Resource Allocation for the New Defense Strategy: The Dynarank Decision-support System

DynaRank is a Microsoft Excel based program that allows detailed high-level evaluation of policy options. This report describes the development of DynaRank through a series of RAND policy studies, culminating in its application to the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). The authors provide an overview of the process and why it was developed, describing its application to a domestic transportation project and a long-range planning study for the Air Force. They then provide detail about its application late in the QDR process and describe how it assisted them in reaching certain conclusions. The appendixes provide a tutorial, instructing a new user how to set up and apply DynaRank; show a step-by-step example of its use; and list DynaRank’s functions.