Attachment 1, Statement of Need UPDATED 13 Jan 2020.pdf

Statement of Need Last Updated: 13‐January‐2020

Project/Program Name: Project Management and Cyber Security Graduate Certificate Programs

U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) and U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS) Commandants have identified a gap in force capability in the areas of Project Management and Cyber Security. USASOC is seeking to award a purchase order with a base and one option year for Project Management and Cyber Security Graduate Certificate Programs in support of Army Special Operation Forces (ARSOF) Civil Affairs, Psychological Operations, Special Forces and SOF support soldiers.

1. Minimum General Requirements:

(a) Attendance for 25 students in the Project Management Certificate Program and 10 students in the Cyber Security Graduate Certificate Program for a total of 35 ARSOF soldiers.

(b) The Project Management and Cyber Security Graduate Certificate courses provided must be unique and specialized for the ARSOF cohort. These should not be equivalent to Project Management and Cyber Security Graduate courses offered to non‐SOF students by a traditional Educational Institution (EI). These specific courses must be tailored to incorporate learning and lesson scenarios for the military sector and regulatory requirements in the military.

(c) EI location must be considered to ensure proximity to USAJFKSWCS for coordinating and engaging the EI. EI must be located within the Fort Bragg commuting area.

(d) USAJFKSWCS will inherently account for reciprocal/shared agreements the school has with other Educational Institutions (EIs) to ensure their credit hours will transfer to other programs. Also, the widest transfer of graduate level credits for ARSOF soldiers will be taken into account. The added benefit is that ARSOF soldiers have the option to pursue master degrees after completing the certificate program, thus adding value to the force.

(e) The strength of the program includes its requirement to be military centric, unlike any of the other contending EIs, thus resolving the education gaps and meeting the deliverables of the SOW. Another requirement is the school standing or ranking in Business for Project Management and Technology for Cyber Security.

(f) The EI is required to be regionally accredited and not nationally. Regional accreditation ensures the schools course credit hours will be more widely accepted by other EIs and thus more easily transferable. Regional accreditation confirms the EI has been reviewed and awarded the best standard of academic quality.

(g) The Project Management and Cyber Security Graduate Certificate courses provided by the university must be cost‐effective. They should offer a military rate cheaper than the rest of the EIs to maximize the number of soldiers able to attend. Costs should also be the same for all soldiers in the program to accommodate for the out‐of‐state ARSOF solider stationed in one of the various USASOC SOF units.

2. Minimum Project Management Certificate Program Requirements (12 Total Credit Hours):

(a) Course for an Introduction to Project Management (3 Credit Hours)

Course must focus on how projects contribute to the strategic goals of the organization.

The linkages of integration must include the process of selecting projects that best support the strategy of a particular organization and that in turn can be supported by the technical and managerial processes made available by the organization to bring projects to completion. The topics must include the complete life cycle of projects including defining, planning, execution and delivery of projects. Curriculum must talk about estimating time and costs, managing resources, and risk management. The international and future issues of project management must also be discussed.

(b) Course for Communication and Procurement in Project Management (3 Credit Hours)

Course must look at purchasing and contracting of goods and services and how appropriate terms and conditions can favorably impact objectives. The course must also examine the impact of leadership on attainment of goals; with particular emphasis on consensus versus autocratic styles, transparency of decision making, and accountability from the leader. Various human resource policies must be examined in relationship to projects which have beginning and end dates versus manufacturing and office environments. Ethics and moral issues must be explored in context of different motivations of labor and management. Cultural clashes must also be explored for multinational environments.

(c) Course for Tools and Techniques of Project Management (3 Credit Hours)

Course must start with manual techniques to manage time, costs, human resources, and quality control and then proceed to explore current software solutions. Additionally, students should review and examine forecasting, estimating, budgeting, and auditing methods both from a theoretical and practical basis. Students must learn the analysis techniques used to evaluate compliance to objectives and how to correct for deviation from plan.

(d) Course for Project Risk Management (3 Credit Hours)

Course must teach students to explore the internal and external variables that will impact the successful execution and completion of the project. The course must identify, qualify, and quantify risks such as manpower, cost, technology, quality, politics, logistics, etc. Those risks should be evaluated to determine their impact and what effect they will have on the minimizing, maximizing, or optimizing the key elements needed for the success of the project.

3. Minimum Cyber Security Graduate Certificate Program Requirements (12 Total Credit Hours):

(a) Course for Cyber Security Plans (3 Credit Hours)

Course must explore developing a security plan specialized for the ARSOF cohort. During the course, students must learn to analyze a military environment to assess information security risks, identify security requirements and controls to address threats and vulnerabilities, and conduct appropriate evaluation and cost‐benefit analysis to develop a comprehensive information security plan. Topics include the identification of security requirements based on operational needs; risk assessment; risk management strategies;

and the need for ongoing monitoring and updating of information security plans to address new vulnerabilities and emerging threats.

(b) Course for Intrusion Protection and Detection (3 Credit Hours)

Course must offer an exploration of the theory and implementation of intrusion detection and intrusion prevention. Topics must include network‐based, host‐based, and hybrid intrusion detection; intrusion prevention; attack pattern identification;

deployment; response; surveillance; damage assessment; data forensics; data mining;

attack tracing; system recovery; and continuity of operations.

(c) Course for Cyber Incident Analysis and Response (3 Credit Hours)

Course must offer an examination of policies and procedures related to security incidents, exposures, and risks and technologies used to respond to such threats. Topics must include dynamic vulnerability analysis, attack response, evidence protection, and operational continuity. Discussion must also cover types and modes of computer‐ facilitated attacks, readiness, and evidence scope, as well as the role of computer emergency response teams.

(d) Course for Cyber Security Practices (3 Credit Hours)

Must be a case‐based course that considers some widely reported cyber security failures across a range of information technologies, including servers, networks, and social media. The course must also focus on best practices and counter measures to address each class of failure and considers emerging threats in each of the areas.