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Assessments and Measures of Effectiveness in Stability Operations Handbook

Handbook 10-41
May 2010

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Chapter 3 - Organize and Prepare for Assessments

Commanders and staffs must plan, organize, and prepare to conduct assessments as a part of operations. The assessment/tactical conflict assessment and planning framework timeline illustrates how the assessment process supports the deployment/transfer of authority timeline (see Figure 3-1). The assessment process builds on the success of the previous unit and clearly establishes a new baseline for the next unit.

The Assessment Cell

Organizing and training an assessment cell is critical to a successful assessment process. Mission requirements and available staff resources will determine assessment cell membership.

At division and above, the cell is staffed with available resources. At brigade combat team and battalion levels, the assessment cell is not normally present; instead, an assessment working group (AWG) exists comprised from the intelligence, operations, and civil affairs staffs. Figure 3-2 is a template for corps and division assessment cell membership.

The assessment cell fuses data to provide assessment analysis, assessment summaries, and recommendations on how to achieve desired effects and associated operational considerations. The assessment cell supports planning on all event horizons (long-, mid-, and short-range plans).

The assessment cell produces a draft initial assessment and baseline of the operational environment (OE) for cross-functional vetting in the AWG.

The Assessment Working Group

The AWG is normally constituted at the division or corps level. Figure 3-3 is an assessment cell membership template. The AWG supports cross-functional planning and assessment across the staff. It supports planning teams by reviewing and refining desired and undesired effects developed by the staff planners and developing MOEs, MOE indicators, and assessment criteria in support of those effects (objectives). The AWG periodically validates existing effects hierarchy, and supports assessment by integrating internal and external inputs into a coherent holistic assessment of the OE. The staff lead for the AWG is the assessment cell chief. The AWG has the following characteristics:

• The AWG is cross functional across the staff.
• The AWG develops, refines, and validates effects metrics for plans and operations.
• The AWG provides integrated assessment to the commander for directing planning efforts.

Assessment products include an integrated joint task force-wide assessment of the OE for commander decision-making and guidance for staff planning efforts. Planning considerations include the following:

• Validation of desired/undesired effects and supporting MOEs and MOE indicators.
• Assessment criteria for inclusion in the campaign plan/order.

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