Metrics for the Quadrennial Defense Review's Operational Goals

Abstract : The Department of Defense has adopted a capabilities-based approach to defense planning for transforming the U.S. military to meet newly emerging national security challenges. Capabilities-based planning focuses on developing the general wherewithal to fight successfully in a wide range of circumstances rather than only in stereotyped scenarios. The 2001 Quadrennial Defense Review highlighted what it called six specific operational goals for the focus of the transformation. It then sought metrics for evaluating, advancing, and monitoring progress in attaining those goals. This documented briefing contains the slides and text of a briefing that describes a first cut at identifying such metrics. The research reported here was conducted within the Acquisition and Technology Policy Center (ATPC) as part of RAND's Metrics for the QDR Transformation Operational Goals project, a cross-cutting effort sponsored by the advisory board of RAND's National Defense Research Institute (NDRI), a federally funded research and development center supported by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the unified commands, and the defense agencies. The research reported here was conducted in early 2002, and results were presented to NDRI's advisory board in April 2002. This documented briefing should be of interest to those involved in defense planning, particularly as it relates to transforming the U.S. armed forces.