Evaluating Aircrew and Maintainer Warfighter Performance in Aeronautical Systems using Mission-Oriented Measures of Effectiveness

Manpower, Personnel, and Training MPT research and development RD traditionally validates its products and procedures using outcome criteria such as end-of-course grades, time to master, cost-benefit analyses, or sometimes by job performance indices. However, RD funders react more favorably to research outcomes linked to warfighting capabilities and readiness impacts. Therefore, incorporating these criteria into MPT RD is critical to future success. The Air Force Research Laboratory commissioned the present effort to determine the key measures used by Air Force decision-makers at the headquarters and major command levels. One way to target human performance improvement research is to focus on the Measures of Effectiveness MOEs used to evaluate the performance of weapon systems, organizational units, teams or crews, and individual airmen on operational tasks. Based on input from a wide variety of sources, the University of Dayton Research Institute UDRI developed a taxonomy of warfighting capability metrics linking the priorities and preferences of Air Force operational command decision makers for specific MOEs. Research findings included a MOEs were numerous but not well documented or organized in the literature, b individual systems acquisition documents possess many MOEs, and c surrogate measures used for exercises and contests can also be useful. In addition to the MOE taxonomy, UDRI developed an hierarchical diagram of aircraft maintenance MOEs.