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Technical Note---Managing a Secret Project

Author

Listed:
  • Edieal Pinker

    (University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627)

  • Joseph Szmerekovsky

    (North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota 58102)

  • Vera Tilson

    (University of Rochester, Rochester, New York 14627)

Abstract

We study project scheduling in a competitive setting taking the perspective of a project manager with an adversary, using a Stackelberg game format. The project manager seeks to limit the adversary's opportunity to react to the project and therefore wants to manage the project in a way that keeps the adversary “in the dark” as long as possible while completing the project on time. We formulate and illustrate a new form of project management problem for secret projects where the project manager uses a combination of deception, task scheduling, and crashing to minimize the time between when the adversary initiates a response to the project to when the project is completed. We propose a novel mixed-integer linear programming formulation for the problem and determine characteristics of optimal schedules in this context. Using a detailed example of nuclear weapons development, we illustrate the interconnectedness of the deception, task scheduling, and crashing, and how these influence adversary behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Edieal Pinker & Joseph Szmerekovsky & Vera Tilson, 2013. "Technical Note---Managing a Secret Project," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 61(1), pages 65-72, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:61:y:2013:i:1:p:65-72
    DOI: 10.1287/opre.1120.1123
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. D. G. Malcolm & J. H. Roseboom & C. E. Clark & W. Fazar, 1959. "Application of a Technique for Research and Development Program Evaluation," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 7(5), pages 646-669, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. Eli Gutin & Daniel Kuhn & Wolfram Wiesemann, 2015. "Interdiction Games on Markovian PERT Networks," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 61(5), pages 999-1017, May.
    2. Szmerekovsky, Joseph G. & Venkateshan, Prahalad & Simonson, Peter D., 2023. "Project scheduling under the threat of catastrophic disruption," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 309(2), pages 784-794.
    3. Pinker, Edieal & Szmerekovsky, Joseph & Tilson, Vera, 2014. "On the complexity of project scheduling to minimize exposed time," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 237(2), pages 448-453.

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