JP 3-60, page 109

D-1 APPENDIX D THE TARGETING ASSESSMENT PROCESS 1. The Purpose of Assessment a. Assessment is used to measure progress of the joint force toward mission accomplishment. Commanders continuously assess the operational environment and the progress of operations, and compare them to their initial vision and intent. Commanders adjust operations based on their assessment to ensure tasks are completed, effects created, objectives achieved, and the desired end state reached. The assessment process is continuous and directly tied to the commander’s decisions throughout planning, preparation, and execution of operations. Staffs monitor key factors that can influence operations and provide the commander timely information needed for decisions. The assessment process helps the commander and staff decide what and how to measure to determine progress toward accomplishing a task, creating an effect, or achieving an objective. Commanders and their staffs determine relevant assessment actions and measures during planning. They consider assessment measures as early as mission analysis, and include assessment measures and related guidance in commander and staff estimates. They use assessment considerations to help guide operational design because these considerations can affect the sequence and type of actions along lines of operations. Phase 6 (Targeting Assessment) is a continuous process that measures the overall effectiveness of employing joint force targeting capabilities during military operations. It supports the commander’s decisions within the joint targeting cycle and contributes to the overall operation or campaign assessment process. b. During execution, commanders continually monitor progress toward accomplishing tasks, creating effects, and achieving objectives. Assessment actions and measures help commanders adjust operations and resources as required and make other decisions to ensure current and future operations remain aligned with the mission and desired end state. Normally, the joint force J-3, assisted by the J-2, is responsible for coordinating assessment activities at the JFC’s level. Various elements of the JFC’s staff use assessment results to adjust both current operations and future planning. c. During conflict, the US will use all instruments of its national power against the full spectrum of adversary systems—political, military, economic, social, infrastructure, information, and others. Organizationally diverse, yet operationally interconnected, instruments of national power must be synchronized to achieve the desired objectives. Assessment must parallel this multidimensional approach. Friendly, adversary, and neutral diplomatic, informational, and economic actions applied in the operational environment can impact military actions and objectives. Conversely, military actions will influence the employment and effects of diplomatic, informational, and economic instruments of national power in the operational environment (see Figure D-1). The commander should plan to assess the results of these actions. This typically requires collaboration with other agencies such as elements from DOS or the Department of Homeland Security, national intelligence agencies, multinational partners, intelligence sources, and other combatant commands to generate a complete and accurate assessment.