FM 5-0, The Operations Process - Federation of American Scientists

The Military Decisionmaking Process
Conduct Initial Assessment
B-20. During receipt of mission, the commander and staff conduct an initial assessment of time and
resources available to plan, prepare, and begin execution of an operation. This initial assessment helps
commanders determine—
• The time needed to plan and prepare for the mission for both the headquarters and subordinate
units.
• Guidance on design and abbreviating the MDMP, if required.
• Which outside agencies and organizations to contact and incorporate into the planning process.
• The staff’s experience, cohesiveness, and level of rest or stress.
B-21. A key product of this assessment is an initial allocation of available time. The commander and staff
balance the desire for detailed planning against the need for immediate action. The commander provides
guidance to subordinate units as early as possible to allow subordinates the maximum time for their own
planning and preparation of operations. As a rule, the commander allocates a minimum of two-thirds of
available time for subordinate units to conduct their planning and preparation. This leaves one-third of the
time for commanders and their staff to do their planning. They use the other two-thirds for their own
preparation. Time, more than any other factor, determines the detail to which the commander and staff can
plan.
B-22. Based on the commander’s initial allocation of time, the COS (XO) develops a staff planning
timeline that outlines how long the headquarters can spend on each step of the MDMP. The staff planning
timeline indicates what products are due, who is responsible for them, and who receives them. It includes
times and locations for meetings and briefings. It serves as a benchmark for the commander and staff
throughout the MDMP.
Issue the Commander’s Initial Guidance
B-23. Once time is allocated, the commander determines whether to initiate design, conduct design and
MDMP in parallel, or proceed directly into the MDMP without the benefits of formal design activities. In
time-sensitive situations where commanders decide to proceed directly into the MDMP, they may also
issue guidance on how to abbreviate the process. Having determined the time available together with the
scope and scale of the planning effort, commanders issue initial planning guidance. Although brief, the
initial guidance includes—
• Initial time allocations.
• A decision to initiate design or go straight into the MDMP.
• How to abbreviate the MDMP, if required.
• Necessary coordination to perform, including liaison officers to exchange.
• Authorized movements and any reconnaissance and surveillance to initiate.
• Collaborative planning times and locations.
• Initial information requirements (IRs).
• Additional staff tasks.
Issue the Initial Warning Order
B-24. The last task in receipt of mission is to issue a WARNO to subordinate and supporting units. This
order includes at a minimum the type of operation, the general location of the operation, the initial timeline,
and any movement or reconnaissance to initiate.
MISSION ANALYSIS
B-25. The MDMP continues with an assessment of the situation called mission analysis. Commanders
(supported by their staffs and informed by subordinate and adjacent commanders and by other partners)
gather, analyze, and synthesize information to orient themselves on the current conditions of the
operational environment. The commander and staff conduct mission analysis to better understand the
26 March 2010 FM 5-0 B-5