DAVID G. ULLMAN
Analysis of Alternatives
Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) is a process that has been adopted by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Department of Defense (DoD) to ensure that multiple alternatives have been analyzed prior to making investment decisions. It is an assessment approach to evaluate potential solution sets (material, organizational, structural, or ideological) to satisfy a desired capability. An Analysis of Alternatives study moves from the justification of a single alternative to the
exploration of multiple options in order to establish a basis for funding the best possible projects in a rational, defensible manner while considering risk and uncertainty. A paper by Ullman in the Phalanyx (A publication of MORS (Military Operations Research Symposium) Vol 44, No 3, Sept 2011, pp 24) titled “Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) Based Decisions” details Analysis of Alternatives as a decision making process.
The GAO has shown that the quality of the AoA study greatly affects the results. Ullman specializes in tools and methods that ensure high quality analysis when information is uncertain, incomplete, evolving and conflicting. He can use COTS tools, develop custom tools, coach the process, perform the study or write the AoA report.