Effects-Based Planning: An Empirical Examination of the Process

Abstract

Recent world events have demonstrated that future conflicts will not necessarily be between nation states. Transnational threats to U.S. national security include drug cartels and international criminal and terrorist organizations. In response, the U.S. Joint Forces Command is leading a transition toward a new approach to warfare. A cornerstone of this new approach is the concept of Rapid Decisive Operations, which integrate knowledge, command and control, and Effects-Based Operations to achieve the desired strategic outcome or “effect” on the enemy through the synergistic application of the full range of military and nonmilitary capabilities at all levels of conflict. In preparing for and conducting a RDO, the military acts in concert with and leverages the other instruments of national power to understand and reduce the adversary’s critical capabilities and coherence. Focusing on effects, rather than attrition, enables a highly coordinated level of inter-service, interagency, and international cooperation. An experiment was conducted to examine aspects of EBO, and to specifically assess and refine the effects-based planning process. This paper describes the results of a survey on the effects-based planning and assessment process, and is a companion paper to two other papers that discuss results of the other two surveys that were administered.