Lisa M. Harrington

Senior Operations Researcher

Off Site Office

Education

Ph.D. in operations research, Air Force Institute of Technology; M.S. in national security strategy, Industrial College of the Armed Forces; B.S. in mathematics, Michigan Technological Univ

One Page Bio

Overview

Lisa Harrington is a senior operations researcher at the RAND Corporation. She has functional and analytical experience in military promotions, recruiting and retention, accessions, career field structures, compensation, education and training, and manpower requirements. While at RAND, her research for various offices in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Air Force, and the Space Force has included workforce modeling, total force integration, workforce sizing and the identification and management of competencies for military populations. Harrington’s association with RAND began in 2010 after retiring from active duty in the United States Air Force. While in the Air Force, she was the Director of Manpower and Personnel at U.S. Central Command, and then Dean of Students at the Air Force's graduate school, the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). She commanded at the group and squadron level, was the Deputy Director for Air Force General Officer Management, and a member of the Chief of Staff's Action Group. Harrington received her Ph.D. in operations research from AFIT.

Research Focus

Recent Projects

Advanced Academic Degree Requirements for the U.S. Space Force
Early Warning System for Negative Servicemember Retention
Analysis of Active Component General/Flag Officer Requirements
Reserve Component Duty Status Reform

Selected Publications

The RAND Corporation, Realigning the Stars: A Methodology for Reviewing Active Component General and Flag Officer Requirements, RAND Corporation (RR-2384-OSD), 2018

Robbert, Albert A., Lisa M. Harrington, Louis T. Mariano, Susan A. Resetar, David Schulker, John S. Crown, Paul Emslie, Sean Mann, and Gary Massey, Air Force Manpower Determinants: Options for More-Responsive Processes, RAND Corporation (RR-4420-AF), 2020

Harrington, L., Mikolic-Torreira, I., McGovern, G., Mazarr, M., Schirmer, P., Gierlack, K., Hemler, J., Welch, J., Reserve Component General and Flag Officers: A Review of Requirements and Authorized Strength, RAND Corporation (RR-1156), 2016

Publications

Report
Assessment of Deployment- and Mobilization-to-Dwell Policies for Active and Reserve Component Forces: An Examination of Current Policy Using Select U.S. Joint Force Elements
The authors examine Department of Defense (DoD) policy that governs how much time service members must spend at home relative to time spent deployed or mobilized. They suggest policy changes to inform and optimize DoD's force utilization decisions.
Jul 20, 2023
Report
Managing Military Personnel Costs: Operation Retrenchment Specter, A Workforce Futures Game
To weigh options in managing military personnel costs, the U.S. Air Force explores trade-offs in a workforce futures policy game that simulates the monetary and nonmonetary effects of workforce and personnel policies in real time.
Jun 13, 2023
Report
Developing an Air Force Retention Early Warning System: Concept and Initial Prototype
The authors examine the development of an early warning system that alerts decisionmakers when a subgroup of U.S. Air Force military members is at risk for future shortages, thereby enabling policy adjustments before shortages occur.
Oct 14, 2021
Report
Air Force Nonrated Technical Training: Selected Topics to Improve Efficiency
The authors identify insights relevant to Air Force technical training from how colleges and universities size their instructor corps, best practices associated with supply chain management, and approaches for developing a flexible instructor pool.
Jun 29, 2020
Report
Air Force Manpower Determinants: Options for More-Responsive Processes
The authors examine the process the Air Force uses to determine manpower requirements, compare it with processes used in other services and organizations, and evaluate options for increasing the efficiency of the Air Force process.
Jun 25, 2020
Report
General and Flag Officer Costs: Annual Cost Estimates for General and Flag Officers and Supporting Personnel
Researchers estimate average annual total costs of typical general and flag officers (G/FOs) as well as the annual total costs of specific G/FO positions in support of the Secretary of Defense's congressional reporting requirement.
Jan 23, 2020
Report
Realigning the Stars: A Methodology for Reviewing Active Component General and Flag Officer Requirements
The authors developed and employed a methodology to review general and flag officer requirements in the U.S. military, used results to identify opportunities to eliminate or downgrade positions, and explored the implications of reductions.
Oct 22, 2018
Report
Air Force Non-Rated Technical Training: Opportunities for Improving Pipeline Processes
This report identifies opportunities for optimizing processes and policies in the U.S. Air Force nonrated technical training pipeline and recommends process and policy changes that could improve efficiency at all levels.
Dec 18, 2017
Research Brief
Air Force Senior Leader Representation in the Joint Community
Airmen are underrepresented in senior joint positions critical to shaping U.S. national security strategy and warfighting capability. Increasing competitiveness for senior joint positions may entail risks and will require cultural transformation.
Oct 3, 2017
Report
Rare Birds: Understanding and Addressing Air Force Underrepresentation in Senior Joint Positions in the Post–Goldwater-Nichols Era
To help the Air Force increase representation in the most-senior joint positions, this report quantifies Air Force representation in those positions and recommends how the Air Force might control factors shaping joint leader selection.
Oct 3, 2017
Report
Air Force Institutional Requirements: Opportunities for Improving the Efficiency of Sourcing, Managing, and Manning Corporate Requirements
This report documents how the Air Force could reduce the impact of institutional requirements on manpower in traditional career fields while ensuring that the organizations that depend on them are staffed with the qualified personnel they need.
Jul 10, 2017
Report
Using RAND's Military Career Model to Evaluate the Impact of Institutional Requirements on the Air Force Space Officer Career Field
This report models the impact of changes to Air Force institutional requirements (IRs) on the space officer career field. It examines how IRs affect the ability to fill core requirements, operational development, career experience, and career paths.
Jul 10, 2017
Research Brief
Reserve Component General and Flag Officer Requirements
RAND researchers assessed whether the system, management, and number of reserve component general and flag officers were appropriate.
Oct 14, 2016
Report
Air Force Management of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund: Opportunities for Improvement
Using insights from interviews, legislation, and policy, this report develops a decision framework that will help the U.S. Air Force's Director of Acquisition Career Management improve management of the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund.
Aug 23, 2016
Tool
Officer Accession Planning: A Manual for Estimating Air Force Officer Degree Requirements
This tool describes and provides implementation guidance for the process RAND Project AIR FORCE created to develop evidence-based degree requirements for officer accessions.
Aug 1, 2016
Report
A Methodology for Modeling the Flow of Military Personnel Across Air Force Active and Reserve Components
This report describes the Total Force Flow Model developed for the Air Force by RAND to help improve Air Force capability to analyze and capitalize on military personnel flows across the total force.
Jun 30, 2016
Report
Air Force Officer Accession Planning: Addressing Key Gaps in Meeting Career Field Academic Degree Requirements for Nonrated Officers
This report summarizes an analysis of the Air Force's programs and processes for matching new officers with career field assignments and offers suggestions for improvement.
Jun 9, 2016
Report
Reserve Component General and Flag Officers: A Review of Requirements and Authorized Strength
Increased use of the reserve component has renewed interest in the question of the appropriate number of reserve component general and flag officers. RAND researchers conducted a review of requirements for reserve component general and flag officers.
Feb 8, 2016
Report
Promoting Airmen with the Potential to Lead: A Study of the Air Force Master Sergeant Promotion System
Despite an evolving operational environment, the system for promoting airmen into the rank of master sergeant has not changed since it was developed more than 40 years ago. RAND researchers assessed the system and explored areas for improvement.
Nov 14, 2014
Report
Air Force-Wide Needs for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Academic Degrees
RAND researchers asked Air Force senior functional authorities which STEM degrees are and will be needed to maintain vital technical skills. The results suggest areas the Air Force should review for emerging demand.
Oct 6, 2014
Report
Air Force Manpower Requirements and Component Mix: A Focus on Agile Combat Support
Examines the extent to which various manpower requirements processes employed by the U.S. Air Force are validated, coordinated, and consistent.
Sep 10, 2014
Report
Suitability of Missions for the Air Force Reserve Components
Explores and clarifies issues that affect the suitability of missions for assignment to the reserve components of the U.S. Air Force, to better inform force composition decisions.
May 6, 2014
Report
The Mix of Military and Civilian Faculty at the United States Air Force Academy: Finding a Sustainable Balance for Enduring Success
This report examines how changes to the military-civilian faculty composition at the United States Air Force Academy might affect cadets' officership and academic development, cost, staffing challenges, and officer career development.
Mar 15, 2013