JP 3-0, page 15

Executive Summary xiii integrates ends, ways, and means, while accounting for risk, across the levels of war. requires a broad vision, the ability to anticipate, and the skill to plan, prepare, execute, and assess. It helps commanders and their staffs order their thoughts and understand the conditions for victory before seeking battle. Operational art encompasses operational design—the conception and construction of the intellectual framework that underpins joint operation plans and their subsequent execution. Operational Design Operational design supports operational art with a general methodology using elements of operational design for understanding the situation and the problem. Operational design extends operational art’s vision with a creative process that helps commanders and planners answer the ends–ways–means–risk questions. The commander is the central figure in operational design. The elements of operational design are individual tools that help the JFC and staff visualize and describe the broad operational approach. Operational art, operational design, and joint operation planning process blend in complementary fashion as part of the overall process that produces the eventual plan or order that drives the joint operation. Joint Operation Planning Joint operation planning process underpins planning at all levels and for missions across the range of military operations. Joint operation planning consists of planning activities associated with joint military operations by CCDRs and their subordinate JFCs in response to contingencies and crises. It transforms national strategic objectives into activities by development of operational products, which include planning for the mobilization, deployment, employment, sustainment, redeployment, and demobilization of joint forces. Regardless of the commander’s level of involvement, certain key planning elements require the commander’s participation and decisions. These include the operational approach, mission statement, commander’s planning guidance, commander’s intent, commander’s critical information requirements, and concept of operations (CONOPS). Assessment Continuous assessment helps the JFC and joint force component commanders determine if the joint force is “doing the right things” Assessment is a process that evaluates changes in the environment and measures progress of the joint force toward mission accomplishment. Assessment begins during mission analysis when the commander and staff consider what to measure and how to measure it to determine progress toward