Abstract for: Defense Capability Engineering: Design of a Conceptual Model

The Ministry of National Defense (MoD) and the Armed Forces of Colombia have undergone a transformation in the way planning is carried out from resource-based planning to capability-based planning; this transformation has been led by the Capability Projection Directorate at the MoD. To date, the Armed Forces have developed joint and coordinated plans in terms of capabilities and are being coordinated with budget and acquisition plans. The Capability-Based Planning approach offers several advantages for strategic planning, including a systemic view and a coordination among resources and the operational context. Part of the purpose of such approach is to aid decision makers in connecting budgetary decisions with the accomplishment of strategic objectives; however, addressing the complexity of the Defense System itself is a difficult and can become an overwhelming task. This is the reason the Chief of the Capability Projection Directorate has underlined the need for complementary tools that reduce complexity and contribute to the formulation of strategic plans. In this paper the design of a System Dynamics model that serves as a platform for decision making and strategic planning is presented and discussed. The model is expected to simulate the evolution of capabilities and their behavior under different plausible scenarios.