Utility of Modeling and Simulation in the Department of Defense: Initial Data Collection.

Abstract : DoD has invested heavily in modeling and simulation (M&S) capabilities in recent years. Developers are confident about the payoff of these investments, yet little has been done to assess systematically the cost effectiveness or return on investment. This study documents the Modeling and Simulation Benefits Task Force's preliminary efforts to quantify the effects of M&S on the functional areas of training, acquisition, and analysis. Responses to two Requests for Information (RFIs) and other DoD organizations' assessments provide a baseline of information on which a long-term Impact Assessment is being conducted. Over one hundred reports, ranging from the anecdotal to the formal, were collected, categorized by functional area, and summarized. Each report is abstracted in an annotated bibliography. In addition, two appendices are provided. The first identifies the types of measures of effectiveness (MOEs) that are being used in the field and offers candidate MOEs for future assessments. The second appendix argues the relative merits of some common methods of calculating cost effectiveness and offers suggestions for improving the quality of assessment in the future.