Military Intelligence Professional Bulletin - Federation of American ...

commander assesses progress toward accomplishing
the mission.” 5
FM 3-07, Stability Operations, provides a more explicit
definition of the concepts of MOP and MOE:
MOP: A measure of performance is a criterion
used to assess friendly actions that is tied to measuring
task accomplishment (JP 3-0). At the most
basic level, every Soldier assigned a task maintains
a formal or informal checklist to track task completion.
The items on that checklist are measures
of performance. At battalion level and above, command
posts monitor measures of performance for
assigned tasks. Examples of measures of performance
include the construction of a training facility
for host-nation security forces or an increased border
presence by friendly forces. 6
MOE: A measure of effectiveness is a criterion
used to assess changes in system behavior, capability,
or operational environment that is tied to measuring
the attainment of an end state, achievement
of an objective, or creation of an effect (JP 3-0). They
focus on the results or consequences of task execution
and provide information that guides decisions
to take additional or alternate actions. Examples of
measures of effectiveness include reduced insurgent
activity, reduced inflation rates, and improvements
in agricultural production. 7
FM 3-07 also provides an excellent description
and example of how indicators are used to assess
MOPs and MOEs.
Indicator: An indicator is an item of information
that provides insight into a measure of effectiveness
or measure of performance. Indicators use available
information to inform a specific measure of performance
or measure of effectiveness. A single indicator
can inform multiple measures of performance
and measures of effectiveness. Valid indicators are
measurable, collectable, and relevant to a specific
time. Examples of indicators include bushels of apples
sold in a specific market in the past month,
number of escalation of force incidents along a given
route in the past 90 days, and number of bridges repaired
in a province.
MOP and MOE–Relating the Concepts
One useful way to think of MOPs and MOEs is to
think of them in terms of task and purpose. MOPs
relate to accomplishment of the task and MOEs relate
to the accomplishment of the purpose. For ex-
ample, a unit may be given the task and purpose of
occupying a hill in order to provide early warning.
The task of occupying the hill expertly executed; the
accomplishment of this task provides a MOP. If the
occupation of the hill does not provide early warning,
or doesn’t achieve the intended purpose for the
occupation, this is reflected as in a MOE.
Another example is that a unit may be tasked to
conduct at least ten patrols a day in a neighborhood
in order to gain the confidence of the local populace.
Even though the unit might conduct the requisite
number of patrols to standard, it still may not result
in confidence. From a MOP standpoint, the unit is
successful; from an MOE standpoint, it may not be.
As a result, MOP could easily be considered more
of a quantitative measure, while MOE tends to be a
qualitative measure.
The focus for MOP is primarily internal, answering
the question “Are we doing what we are told to
do?” MOE may have an external focus, answering
the question “Do our actions have the effect on others
that we are expecting?
The chart below illustrates a comparison of the
concepts of MOP and MOE and how they relate to
task and purpose, quantitative vs. qualitative measures,
internal vs. external focus, and the primary
questions to ask for each measure.
Relationship to Task
& Purpose
Quantitative vs.
Qualitative Measures
Internal vs. External
Focus
Primary Question
April - June 2009 49
MOP
Relates directly to Task
Primarily Quantitative
Internal Focus (Task at
hand)
Are we doing things
right? (Are we
accomplishing the task
to standard?)
MOE
Relates directly to Purpose
Primarily Qualitative
External Focus (Impact of
Actions)
Are we doing the right
things? (Are the things we
are doing getting us to the
end state we want?)
MOP and MOE–Examples from Operations
Using MOP and MOE for assessment does not just
apply to combat operations. The concepts also easily
apply to stability operations and to support to
civil authorities. In stability operations, there may
be a number of objectives that easily translate into
MOP and MOE measures. For example, if a line of
effort in a stability operation is the establishment