A Decision Support System (DSS) for AWACS Personnel Acquisition Management

Abstract : The purpose of this thesis was to define an appropriate tool to assist AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) personnel managers in determining the personnel acquisitions that are required for AWACS operations. The approach used to structure the decision process was that of a Decision Support System (DSS). The goal of the specified DSS was to provide an initial point to better state personnel acquisition requirements, particularly with regard to the experience of the crew force, and to provide a structure for improvement in the DSS itself. The decisions supported by the designed DSS go beyond what has been attempted by AWACS air crew managers in the past, explicitly addressing experience level inventories and the need to stabilize both manning levels and experience levels in the various AWACS crew positions. The overall design of the DSS to support these goals is specified through the mechanisms of concept mapping and storyboarding, and a kernel system is developed. Adaptive design is adopted as the means for continued system development and evolution.