System to Aid Counterinsurgency Campaign Analysis, Design, and Evaluation (SACCADE)

Among the Army’s many responsibilities, Counterinsurgency (COIN) operations are assuming growing importance. FM 3-24 Counterinsurgency, defines the role, importance, and general properties of an effective COIN campaign design process: exploratory, multi-dimensional, collaborative, and iterative responding to ongoing assessment. COIN campaign designers must draw on sources and knowledge representing all components of national power, must develop campaign concepts by thinking creatively and critically, and must refine their designs by learning from experiences within and across campaigns. We propose to develop a System to Aid Counterinsurgency Campaign Analysis, Design, and Evaluation (SACCADE). SACCADE will combine, adapt, and extend several Stottler Henke tools and technologies. Innovation will focus on (1) data modeling that provides limited, appropriate, and flexible structuring of data about a complex changeable world, (2) appropriate and flexible visualization of that modeled data, (3) exploitation of limited system understanding of both the data and the design method, (4) tools to support efficient creation and ongoing adaptation of complete designs. During Phase II we will refine requirements, carry out a cognitive task analysis of the Army’s evolving design method, explore and develop appropriate technologies, validate our resulting SACCADE prototype with Army users, and prepare for Phase III transition.