The Command Operations Dashboard: A Common Operating Picture of the Operators

The Army trains battalion and higher units in Mission Command during realistic week-long exercises. Observer/coach/trainers (OCTs) shape the exercise scenario to the unit commander s training objectives, provide training and advice, and conduct after action reviews (AARs). With reduced resources, OCTs have limited access to the unit members physical and digital interactions, preventing a complete understanding of their activities and performance. The purpose of this research was to determine what information about unit interactions was important and difficult to monitor, yet could be provided via recording, analysis, and display technology. OCTs were observed, interviewed and surveyed to create a list of requirements for a Command Operations Dashboard (COD) providing real-time access to communications data. To achieve these requirements, the COD uses a plug-in architecture to collect communications data and metadata into a unified database, a composable analytic framework to unobtrusively and objectively assess team states, and a user interface showing raw and analyzed data. The COD will be evaluated for its utility and usability in helping OCTs 1) to determine parts of the unit needing more support, 2) to identify healthy and harmful interaction patterns, and 3) to improve training by moving from AAR to current action assessment.
Presented at the 19th International Command & Control Research & Technology Symposium (ICCRTS) held 16-19 June, 2014 in Alexandria, VA. Supported in part by DARPA.