Manpower and Personnel Estimation Methods for Post-Deployment Software Maintenance

The goal of this effort is to develop an advanced methodology and supporting tools to assess post-deployment software maintenance (PDSM) staffing level needs, estimate operations and maintenance costs, and determine training requirements for emerging weapon systems. There are significant gaps in the technology needed to successfully conduct such assessments. Critical needs include: (i) appropriate (i.e., valid, accurate) model(s) for PDSM workload estimation, (ii) methodology for PDSM concept analysis and refinement (i.e., there is a need for guidance in how to think about the problem, as well as how to formulate and analyze tradeoffs in the design space), and (iii) an architectural strategy for the automated tools supporting PDSM concept formulation and analysis. The proposed technology will help analysts determine the post-deployment software operations and maintenance burden and the key factors that affect them. In addition, this technology will provide the foundation for quantifying the effects of changes in maintenance concepts and doctrine, changes in the external environment, changes in maintenance-related process design, and variations in human performance to determine their effects on both maintenance and operational unit performance (e.g., operational availability, go-to-war capability).