Determining Mobility Support Advisory Squadron Effectiveness in Support of Building Partner Capacity

National strategic-level guidance has emphasized the importance of the U.S. to work with, by, and through foreign counterparts to bolster national security. The USAF has assumed the leadership role to develop the aviation capacity and capability of partner nations (PN). The key to accomplishing this objective are Air Advisors (AA). AAs are trained and educated to assess, advise, train, assist, and equip selected PNs. Air Mobility Command activated two Mobility Support Advisory Squadrons (MSAS) to manage the AAs and their taskings. Initial, broad-based guidance was provided but no direction was given on how to measure and report MSAS effectiveness at conducting their Building Partner Capacity (BPC) mission. Since the MSAS seeks to establish and build relationships, this process is time-consuming and lengthy. Furthermore, it is difficult to quantify expected outcomes such as trust, good-will, and positive feelings?thus making measurement of outcome almost entirely subjective. This research utilized a Delphi study and panel of experts to determine criteria the MSAS could use to measure, track and report unit effectiveness toward accomplishing their BPC mission. The data obtained through this research formulated recommendations AF decision makers could use to shape the future of the MSAS and development of the BPC initiative. The original document contains color images.