Robust Sensitivity Analysis for the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization Proposal Selection Model

Throughout Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, the Department of Defense (DoD) faced challenges not experienced in our previous military operations. The enemy's unwavering dedication to the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against the coalition forces continues to challenge the day-to-day operations of the current war. The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization's (JIEDDO) proposal solicitation process enables military and non-military organizations to request funding for the development of Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) projects. Decision Analysis (DA) methodology serves as a tool to assist the decision maker (DM) in making an informed decision. This research applies Value Focused Thinking (VFT), a specific methodology within DA, to the JIEDDO proposal selection process in order to assist DMs in filtering out proposals that do not meet desired C-IED objectives. This research evaluated the validity of the previously developed JIEDDO Proposal Value model to address the following questions: Does the value model adequately reflect JIEDDO's decision process; and secondly, given the dynamic environment of the current war, how confident can we be in the model's ability to continually and effectively screen proposals based JIEDDO's current values?