knowledgeable about the overall project, must bear the responsibility for this promotional effort. A separate Section on Promotion details this activity.

2.1.6 The Full-blown Plan

A full project plan (in accordance with the specifications of Reference 19) is beyond the scope of this document. However, to provide a segue into the full project from this one establishing the management structure, this plan does include the effort for Initial Planning of the RAIN System development.

2.1.7 The PO Plan

The Formal Plan section introduces Appendix B which is a Statement Of Work for the task of establishing the Program Office. Descriptions are provided for the SOW line items in Appendix B. The actual detailed plan for this is included in Reference 18, which assumes an understanding of the tasks in Appendix B. [The tasks are listed in a much more cryptic format in Reference 18.]

The actual plan segments the SOW of Appendix B into three separate Phases. Additionally, Phase 1 is further segmented into Phase1a and Phase 1b, since the work of Phase 1a is complete.

2.1.8 Next Steps

The Next Step section includes tasks to be conducted by the PO in starting and moving into the management of the RAIN System development project.

2.1.9 Summary Cost and Schedule

The estimated Cost and Time-Schedule appear in Reference 18. The reader should refer to that document for cost, schedule and other estimates included in that plan. The following table is presented in the spirit of summarizing the project for quick reference herein:

3 Goals

The primary goals of the activities suggested by this plan are to:

1. Establish an effective Program Office (PO) with sufficient personnel and tools to control the development of the RAIN System. Duties of the PO are defined in Reference 5.
2. Bring the PO into existence and test it before the commencement of any other RAIN System subproject activities.
3. Develop a "management culture" (see Reference 6) including documentation specifications, decisions about ISO 20xx, project plan formats, etc. prior to planning and subsequent contracting for development subprojects.
4. Establish a set of software "tools" needed by management to run the development project. Details about the tools are elaborated in a separate section, below.
5. Identify and contract with all key management personnel who will effectively control the development project. More on this goal is presented in a separate section, below.

4 Tools

The challenges of managing a project like this dictate the availability of a set of tools that are essential to support making design trade-off decisions, planning and tracking the project, ensuring conformance to standards, etc. This section outlines the critical tools needed.

4.1 Open-source Policy

The present policy for software tools relies exclusively on open-source software wherever possible, for many important programmatic reasions discussed at Reference 7. More details regarding PO tools are presented below.

4.2 Project Planning

Project planning tools that can receive detailed plans for each subproject, integrate them into one, calculate time schedules (leveling) based on planned work breakdowns and resources and display results flagging areas of difficulty. More detail can be found at Reference 8.

4.3 Simulations

Simulation tools of two types are critical to the management functions:

4.3.1 Functional

The Functional Simulator uses computer models for operational components to predict performance, structural loads, etc. Included in this tool are subsystems described in the following:

1) modeling software for airborne components that creates input to the overall system reflecting component design parameters (control laws, aerodynamic properties, etc.)
(see Reference 9);

2) a firefighting strategy synthesizer based on experienced human firefighter prescriptions, which will drive mission planning (see Reference 10); and,

3) a wildfire behavior predictor that defines what the "target" does. (see Reference 11).

More is presented on the overall Functional Simulator at Reference 12.

4.3.2 System

The System simulator receives models from the Functional Simulation, and cost models for all elements of the firefighting system to evaluate overall system cost/performance trades (see Reference 13.)

4.4 Policies and Procedures

Standardized policies and procedures including forms and contractual language boilerplates (e.g., aggregates of FAR callouts) for use in contracting and controlling contracted efforts will be needed throughout the RAIN System development project. First they will be needed to contract with the major players in the development, and then they will be used for management as the project evolves

4.5 Formal Guidebook

A management guide for the project specifying the "management culture," the possible use of ISO-20xx standards, requirements for documentation and reporting, etc. will be essential.

5 Personnel

5.1 Attributes

The planned management structure for the PO involves Field Offices and a Central Office as elaborated at Reference 14. These office functions must be staffed by seasoned high-technology project managers. Attributes of these managers are discussed at Reference 15. Care must be exercised to distinguish between these project managers and corporate senior managers typically dominated by legal and finance backgrounds.

5.2 Location

Methods for locating such managers are discussed in Reference 20.

6 Major Conclusions re Nature of Project

Newcomers to this project might want to first review the points made in the Background Section regarding the nature of the RAIN System. Based on those observations, the following conclusions are drawn:

6.1 Bringing Technologies Together

1. The most cost- and schedule-effective approach would be to bring the vital organizations now delivering the technologies used in the RAIN System into the project to "interface" these technologies as specially required by this project.

6.2 Existing Government Contracts

2. In many cases these organizations will already be under government contract; In such a case the customer could streamline the process by simply adding on to such an existing contract to extend the capability of their present development work to the RAIN System, saving significant time and money.

6.3 Existing Intellectual Property

3. Even in cases where there is no existing contract the customer can often procure a development on a sole-source bases, justified by existing Intellectual Property (IP- analytic methods, tooling, special manufacturing methods, existing software, etc.) in possession of such businesses.

6.4 The PO Must Be Established First

4. It is essential that an effective management structure, with needed "tools" fully functional, be in place prior to the commencement of any development activity. Without that, development will be started without project-wide planning, documentation control and general management.

7 Background

The following key points drive the conclusions and decisions regarding project management for the RAIN System.

1. The System is formed from components utilizing known technologies. Each of these technologies has been used before in one or more applications.

2. In most if not all cases companies are now in business delivering products and/or services using these technologies.

3. Such businesses will often possess Intellectual Property (IP) that uniquely qualifies them for delivering particular technologies to a new application. Ramifications from such IP are: 1) significant cost and time-schedule benefits can often be derived from such existent IP, and 2) the Government can often justify sole-source procurement based on such IP if it is sufficiently unique, also saving considerable time and money for procurement [see ~Reference_16].

8 How Tools are Used by Management

8.1 Project Management Software

This tool was discussed above. This software receives subproject plans from the various team members performing on the project, integrates it into a project-wide plan and displays all data in a convenient form for the managers and customer.

The individual subproject managers, with the help of managers from the PO's Field Offices (FOs), prepare plans using standard tools (e.g., spreadsheet programs) and transmit them to the Central Office (CO) to be integrated as required. It is essential that this software be adaptable to suit the needs of the PO (which likely will evolve, requiring changes to the software, from time to time). An important subcontractor to the PO will be an organization that can update/customize this software on demand.

8.2 System Simulation

This tool was discussed above. This facility is essential so that managers and the customer can routinely forecast the performance of the overall system compared to other available systems as key parameters are varied and important design decisions made.

While the completed simulation will be maintained within the CO, individual component models will sometimes be generated in the CO and sometimes by team members within the realm of their subprojects.

As with the project management software, flexibility (changeability) is essential, dictating the use of open-source software wherever possible.

8.3 Functional Simulation

This tool was discussed above. simulation facility supports management in several important ways, including

  * Demonstrating system performance (and limitations) vs most design parameters;

  * The creation of operational (performance) models for the System Simulation;

  * Graphical demonstration of system operations to interested parties such as Congressmen and foreign dignitaries considering funding support for the project;

  * Determining requirements and key system parametric values vs fire type and nature.

The functional simulation contains models for:

  * All components of the system that effect performance, including dynamic models for the delivery vehicle, its control system, mission planning software, etc.

  * Environmental models such as wind and terrain, etc.

  * Mission planning software that uses codified fire-fighting strategies from the experts.

  * Fire behavior simulation driving the fire target(s) in the simulation.

9 Testing the PO

Prior to the use of the PO to actually manage RAIN System development projects, it needs to be proven by testing. Following are some of the steps envisioned for the testing.

1. All tools are demonstrated to be operational using test cases, as appropriate for each.

2. Each key manager has viewed the tool test cases and certifies to understand them.

3. Each key manager has been given sufficient training to understand how to prepare input and interpret output from the PO tools.

4. Each manager has reviewed all elements of the management guidelines

10 Promotion

There is always a need to promote a project like this throughout its entire development cycle and beyond. Effort will be required from PO personnel to continually search for additional funding for the project. Some of the components of the promotional activities are listed below.

10.1 Within the U.S. Government

Many disparate U.S. Government agencies have missions relating to domestic security, including Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department Of Defense (DOD), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and perhaps others. Additionally, members and Committees within the U.S. Congress have responsibilities to the U.S. Public to support their protection from disastrous phenomena such as wildfires. There is a constant need to access, communicate with, visit and present to/with personnel in all of these locations to continue the search for support for an ongoing RAIN System development project.

10.2 Sharing

The U.S. Government is expected to be the primary sponsor (customer) for this project. However, sharing is almost always good, and PO personnel shall be ever-searching for other sources of support. A few candidates are listed below. These are in addition to the sharing that will probably also occur among various agencies within the U.S. Government who have missions regarding wildfires.

10.2.1 Foreign Governments

Many other countries have very serious wildfire problems. Examples are Australia, Greece (and other European countries), many in Africa, Russia and many others throughout Asia and South America. Those countries can perhaps be convinced to share in the development costs for some future benefit in time and/or money toward getting a system in their country to stop the fires.

10.2.2 Philanthropists

Many philanthropists donate money to humane causes. There are probably few that are more humane than protecting lives from fire, not to mention property, pets and the environment (all of the destruction fires cause to wildlands from bulldozers and to the atmosphere from tons of harmful pollutants). Opportunities to access philanthropists will arise, and resources need to be available to contact them and promote this cause with them.

10.2.3 Environmental Protection Organizations

Wildfires are devastating to the environment as mentioned previously. The many "green" organizations trying to fight for the environment should be interested in helping to fund a very real protection represented by the RAIN System. The reader is reminded that RAIN can also support safe "prescribed burns" which will prevent the megafire risk in the future.

10.2.4 Insurance Companies

Wildfires can be huge and the losses associated with them can threaten insurance companies like a hurricane can. They should be interested in insuring themselves by financially supporting the RAIN project.

10.2.5 Victim Groups

Homeowners, farmers, ranchers, vintners and many others suffer huge losses from wildfires-- various organizations representing them should be interested in supporting an effort to control such fires.

10.3 Presentations

All of the potential sources of support including those mentioned above require research to locate and then presentations to promote the cause. Presentations often require travel to the location of potential interested parties, and a formal presentation about the program there. The PO must have the funding, trained personnel and necessary materials available at all times to meet these needs.

10.4 The Media

When fires rage anywhere in the world there is typically substantial media coverage particularly on broadcast/cable news programs. An opportunity exists during such episodes to provide media organizations with promotional video materials. Widespread broadcast opportunities can create great opportunities from many sources: from within the U.S. Congress, other national governments, philanthropists, environmental protection organizations, insurance companies and victim groups.

It is essential, therefore, that the PO ensure the availability of sufficient promotional materials and labor resources to take advantage of these media opportunities. Plans therefore call for the PO to contract for development of suitable promotional materials as needed, and maintain suitable training among PO personnel to support the interface with the media et al.

10.5 Promotional Materials

Presentations and media access require promotional materials. Many have already been prepared. Most of those available now appear on the project website, Reference 1. However, other specialized materials are needed, such as video(s) appropriate for media display. See above. Plans for the PO must include the development and maintenance of such materials.

11 Planning Initial Development Steps

Although a formal plan for the RAIN System development project will be part of that project itself, this present plan calls for an initial plan for the full-blown project startup to be drafted. This will provide continuity between the project establishing the PO and the project to be managed.

12 The Formal Plan

Appendix B presents a Statement of Work (SOW) outlining and describing the tasks specified by this plan for the development and testing of the Program Office. The actual formal Project Plan, prepared in accordance with Reference 19, appears in Reference 18.

13 The Next Step

This plan has presented the rationale and the specific implementation tasks association with the establishment of a Program Office management structure to steer the development of the RAIN wildfire fighting system. The next efforts of the PO, after those outlined in this plan, will be the actual management of the project, starting with finding and contracting with the major players on the project. This present plan has included tasks for planning these initial management efforts, but not those efforts themselves since they are part of the actual development project.

14 Appendix A- The [Apollo] Program Management Concept

Material in this Appendix has been excerpted from Reference 17 and describes the management structure proposed for the RAIN System development: the PO central structure. It is patterned after many successful programs, in this case the Apollo Project that took U.S. astronauts to the moon and back.

"...The mobilization of resources was not the only challenge facing those charged with meeting President Kennedy's goal. NASA had to meld disparate institutional cultures and approaches into an inclusive organization moving along a single unified path. Each NASA installation, university, contractor, and research facility had differing perspectives on how to go about the task of accomplishing Apollo.41 To bring a semblance of order to the program,

NASA expanded the "program management" concept borrowed by T. Keith Glennan in the late 1950s from the military/industrial complex, bringing in military managers to oversee Apollo. The central figure in this process was U.S. Air Force Major General Samuel C. Phillips, the architect of the Minuteman ICBM program before coming to NASA in 1962. Answering directly to the Office of Manned Space Flight at NASA headquarters, which in turn reported to the NASA administrator, Phillips created an omnipotent program office with centralized authority over design, engineering, procurement, testing, construction, manufacturing, spare parts, logistics, training, and operations.42 ....."

15 Appendix B- The Statement of Work (SOW)

This appendix presents a series of tasks envisioned for the detailed implementation of this plan. Descriptions are provided. The formal project plan is presented in Reference 18 which expands on the material in this Appendix to define the project in phases, and to recommend a complete plan for each Phase. The plan has been prepared in accordance with the specifications set forth in Reference 19.

15.1 Senior Management Personnel

15.1.1 Job description/criteria

Prepare a formal document.

15.1.2 Search

Based on criteria set forth in Reference 15.

15.1.3 Interviews

Including gathering criculae vitae

15.1.4 Selection

With customer concurrance

15.2 Office Support Personnel

Search, Interview and Selection

15.2.1 Office Administration

15.2.2 Information Technology (IT)

15.2.3 Contract Administration

With specific emphasis on background with the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FARs) and/or the Department Of Defense (DOD) version, the DFARs.

15.2.4 Programmer/operator

15.3 Prepare contracts suitable for execution between PO and its key personnel

Contractor or employee agreements as appropriate.

15.4 Software Tools

For each of the "tools": Planning, Functional Simulation, System Simulation-

15.4.1 Formal requirements

Definition and document preparation

15.4.2 Search for existing

Most of these tools will already exist in varying forms of applicability to this project.

15.4.3 Plan Modifications

Modifications will be needed the extend and enhance existing software applications to apply specifically to this project. Plans will include the Work Breakdown Structures (WBS's), costing,time schedule estimation, etc. in accordance with Reference 19.

15.4.4 Define test procedures/fixtures

These will be specified in advance on any modifications to software and their implementation will be included in all plans addressed, above.

15.4.5 Design extensions

Software design, including a formal design document, will be prepared before coding begins.

15.4.6 Coding

Reducing the software design to code.

15.4.7 Testing

Testing in accordance with previously designed and planned test procedures and fixtures.

15.4.8 Configuration control

Software configuration management and control is essential, and will be implemented prior to any efforts in software modifications.

15.5 Simulation Input Datasets

These datasets for input to the simulations will embrace the physical characteristics of the RAIN System

15.5.1 RAIN Conceptual Designs

Conceptual designs are needed before simulator input data (functional and cost models) cana be synthesized. The initial designs will be prepared by the PO specifically for use in simulation. Subsequent contracts with the developers of RAIN subsystems should include requirements to expand and improve the models as the system design evolves so the simulation evolves with the design and remains accurate.

15.5.2 Conventional Wildfire-fighting Systems Specifications

To compare RAIN System performance to present wildfire-fighting systems, detailed specifications for the present systems will be required so that simulator input data (functional and Cost models) can be prepared for them.

15.6 Preliminary Comparisons

To demonstrate the viability of the simulation management tools the PO will conduct comparisons between the RAIN and conventional systems using simulators. The initial comparisions will be preliminary, but shall be updated for the duration of the RAIN System development project as simulator models evolve and improve.

15.7 Other Management Tools

Other tools include Policies and Procedures documents and the "Management Manual" that will guide the management of the entire RAIN System development project.

15.7.1 Requirements

A formal document shall be prepared specifying the requirements on “Other Management Tools,” as described above.

15.7.2 Search

Such tools already exist; the search here will seek those most applicable to this development.

15.7.3 Plan Modifications

Plan needed extensions/enhancements (WBS, Costing and Time Schedule) for the "Other Tools."

15.7.4 Design and Implement

Design the extensions/enhancements and implement them.

15.7.5 Review and Final Acceptance

Participants will be the PO management staff and the customer.

15.8 PO Testing

The PO tools and the personnel's understanding and proficiency with them need to be tested to acertain that the PO can do its prescribed function (manage the RAIN System development project).

15.8.1 Software Tool Demos

The PO software tools critical for management will be demonstrated.

15.8.2 Management Review of Tools

PO senior management will review the tools available to support them and comment as appropriate. This will be a final review since such reviews will have been conducted during the processes of finalizing the tools for these purposes.

15.8.3 Manager Training re Software Tools

This task will ensure the managers know how to use the tools, are aware of their limits and know the extents they can be used to aid their management responsibilities.

15.8.4 Manager Training and adopting of 'Other Tools'

Managers will be presented formally with the Policies and Procedures and Management Manual previously developed and given any needed instruction on their use and utility.

15.9 Preliminary Full Project Planning

Planning and management of the actual RAIN System development project are activities formally out of the scope of this present plan to establish and prepare a Program Office to manage such a project. However, to provide a reasonable segue into the actual project, this plan calls for preliminary planning of the actual program, especially its earliest phases, including cost and time-schedule estimations needed to get the actual program started.