Open Decision Making

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Description

John Robb distinguishes two kinds of open decision-making, in the context of analyzing warfare and the new role of the American military:


"Decentralized decision making within the current structure. This is the approach advocated by the proponents of maneuver warfare (and Boyd himself). This is accomplished by ensuring all of the component decision making bodies share a common outlook (a harmonization of orientation). This means that each component's decision making processes will enjoy a high degree of similarity and synergy with that of parallel efforts. Unfortunately, this homogeneity of approach can reduce the production of novelty.

Decentralized decision making via a market mechanism or open source framework. This approach is similar to process "B" detailed above, except that a much wider degree of diversity of outlook/orientation within the contributing components is allowed/desired. The end result is a decision making process where multiple groups make contributions (new optimizations and models). As these contributions are tested against the environment, we will find that most of these contributions will fail. Those few that work are then widely copied/replicated within components. The biggest problem (opportunity?) with this approach is that its direction is emergent and it is not directed by a human being (the commander) ." (http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/2008/04/open-decision-m.html)