This 2nd Draft of the NATO CALS Handbook (NCH), published under the auspices of the NATO CALS Management Board (NCMB), is intended as a guide to NATO project managers, their support personnel, and Automated Data Processing (ADP) system Managers. It contains detailed guidance, examples, case studies and an overview of related standards to assist the CALS implementor at any level.

This draft version is not a formally agreed document, and should not be quoted as a reference. It does not necessarily represent the official position of the nations, commands or agencies on all the policy issues discussed.

The NCH 2nd Draft is part of a sequential release of a certain number of draft version. The 3rd Draft will be published in December 1998. These drafts are being circulated for comments and proposals among nations and industry representatives in the NATO Industry CALS Group (NICG). The feedback, in the form of recommendations and guidelines, will be folded into each successive release of the Handbook. The final version will be staffed in the nations for formal approval and, finally, it will be published as an agreed document in the form of a NATO Allied Publication

Comments ( recommendations, additions, deletions ) and any pertinent data that may be of use in improving this document should be addressed to Luigi DI BIANCO, NATO CALS Office, NATO HQ, BRUSSELS. tel. (32 2) 707.3547 - Fax (32 2) 707.3598 - EMail ldibianco@cals.nato.be or Mike DANIELSEN, EMail mdanielsen@cals.nato.be

The NATO CALS Organization whishes to thank the US DOD for permission to use material previously published by the DOD in the NATO CALS Handbook. In particular, the NCO recognize the fine work of all those who contributed to the 3rd Edition of the Navy/Marine Corps Manager's Desktop Guide for CALS Implementation, the primary source for the information in the Handbook.