This paper presents an application of work-domain analysis (WDA) to the domain of the command and control of a multipurpose naval frigate-the Canadian Halifax Class frigate. This represents an application of this approach to a real system and, to the authors' knowledge, is the most extensive WDA of a naval work domain. In particular, and in contrast to other applications of cognitive work analysis, the authors extended the basic WDA framework to handle a multipurpose, loosely bound work domain. In addition, the naval domain is value driven, and this affects naval decision making. Values were incorporated as a social organizational analysis into the work-domain model and were represented as a type of soft constraint. A total of 38 submodels of the work domain were developed, whose primary models are discussed in this paper. From these models, 132 information requirements were extracted, substantiating that WDA is a worthwhile technique for supporting interface design. This paper makes a theoretical contribution by extending the WDA framework and a practical contribution by demonstrating the usefulness of the framework in a real design context. This paper concentrates on presenting WDA as a process, not as a finished product, showing intermediate levels of models and the design requirements that can be extracted from the early stages of the WDA.

Although data fusion and other decision support technologies promise significant opportunities for enhancing performance in the growing complexity of war, the design of support systems incorporating these technologies is extremely challenging. This paper examines an approach for designing tools to support the operations staff of a HALIFAX Class frigate in building and maintaining an integrated tactical picture. It is based on developing models of picture compilation work to permit formulating a model of support for data and information fusion aids. Aspects of the work being modeled include the dynamic information processing in individual operators' picture compilation tasks, the information flow and integration among the operator team, and their goals for acquiring and maintaining situation awareness.

Shipboard command and control presents unique challenges for decision support. Command decisions require an understanding of your own ship's capabilities as well as the capabilities and the intentions of friendly and hostile parties. While some actions can be pre-planned, naval decision makers will always be faced with unanticipated situations resulting from unknown variables in the environment or unexpected changes in their own equipment or technological capabilities. Decision support for these unanticipated situations demands that these operators be provided with as complete and flexible a model of the situation as possible. Ecological interface design is a design paradigm for unanticipated situations that has evolved from the domain of nuclear power, that bases its design on a cognitive work analysis (CWA) that is developed from work domain models. In this paper, we applied this approach to the domain of command and control for the Canadian Halifax-class frigate. In all, 38 work domain models were developed, from which we generated 132 information support requirements. This paper presents the first iterations of those models and discusses the application of this approach to the domain of command and control.

We are concerned with planning missile firing and guidance actions in a supportive single-ship or cooperative multi-ship anti-air warfare (AAW) system. The system must be capable of interacting with a dynamic and uncertain battle world and a commander (the supportee) in real-time and in a responsive, reliable and predictable manner. We present a model of a pure planning function in a layered control architecture for an engagement manager responsible for planning, coordinating and directing missile defence actions to optimize response.< >