The paper describes a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of ice management (IM) operations, which is part of a larger effort aimed at developing efficient IM systems. Ice dynamics simulations are used to determine ice forces on an assumed structure. The simulations examine the role of variables that can be altered by IM operations such as floe size, ice confinement and ice pressure. The results provide means for quantifying the benefits from icebreaking operations, which is a needed input for the design and optimization of IM systems. Ongoing work employs related techniques to determine icebreaking requirements and IM efficiency.