ABSTRACT
Decision-making under conditions of uncertainty is an important and responsible process, especially if it concerns the continuity of operation of complex Cyber-Physical-Social Systems type structures. The chapter presents the concept of risk because of the imperfect knowledge available to the decision-maker under conditions of uncertainty. Decisions can be made about either taking or not taking given activities that will take place in an uncertain environment. The value of risk depends on the strength of knowledge about the object of the decision available to the decision-maker, the uncertainty associated with the possibility of a given outcome, and the value of consequences of a given outcome. The second part of the chapter deals with the concept of risk-informed decision-making (RIDM) as a purposeful process that uses a set of performance measures, together with other considerations, to inform the decision-maker about the risks associated with the consequences of the various decision options. The third section of the chapter proposes the concept of dependability related decision-making in the form of a 10-step algorithm. This concept forms the basis of a generalized cognitive dependability model and Cognitive Dependability Governance Framework for Cyber-Physical-Social Systems operating under deep uncertainty presented in Chapter 16.
