Network Analysis for Characterizing Team Resilience Q and A.pdf

Network Analysis for Characterizing Team Resilience Sources Sought Notice- Questions and Answers

1. What should be considered the appropriate level of “team” for this study – a fire team, squad, platoon, or a different echelon level?

Response: At the current time the government expects it to be at the squad level, but it could potentially go up to the platoon and company level.

2. Does the government wish to assess how patterns of team member interactions predict a team’s resilience over time (i.e., longitudinally) or at a single point in time (i.e., cross-sectionally)

Response: The government wants to assess patterns of team member interactions at a single point in time and longitudinally.

3. Does the government anticipate data collection occurring in-person (using paper and pencil surveys or onsite electronic methods) or remotely?

Response: The data collections may be in person or remote depending upon the circumstances.

4. Will the 6-month base period be separate from the two 12-month option periods? Or will the first option year begin immediately after the base period ends?

Response: The first option year, if it is funded, would immediately follow the end of the 6 month base period.

5. Will the analysis conducted use extant data or new data? And if new data is collected, can you tell us more about the scope of that data, such as:

The RFP refers to the social patterns of “small Army unit”. Can you tell us how many Soldiers generally make up a small Army unit? Is ARI hoping to learn the social patterns of active-duty serve members or members of the Reserves or National Guard? Would ARI want the research partner to recruit units to participate or would units be selected/recommended to participate?

Would these units be located in the United States?

Response: New data would be collected as part of this contract effort. The focus of analysis would be active-duty Soldiers likely at the squad level (up to 10 Soldiers), but could go up to the platoon (up to 36 Soldiers) or company (up to 200 Soldiers) level. ARI would utilize connections to units as possible, but might explore other avenues. These units would likely be located in the United States.

6. The RFP notes that one of the purposes of the project is to assist Army unit leaders in identifying key roles, patterns, and linkages within their units. Would ARI be interested in the project involving both a research component and a training component? In terms of training, for example, we could train Army unit leaders on how to administer the resilience and social network questionnaires as well as train them on how to analyze the results of those questionnaires.

Response: At this time for this project, ARI is not looking to include a training component.

7. Given Tanenbaum and Mathieu’s work with developing and creating the Army team resilience measure (Tannenbaum et al., 2022), how does ARI anticipate they will be involved in this project?

Response: The measure was developed as part of a contract with The Group for Organizational Effectiveness and ARI, and ARI has the right to use the measure.