This book describes a cost/performance trade-off model useful for illustrating the effects of budget decisions on the quality of expected performance in the military enlisted force. The model links recruit quality to job performance on the one hand and personnel costs on the other. Understanding these linkages provides a clear rationale, based on performance and cost differences, for choosing applicants for military service.


The book examines trends in the quality of military personnel from the beginning of the All-Volunteer Force in 1974 to the year 2000 and beyond. It discusses technical issues associated with the development of the various components of both cost and performance linkages and presents applications of the fully developed model.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
Opening Remarks: The Nexus Between Science and Policy
Part I: The Context of the Enlistment Standards Project
Part II: Job Performance Measurements Issues
Part III: The Cost/Performance Trade-off Model
Workshop Participants