Estimating cost requirements for the sustainment of real property facilities is a credible and auditable
task for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) thanks to the Facilities Sustainment Model (FSM), a predictive
model developed and maintained by R&K. This standardized analytical tool is based on commercial practices
and academic sources to help planners more accurately forecast future annual financial requirements. This model is an
integral component of DoD's real property budgeting process, and is a source and justification of reports and financial
requests to Congress.
The Facilities Sustainment Model calculates what should be spent annually on facilities for major
repairs, replacement of components, and preventive maintenance.
FSM processes DoD-supplied real property data according to business rules unique to the model. R&K
Engineering develops these rules under the auspices of the Configuration/Support Panel for FSM. The
rules specify which types of facilities are to be included in the model, the funding organization and
fund source for the cost requirements for each facility, and the formulas for calculating the
sustainment requirements. Over two dozen reference tables of facility data, codes, and factors are used
to support the business rules.
The facility data is projected from three to eight years into the future, with changes to the inventory
(such as new construction or disposals) incorporated each year. Cost requirement calculations are made
on all facilities in each of the six years. These calculations are based on characteristics of each
facility, U.S. Government-supplied inflation rates and area cost factors, and sustainment cost factors
based on facility type.
R&K researches both commercial and military data to prepare cost factors for the sustainment
of over 400 different facility categories.
Sustainment cost requirements data is available from FSM at the facility level, the DoD level, and several intermediate levels, and
can be arranged by facility type, funding organization, and fund source.