Achieving more Successful Government Programs through Robust Analysis of Alternatives (AoA)

Achieving more Successful Government Programs through Robust Analysis of Alternatives (AoA)

An Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) study ensures that new programs have a sound, executable business case. AoA or “Alternative Analysis” is required by the GSA for planning, budgeting, acquisition, and managing Federal capital assets. In 2009, the GAO studied 32 DoD acquisition projects found that

69% of the projects with weak AoA studies had major cost and schedule overruns, while only 22% of those with strong AoA efforts missed their targets. AoA success goes beyond the acquisition of weapon systems and shows similar results for any new project, program, process, policy, or other organizational change.

AoA is a process that begins with the development of multiple competing alternatives. For each alternative, the life cycle costs and other measures of effectiveness are identified and evaluated. Then the technological, programmatic and operational risks are itemized, and their effects evaluated. Finally, a structured methodology is used to compare the alternatives in light of the costs, other measures, and risks. The goal is to not only find which alternative is strongest, but what areas need improvement and which risks need mitigation to ensure project budget and schedule success.

Download the event brochure at:

http://eaprincipals.com/docs/AoA-Workshop-4-27-2011.pdf

Speaker and Presenter Information

Dr. David Ullman, Ph.D., President, Robust Decisions, Inc. Dr. David Ullman is the President of Robust Decisions. In the 1990s, while teaching engineering design at Oregon State University, he became aware of the importance of using structured methods to analyze alternatives. By 2002 he had developed tools specifically designed to support the analysis of alternatives when information is uncertain, incomplete, conflicting and evolving (see www.robustdecisions.com and www.accordmanager.com). Ullman is the author of �Making Robust Decisions� (2006 Trafford), �The Mechanical Design Process� (2009, 4th edition, McGraw Hill), and over 50 technical papers on product design and decision making. He holds a PhD from The Ohio State University, is an Emeritus Professor of Engineering (Oregon State University), is a Fellow in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and has served in the USAF. He has six patents and has founded two companies. Ullman is an engaging workshop leader who has taught in an interactive style for over 30 years in both industry and academia. He consistently receives very high ratings from participants in his workshops. No one goes to sleep because they are part of the process.