Santa Fe Institute

Seminar

May 13, 2013
3:30 PM
Collins Conference Room

Stefan Pickl (Universität der Bundewehr München; Munich, Germany) and Dr. Daniel A. Nussbaum (Naval Postgraduate School)

Abstract.   Everyone knows it's there, but most people do not see it in action.  In answer to the usual questions of "what does it cost?"  and "how do you know?,"  the answers is (almost) always "X dollars, and someone else told me."  That is, there's no sense of nuance, of uncertainty, or of the methodologies which underpin the estimate.  The facts are, though, that, there is a well structured cost estimating discipline, as well as a community of professionals, in both the government and commercial spheres.  The academic world is different, in that there are very few academic centers that either teach or conduct research in cost estimating.  Among those that do our the University of the Armed Forces in Munich and the Naval Postgraduate School, and the two prime movers at these institutions are Professors Stephan Pickl and Daniel Nussbaum, respectively.  Their cooperation has provided published results within NATO, the US DOD, and within the larger Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) community.

The topics to be covered are:

• The roles of cost estimating and  cost engineering as part of complex system analysis in the decision analysis process.
• Addressing uncertainty in cost estimates.
• Use of cost estimating in Critical Infrastructure Protection environments.

Purpose: Research Collaboration

SFI Host: Jerry Sabloff

• * SFI community lectures are free, open, & accessible to the public.
• * Seminars & colloquia are geared for scientists but free & open to the interested public.
• * All other SFI events are by invitation only.
• * Note: We are unable to accommodate members of the public for SFI's limited lunch service; you're welcome to bring your own.