The fundamental purpose of test and evaluation (T&E) in the Department of Defense (DOD) is to provide knowledge to answer critical questions that help decision makers manage the risk involved in developing, producing, operating, and sustaining systems and capabilities. At its core, T&E takes data and translates it into information for decision makers. Subject matter expertise of the platform and operational mission have always been critical components of developing defensible test and evaluation strategies. Recent innovations in data science have improved our ability to collect, store, manage, transfer, process and visualize data. Additionally, advances in statistics and uncertainty quantification are revolutionizing how we think about predictions from all types of data. The ability to integrate system and scientific knowledge, coupled with advances in data science and statistics, will enable us to better target testing, make efficient use of resources, quantify risk, and lead to well informed decisions.
Suggested Citation
Freeman, Laura J. “A Groundswell for Test and Evaluation.” The ITEA Journal 39, no. 4 (December 2018).