Proposed Standard Processes for Certification of Modeling and Simulation Applications

Certification of modeling and simulation (M&S) applications is becoming more commonly practiced as M&S applications are used more and more for military training, analysis, complex system design evaluation, M&S-based acquisition, problem solving, and critical decision making. Certification is a very complex process, involves the measurement and evaluation of hundreds of qualitative and quantitative elements, mandates subject matter expert evaluation, and requires the integration of disparate measurements and evaluations. Planning, managing, and conducting such measurements and evaluations require structured standard processes and should not be performed in an ad hoc manner. The need for standard processes for unbiased, fair, cost effective, and consistent M&S certification is undeniable. This paper presents a scheme for practicing M&S accreditation and certification and proposes standard M&S certification processes.