Analysis Techniques For Man-Machine Systems Design

NATO UNCLASSIFIED-3 - AC/243(Panel-8)TR/7Volume 21 MISSION AND SCENARIO ANALYSISmission &scenarioanalysis -bfunctionndinterface\functionworkspaced t b allocartiona aasi codesign1.1 * Narrative missiondescriptionss \ I ~analysis ; =1.2 Graphic T mission profilespredictionWhat the techniques doanalyses oese define the overall requirements of the system under developmeGs, in terms which provide informationfor subsequent human engineering analyses. They are uscd to devrl e what the system must do (the operationalrequirement) and the circumstances and environment in which it must be dones.BackgroundIdeally, the basis for the development of mission and scenario analysis should be the operational analysis conducted Loestablish the requirements for a new system (NATO Mission Need Document). In practice, however, the operationalanalyses are seldom available to the project personnel resign criter ign and developmBnt. The operationalf rM e terms most frequently used for these activities arr mission analysis, mission profiles, and scenarios.The user should be aware of possible problems with these terms. Generally, a scenario is a "sketch or plot of aplay, giving particulars of the scenes, situations etc." (Oxford English Dictionary), and a mission is "a clear,concise statement of the task of the command and its purpose" (NATO Glossary of Terms and Dcefiitions).Thus a "scenario' is often taken as the higher, overall level from which the analysis starts, and the "mission" istakcen as a lower, more specific level of analysis.In the USA, however, the term mission analysis is taken as "the first step in the system development,required for the establishment of human factors design criteria" (DoD-HDBK-763), and "scenarios are developedfrom the threat/concept and the mission profiles, and they must fully describe Mhe events implied by the profile."In practice these differences in terminology can lead to confusion, particularly in discussions between theprocuring agency and the performing agency (whether government or contractor).NATO UNCLASSIFIED-3-