Throughout the year the OAB was augmented with short term augmentees (six week periods) from the UK, Canada and the NATO Consultation Command and Control Agency (NC3A). The OAB was seen as being at the top of an analytical and scientific iceberg, and able to call on additional support and expertise from the UK and NATO NC3A.
Throughout the planning time the HQ had undergone a series of exercises to assess command structures, designs of HQs etc. OAB had taken part in these activities. At one point OAB software and expertise were called upon to provide early analysis as justification for troop numbers required to fulfil the mission.
It must have been quite a shock for the civilian component of the OAB to find themselves coping with first aid, nuclear, biological and chemical drills and weapon handling. Status was never really made clear. N. J. Lambert, OA Branch, HQ ARRC, BFPO 40 explains: We were a small group of civilians in a military environment. There was even some surprise when we said we would deploy! Our status was never completely clear; for example, should we wear civilian or combat style clothes, what were our equivalent military ranks? In fact we had always intended to wear military clothes without badges or rank but with Operational Analysis epaulettes. Certainly this was a very sensible decision bearing in mind where we ended up, and the security situation.
The OABs mission was to support the Land Component Commander of IFOR (Commander ARRC): To give independent analytical and scientific advice to the Commander to aid his decision-making over the spectrum of ARRC activities.
In essence the main tasks conducted by the OAB whilst on Operation Firm Endeavour were to enable the commander to have access to valuable background information and data to which he would not normally have access information he could use to counter speculation that nothing was changing or getting worse.
The OAB also assisted logistics staff with the task of transition planning the various options for withdrawal and or redeployment of IFOR. HQ staff were also assisted with the difficult task of information management, a task which encompassed collection and collation of data, storage and retrieval of data, analysis and methods of displaying such data. The OAB also had the responsibility of collecting and archiving data relating to the campaign. However when data was collected which was perceived as being of value to the greater historical analysis OA community, it was collected (albeit on an ad-hoc basis).
Data collected by the OAB was categorised as follows.
- Data collected to support key OA studies.
- Data collected as by-product of OAB information management assistance.
- Data collected through archiving activities.
- Data sought out by OAB for future OA studies.
The OAB used 7 different methods of data collection to achieve their aims. Surveys were resorted to when it became obvious that no other data sources existed in theatre to fulfil the data requirement for a task. In many cases data required to address a particular OA task was already present, so it was merely a case of scoring existing data sources.
Where specific data was required to calibrate or define data for a specific mathematical model, Trials and Observations were the methods employed. For example, the data used to calibrate a system dynamics model of deployment used observations of the roulement of units in June 1996.
Another method used was that of creating Specific Task databases. The hidden agenda behind the OABs helpfulness with HQ bases in the creation of such databases, was not just to assist in the management of critical information but also to collect operational data in magnetic format and within a database.
Archiving was another method in use during the OABs operational life in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Discrete archiving, where a snapshot could be collected of a valuable data set was used alongside continuous archiving methods where the data changed on a periodic basis. Indirect archiving was also utilised on a few occasions where data required continuous periodic archiving. In this case the OAB would have to rely on an individual to forward the data direct for archiving or to archive the data in-house and await a visit by OAB personnel. Procurement of data was another method in use.