To help the tools be used and be found useful, attention is paid to how decisions are usually made now and to the human and institutional setting. The models are structurally simple and use no explicit mathematics. However, integrating these models into realistic judgment in real situations is intellectually quite challenging. The instructor has been developing decision analysis methods and applying them as a consultant to government and industry for many years. His own case studies provide much of the illustrative material.
Teaching emphasizes hands-on practice and uses the instructor s textbook.
The course alternates technical exposition and application, with plentiful exercises. Course projects include students making a personal choice and evaluating live public policy issues, in groups. Interleaved reprints include popular articles on the need for and impact of decision-aiding tools, and case studies of their use by public policy makers. Readings package by instructor Tools of Rational Choice . Hammond J, Keeney RL, Raiffa H. Smart Choices.