Designing Decision Support Systems for Revolutionary Command and Control Domains

The cognitive work analysis (CWA) methodology provides cognitive systems engineers with a framework to analyze computer-based work environments and logically structure this information for the design of safe and effective computer supervisory and decision aids. Emphasizing the primary importance of the environment, the CWA is a tool for understanding constraints of both the domain and worker, how people interact in a particular domain, and the tools required in such environments. The CWA approach differs from more traditional cognitive task analyses in that it primarily emphasizes understanding the constraints of the environment prior to analyzing users’ cognitive constraints. However, the underlying assumption for the application of the CWA methodology is that the domain for which the system is being designed exists. From this existing domain with established users and defined goals and outcomes, the necessary ecological and cognitive analyses can be conducted, all of which require significant knowledge elicitation and data collection. In contrast, designing decision support systems for revolutionary command and control domains in which no organizational structure or users exist, much less hardware, software, and necessary sensors for information dissemination, is more difficult. I propose that for design of decision support systems in revolutionary command and control domains, the traditional CWA should be modified through the addition of two phases. These two phases include the addition of an initial step that analyzes global organizational, social, and ethical issues and the second focuses on the creation of a simulated domain. Because command and control domains are open systems with dynamic organizational structures driven by human activity, if the broader social structure is not understood prior to an analysis of a specific work domain, it is possible that potentially critical relationships that define the system boundaries could be missed. In addition, for engineers tasked to construct complex sociotechnical systems that have both a significant human component of supervision and control as well as potential deleterious impact on human life, it is critical that they consider the ethical impact of their technologies. The second phase, the creation of a simulated domain, can validate initial constraint assumptions and highlight knowledge gaps as well as provide a bridge between the systems engineering phases of constraint identification and the development of operational concepts. Application of the modified CWA methodology to the development of a decision support system for in-flight control of the U.S. Navy’s Tactical Tomahawk missile will demonstrate the viability and effectiveness of the proposed CWA modifications. Through the addition of the two phases, significant additional constraints were identified that were not recognized through the application of the traditional CWA. Moreover, the application of the modified CWA illustrated what constraint assumptions were incorrect and also provided initial operational manning concepts. In addition, using this modified constraint-based CWA approach, the resultant decision support system is compared to a similar decision support system designed through traditional systems engineering techniques to illustrate the benefit and effectiveness of this proposed design approach. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This research was supported by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division under the guidance of Alan Thomas, through a grant from the Office of Naval Research Knowledge and Superiority Future Naval Capability Program. I would like to extend a special thanks to the Dahlgren support personnel who assisted in usability testing of the TTIMR prototype and conducting Navy subject testing. Mary Feltis was absolutely critical to the success of this project and additional much needed support was provided by Mike Shelton, Tim Quinn, Dawn Janssen, Justin Kingsford, Nancy Kauffman, FCCM(SW) Jeffrey Jackson, Gene Kocmich, and Mark Rupprecht. Special recognition should be given to the Commanding Officer of the Fleet Combat Training Center, Atlantic who allowed the research team to use both his office spaces and personnel in testing. This is especially noteworthy since the testing occurred during the first weeks of the war in Iraq and with increased security concerns, he could have easily cancelled the testing. In addition, the active duty and retired naval personnel who volunteered as subjects deserve recognition both for their commitment to the project as well as their enthusiastic responses. Creative Perspectives, a Charlottesville software development firm, programmed the final prototype of the Tomahawk Interface. Dave Kellmeyer of the Navy’s SPAWAR branch, Rob Willis (Major, USA), and John Cushing (Major, USA) were also key players in the successful development of the prototype. Lastly, I would like to acknowledge the contributions, insights, and patience of my committee members, all of which were substantial and often beyond the call of duty. 1 Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of NSWC/DD or ONR.