Assessing Resource Value and Relationships between Objectives in Effects-Based Operations

The purpose of this research was developing techniques to calculate the value of a resource within the context of campaign objectives, to identify competing objectives, and to identify conflicting objectives to improve a commander?s ability to allocate limited resources. A methodology was developed to express a campaign?s objective hierarchy in terms of a set of desired end states for the campaign?s system of systems. Value theory was used to identify the resource's value in terms of the direct and indirect effects that are produced to achieve the campaign?s objectives. Binding resource constraints within an integer program were used to identify the objectives that competed for the simultaneous use of limited resources. Conflicting objectives were identified using interaction tables. Collectively, the research translated doctrinal, effects-based operational concepts into actionable processes within deliberate planning and crisis action planning horizons.