The monthly meeting of the OA Users Group was held November 2, 1995, in the Metrica conference room, Suite 400, 10010 San Pedro, San Antonio, Texas. Squadron Leader Herlihy, AL/HRMJ (RAAF Exchange), opened the meeting at about 1410 hours; those in attendance included:
SqLdr John Herlihy AL/HRMJ 536-3222 Herlihy@alhrm.brooks.af.mil
J. S. Tartell AFOMS/OMY 652-6623 OMY1@vm4381.omsq.af.mil
WgCmdr Ken Dowrick HQ ADF {Canberra Australia}
Janice Buchhorn AL/HRTD 536-2932 Buchhorn@alhrt.brooks.af.mil
Walter Albert AL/HRMJ 536-3222 Albert@alhrm.brooks.af.mil
Joe Bergman AFOMS/OMYA 653-3696 OMYA1@vm4381.omsq.af.mil
Jim Keeth AFOMS/OMYO 652-5811 OMY05@vm4381.omsq.af.mil
Elena Weber AFOMS/OMYX 652-5811 OMYX1@vm4381.omsq.af.mil
Timothy O'Neil AFOMS/OMYX 652-5811 OMYXS3@vm4381.omsq.af.mil
Johnny Weissmuller Metrica/IJOA 340-8211 mpt@metricanet.com
Darryl Hand Metrica 340-8211 codap@metricanet.com
J. R. Knight McD Douglas 349-8959 jknight@metricanet.com
Jimmy Mitchell IJOA 349-8525 IJOAJLM@AOL.COM
Bill Phalen IJOA 349-8525 IJOAJLM@AOL.COM
David Tucker IJOA/Metrica 536-3957 Tucker@cobra.brooks.af.mil
Ian Mitchell IJOA/Metrica 340-8211 IanM@metricanet.com
1. Darryl Hand, Metrica, Inc., reported recent changes to the CODAP software:
JOBTYP was modified to report the number and percentage of cases covered by each set of selected groups (primary, secondary, and tertiary).
The output text file created by FACEXT was improved by increasing readability, decreasing size, and "standardizing" PMP output factors. The size was reduced by writing factors with two decimals of accuracy instead of four. One of these recovered spaces is returned as a leading blank, improving readability. In the event that the maximum factor value is 100.00, a leading blank is not added. This tends to make standard extracts with PMP factors to have the same format, whether the maximum is 100 or not. Finally, the output layout has additional comments which help to describe its internal format.
VARSUM was corrected to no longer add an extra blank line when variable title codes are being used. The end result of this bug was to force unnecessary continuation of variable reports across multiple pages. In addition, the word (continued)' would be encoded over the title (only a problem with extended titles). Also, a modification was made to allow up to 30 blank lines (increased from 20) before a continuation is performed.
It was requested that Case Titles be extended from from 72 to 80 characters. This has been accomplished in MAKCFL. DICTXX and JOBTYP were modified to handle the new size.
Worked with Canadian Armed Forces regarding a problem with XPOSE/OVRLAP. Sent new recompiled versions of the programs, to no avail. They sent several versions of their data sets for Metrica to use for debug purposes. However, the tapes were unreadable, as the Canadians were using a 5G tape drive without lowering the density. Eventually, using the HR RISC 5Gig tape drive, we were able to retrieve the data. However, all CODAP programs, including XPOSE and OVRLAP, worked with no errors. With OMS permission, sent the source code for OVRLAP and all necessary subroutines. The Canadians determined that a Fortran exception was occuring during a MOVCOR of zero bytes. This was precipitated by a task that was performed by zero cases - not an uncommon event. Now the new mystery is why it works here (and at OMS, and in Australia) but not there. Binary programs are supposed to be portable between all RISCs, regardless of the machine or level of operating system. Further analysis is required.
2. Mr. Hand also indicated that he is continuing to research what would be required to have a more user-friendly interface component for CODAP via a web site, such as the Metrica, Inc. system (to eventually be hosted on the AFOMS system when they establish a web site). Metrica now has a home page (http:://www.metricanet.com), which will be used to test a CODAP home page for system documentation, for posting changes, etc. Eventually the system should be worked out where documentation and data could be viewed in a "read only" mode or could be extracted by qualified users (those with appropriate passwords).
3. Mr. Hand also asked about how AFOMS routinely obtains mailing lists for OSR projects; these lists are extracted from the current UAR data extract (updated monthly). Darryl's concern is to find a way to get the most current military addresses of individuals who will be included in several Metrica projects (for AL/HRMJ). Ms Weber indicated that these would have to be dealt with on a project by project basis (or through a continuing memorandum of agreement between AFOMS and AL/HRM).
This needs to be discussed with the appropriate AL personnel. [Some discussion included comments concerning the U.S. Postal Service requirement for street addresses on all letters and packages, versus the traditional military organizational addresses].
4. Mr. Joe Bergman, OMYA, noted the Task Clustering meeting held at the AFOMS conference room yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, 1 November); he felt this was a very successful session which would help OMS analysts make better use of task modules. Mr. Jim Keeth, OMYO, seconded these comments concerning the Task Clustering meeting and indicated that there would be a continuing series of such (biweekly) meetings until key OMY personnel felt completely confortable with the CODAP task and job clustering suite of programs. He indicated that while it takes more time in the short run, there are expected time savings in the long term as new analysts become more knowledgeable and experienced.
5. Wing Commander Ken Dowrick, HQ ADF, Canberra, Australia, expressed his pleasure at visiting with the AFOMS and the Armstrong Laboratory. He is in charge of the unit at the headquarters which does CODAP processsing for all the Austrialian services (with the Air Force unit located in Melbourne; other services programs are in Canberra). WgCmdr Dowrick is very interested in CODAP updates (Darryl will provide an udate tape) and other software which could support his programs. He indicated he would return to visit Metrica, Inc., prior to departing the San Antonio area, and would provide a copy of the revised ADF task inventory development software (an earlier version was demonstrated at the Occupational Analysts Workshop in May).
6. Dr. Jimmy Mitchell, IJOA, provided Mr. Tartell, OMY, with copies of the Air Force Survey Authoring System (AFSAS) software, and well as an updated AFSAS Operational Guide, which included a new Users Notes section (as Appendix A). This software and documentation were developed under an R&D Service Contract with AL/HRTD (Dr. Winston Bennett, Jr, COTR); this release is Version 1.0 which is the initial operational system. It was designed for several types of Air Force surveys (Training Evaluation, Attitude Surveys, etc.) as well as USAF Job Inventories. Users and potential users were asked to provide feedback both on the system itself and on the documentation. Such feedback can be provided via E-mail to the IJOA address above.
7. Mr. Johnny Weissmuller discussed additional software now available for operational use, such as the Historical AFSC Information Locator System (HAILS), which Ms Doris Black, AL/HRMJ COTR, recently delivered to the Air Staff. This system contains the historical development of all Air Force specialties (Officer and Enlisted) since 1954 as well as ASVAB cut offs, OSR studies, etc. Mr. Weissmuller offered to demonstrate the system to meeting participants after the meeting and to provide installation diskettes for those who were interested. Mr. Tartell indicated he would be interested in seeing the system and had several potential uses for such information. Feedback and comments of this system can be provided via E-mail to MPT@METRICANET.COM.
8. The next meeting is scheduled for 1400 hours, 7 December 1995, at the Armstrong Laboratory, Brooks AFB.