A Robust Framework for Analysis of Alternatives (AoA)

Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) is a complex multi-dimensional decision procedure used by the U.S. Department of Defense as part of the acquisition process. The four dimensions of the procedure are alternatives, criteria, scenarios, and stakeholders. Current AoA studies lack the structural rigor needed from such a complex procedure, which involves measurements, evaluations, analyses, and modeling, as well as social and group-decision aspects—all in a highly uncertain environment. We propose a structured paradigm for conducting AoA, rooted in well-established methods of multi-criteria decision analysis. The core of the methodology comprises the concepts of ratio-scale matrices and the Euclidean norm. The ratio-scale matrices are used to elicit evaluations, preferences, and opinions from individual stakeholders and analysts, and the Euclidean norm is utilized to mitigate possible preference inconsistencies and help form consensus.Naval Postgraduate School Acquisition Research Progra