Industrial Base and Infrastructure Security and Optimization
SPA helps government and private sector clients understand and mitigate mission risk across the physical, cyber, and human domains for high-consequence operations. We evaluate security effectiveness for critical infrastructure by reviewing policy, assessing vulnerabilities, managing risk, and recommending mitigation strategies. Using a variety of assessment tools, including tabletop exercises, constructive simulations (e.g., Force-on-Force, cyber models), physics models (e.g., blast effects, ballistic testing), and subject matter expert input, SPA ensures national industries are protected from internal and external threats. Our strategies maintain resilience, compliance, and safety, ensuring operational continuity in the face of evolving risks.
High-Consequence Event Protection and Prevention
SPA’s approach to High-Consequence Event Protection and Prevention focuses on recognizing the human behaviors that drive success or lead to failure. For more than a decade, we have addressed this through our Framework of Risk Awareness for Mission Excellence (FRAME). As part of SPA’s core capability in National Security and Infrastructure Protection, FRAME excels by being measurable and emphasizing the need to balance operational imperatives with the priorities of safety, security, effectiveness, and high-quality delivery to optimize performance consistently. SPA’s national security professionals deliver success by fostering a culture of sound decision-making across all organizational levels.
Risk Management
SPA uses advanced methods to identify, assess, and manage risk to support informed decision-making across myriad domains. The Framework for Objective-based Risk Management (FORM) defines risk as the impact on one or more objectives, modeling it as a system across any enterprise to optimize mitigation strategies. SPA’s team of national security experts understands the complexities of managing risks in achieving technical, programmatic, and operational objectives, as well as strategic goals, across government sectors in support of national security.
Business Intelligence Analysis
SPA provides real-time financial, economic, and program analysis of companies, markets, and industries critical to national defense capabilities, the industrial base, and public-private partnerships. Our data analytics define, analyze, and visualize measures of performance, effectiveness, and trends to improve due diligence reviews, risk assessments, and decision-making. SPA business intelligence analysis is informed by years of experience designing risk models addressing a diversity of customer missions, legal criteria, and risk tolerances.
Economic Security
As a leader in Economic Security, SPA supports U.S. government leaders in achieving National Security Strategy objectives by developing and implementing policies and programs that strengthen and protect the Nation’s industrial base and global economic interests. SPA’s expertise in geoeconomics, foreign direct investments, critical technologies and natural resources, manufacturing and supply chains, export controls, and industrial and market analysis empowers leaders to make timely, data-informed decisions. Our trusted analysis is backed by decades of knowledge and experience in economics, business, law, national security, and government policy.
Nuclear Weapon Surety (NWS) Compliance
SPA supports the Navy in end-to-end development, implementation, certification, and sustainment of the Navy Nuclear Weapons Surety Program (safety, security, and reliability). Our uniquely qualified staff possesses centuries of cumulative experience across the nuclear enterprise, as military members, civil servants, and contractors, supporting the Navy Nuclear Deterrent Mission. SPA helps ensure the Navy’s strategic deterrent remains safe, secure, and reliable through our work in systems engineering, system safety, requirements identification, requirements verification, compliance certification, modeling and simulation, performance analysis, data analytics, test and evaluation, program management, risk management, emergency management, infrastructure management, policy development, technical operations, security operations, training, and risk aware culture implementation.
Basic Research
Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) leverages Basic Research (6.1 funding) to provide cutting-edge, data-driven insights that enhance national security decision-making. By integrating fundamental scientific advancements into strategic analysis, SPA helps clients, such as DARPA, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Office of Naval Research anticipate emerging threats and develop innovative solutions. Basic Research supports SPA’s work in nuclear deterrence, chem-bio medical and detection advancements, cyber operations, and advanced weapons systems by fostering breakthrough technologies and analytical methodologies. This foundational knowledge enables SPA to offer objective, science-based recommendations, ensuring their clients remain at the forefront of defense strategy and technological superiority.
National Security and Infrastructure Protection
Subcapabilities
Industrial Base and Infrastructure Security and Optimization
SPA helps government and private sector clients understand and mitigate mission risk across the physical, cyber, and human domains for high-consequence operations. We evaluate security effectiveness for critical infrastructure by reviewing policy, assessing vulnerabilities, managing risk, and recommending mitigation strategies. Using a variety of assessment tools, including tabletop exercises, constructive simulations (e.g., Force-on-Force, cyber models), physics models (e.g., blast effects, ballistic testing), and subject matter expert input, SPA ensures national industries are protected from internal and external threats. Our strategies maintain resilience, compliance, and safety, ensuring operational continuity in the face of evolving risks.
High-Consequence Event Protection and Prevention
SPA’s approach to High-Consequence Event Protection and Prevention focuses on recognizing the human behaviors that drive success or lead to failure. For more than a decade, we have addressed this through our Framework of Risk Awareness for Mission Excellence (FRAME). As part of SPA’s core capability in National Security and Infrastructure Protection, FRAME excels by being measurable and emphasizing the need to balance operational imperatives with the priorities of safety, security, effectiveness, and high-quality delivery to optimize performance consistently. SPA’s national security professionals deliver success by fostering a culture of sound decision-making across all organizational levels.
Risk Management
SPA uses advanced methods to identify, assess, and manage risk to support informed decision-making across myriad domains. The Framework for Objective-based Risk Management (FORM) defines risk as the impact on one or more objectives, modeling it as a system across any enterprise to optimize mitigation strategies. SPA’s team of national security experts understands the complexities of managing risks in achieving technical, programmatic, and operational objectives, as well as strategic goals, across government sectors in support of national security.
Business Intelligence Analysis
SPA provides real-time financial, economic, and program analysis of companies, markets, and industries critical to national defense capabilities, the industrial base, and public-private partnerships. Our data analytics define, analyze, and visualize measures of performance, effectiveness, and trends to improve due diligence reviews, risk assessments, and decision-making. SPA business intelligence analysis is informed by years of experience designing risk models addressing a diversity of customer missions, legal criteria, and risk tolerances.
Economic Security
As a leader in Economic Security, SPA supports U.S. government leaders in achieving National Security Strategy objectives by developing and implementing policies and programs that strengthen and protect the Nation’s industrial base and global economic interests. SPA’s expertise in geoeconomics, foreign direct investments, critical technologies and natural resources, manufacturing and supply chains, export controls, and industrial and market analysis empowers leaders to make timely, data-informed decisions. Our trusted analysis is backed by decades of knowledge and experience in economics, business, law, national security, and government policy.
Nuclear Weapon Surety (NWS) Compliance
SPA supports the Navy in end-to-end development, implementation, certification, and sustainment of the Navy Nuclear Weapons Surety Program (safety, security, and reliability). Our uniquely qualified staff possesses centuries of cumulative experience across the nuclear enterprise, as military members, civil servants, and contractors, supporting the Navy Nuclear Deterrent Mission. SPA helps ensure the Navy’s strategic deterrent remains safe, secure, and reliable through our work in systems engineering, system safety, requirements identification, requirements verification, compliance certification, modeling and simulation, performance analysis, data analytics, test and evaluation, program management, risk management, emergency management, infrastructure management, policy development, technical operations, security operations, training, and risk aware culture implementation.
Basic Research
Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) leverages Basic Research (6.1 funding) to provide cutting-edge, data-driven insights that enhance national security decision-making. By integrating fundamental scientific advancements into strategic analysis, SPA helps clients, such as DARPA, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Air Force Research Laboratory, and the Office of Naval Research anticipate emerging threats and develop innovative solutions. Basic Research supports SPA’s work in nuclear deterrence, chem-bio medical and detection advancements, cyber operations, and advanced weapons systems by fostering breakthrough technologies and analytical methodologies. This foundational knowledge enables SPA to offer objective, science-based recommendations, ensuring their clients remain at the forefront of defense strategy and technological superiority.
