APTIMA INC — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: N16A-T002

Description

The introduction of new systems and technologies is critical for maintaining superiority, yet this brings with it uncertainty regarding the impact on users, teams, and organizations. Rigorous test and evaluation (T&E) practices are therefore essential prior to acquiring and instituting new technologies, particularly to assess the workload imposed on end users. Traditionally, workload assessment has employed highly subjective techniques dependent on self-reported responses provided by users of a system; however more objective techniques for workload measurement are greatly needed. In response to this need, Aptima will develop TOME: Tools for Objective Measurement and Evaluation. TOME will provide a diagnostic toolset for cost-effectively supporting T&E practitioners and augmenting system acquisition decisions through advanced workload measurement and performance assessment strategies. TOME will help guide T&E personnel and acquisition decision-makers to accurate and more thorough assessments than currently available. This in turn will lead to more valid conclusions, thus allowing evaluators to weigh competing factors such as acquisition cost and a given systems ability to meet performance and safety criteria.