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 facilitate the definition of post-deployment software support staff selection, staffing levels, and training requirements for emerging weapon systems. The resulting capabilities will greatly enhance the Army's ability to investigate, analyze, and quantify the impact of various software maintenance concepts on soldier-focused performance metrics (e.g., availability). The Phase I project will (i) determine appropriate model(s) for post-deployment software maintenance workload estimation, (ii) define a post-deployment software maintenance concept analysis and refinement methodology, (iii) define automation support needs for post-deployment software maintenance concept formulation and analysis, (iv) define prototype tool architecture and development strategy, and (v) document Phase I results and develop Phase II approach. The main results of the Phase I project will be (a) a new methodology for maintenance concept analysis and refinement and (b) an architectural strategy and initial design for the tools needed to support post-deployment software maintenance requirements analysis. The proposed developments will provide the capability to determine software operations and maintenance burden estimates and to analyze the implications of that burden in the context of different maintenance concepts.