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Abstract:
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Operational testing and evaluation is an integral part of the DoD acquisition process. Since conducting realistic testing with representative users in a full operational environment is costly in terms of time, money, and resources, it is imperative that it is done right. That means designing efficient tests, extracting all the information possible out of available test data, and making use of validated models and simulations. The field of statistics offers a variety of tools for addressing these problems, and government policy and guidance is increasingly becoming infused with modern statistical techniques. Over the past 5 years, the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation has issued memos and documents that require the use of rigorous statistical approaches to test design, data analysis, and model validation. The Director has cited these approaches when making decisions on test adequacy and system effectiveness. This talk provides a government office perspective on the role that statistics plays in DoD policy, including several practical examples of the value statistical rigor brings to defense acquisition.
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