Military Job Analysis: A Historical Perspective

Abstract

The U.S. military services pioneered the development of several job and occupational analysis methods and the application of these technologies. These job analysis techniques evolved to meet a variety of human resource planning and management needs, particularly reviewing classification structure and validating specialty initial skills training programs. A task inventory approach was useful for most military needs, and this approach was developed into a comprehensive occupational data analysis system. Task performance data (percentage performing each task, relative time spent) were later supplemented with task factor ratings (by a subset of experi- enced technical specialists), such as task difficulty and training emphasis recom- mended for the training of new personnel. As military budgets are increasingly constrained, these types of data, as well as new kinds of task and task module level information (such as associated skills, knowledges, equipment utilized, etc.), become critical for assisting military decision makers in modeling how to restructure occu- pations and optimally allocate scarce manpower and training resources. There is the potential for considerable general utility to the country as a whole in military and civilian use of such task and task module technologies for the study of jobs, occupations, and organizations.