01.12.2014 Views

monitoring

monitoring

monitoring

SHOW MORE
SHOW LESS

Create successful ePaper yourself

Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.

UNCLASSIFIED<br />

DEFENSE SCIENCE BOARD | DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE<br />

Figure 4‐1 Elements of an M&V Analytical Methodology<br />

A common issue in the development of analytical frameworks has been the tendency to frame<br />

the problem and solution together. The conflation of “problem space” and “solution space”<br />

brings with it several consequences:<br />

• It tends to promote metrics and assessments that support optimized subsystem or<br />

component performance vs. system performance by assuming they are one and the<br />

same.<br />

• It tends to lead analysts to fixate on a narrower problem (such as detector performance)<br />

rather than assessing those issues in the context of the larger whole.<br />

• It does not enable a common understanding of the problem space itself, allowing<br />

solutions to be framed in whatever manner the solution proponent deems suitable.<br />

All of these symptoms run counter to enabling the decision maker to achieve his/her ultimate<br />

goal: rendering and defending a provably effective investment strategy for M&V capability<br />

development. Separating the “problem space” from the “solution space” and analyzing them<br />

independently can therefore yield benefits by eliminating or mitigating these issues.<br />

To illustrate the point, consider that detection systems have often been placed at the forefront of<br />

the national strategy for detecting the illicit movement of nuclear threats in proliferation<br />

regimes. While undoubtedly detectors play a role in the solution, the bulk of current analytical<br />

activities are focused on detector system performance. As a result, the M&V problem of<br />

detecting illicit movements is often miscast implicitly as a detector problem. This can lead to<br />

the line of thinking that more detectors with better detector performance parameters must<br />

logically provide reduced risk – a statement that may or may not be true. More importantly,<br />

other options that do not hinge on detector deployments may in fact provide more cost<br />

effective mechanisms for risk reductions.<br />

DSB TASK FORCE REPORT Chapter 4: Address the Problem | 40<br />

Nuclear Treaty Monitoring Verification Technologies<br />

UNCLASSIFIED

Hooray! Your file is uploaded and ready to be published.

Saved successfully!

Ooh no, something went wrong!