Measuring Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP) Performance: Capacities, Capabilities, and Sustainability Enablers for Biorisk Management and Biosurveillance

The Cooperative Biological Engagement Program (CBEP) within the Department of Defense (DoD) is part of the larger Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program that was initiated at the end of the Cold War. While CTR began in the former Soviet Union (FSU), it has now has expanded beyond its Cold War legacy to address current biological threats of mutual interest to the United States and 20 partner countries in different regions around the world. As the program has evolved since its inception two decades ago, so too have its content and approaches to performance measurement. Congress has shown particular interest in encouraging DoD to improve CTR assessments. Legislation for fiscal year 2010, for example, called on DoD to develop metrics for assessing CTR programs and on the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to assess DoD's efforts. CBEP leaders approached the RAND National Defense Research Institute to build on existing work related to measurement of program performance, develop a comprehensive evaluation framework, and recommend metrics for assessing and communicating CBEP progress toward program goals. This report details the work we carried out between February and October 2013, including our methods, findings, recommendations, and guidance for implementing and aggregating the recommended metrics.