Systemic Operational Design: Enhancing the Joint Operation Planning Process

Operational level commanders and their staffs require relevant and current joint doctrine that articulates the critical function of operational design and its role in the Joint Operation Planning Process (JOPP). Since operational design is the construction of the intellectual framework that underpins operational planning, sound elements of operational design and a method to apply them are further required. Currently, Joint Publications (JP) 3-0 (Operations) and 5-0 (Joint Operation Planning) fall short of meeting these requirements, resulting in designs that lack coherence and completeness. Systemic Operational Design (SOD), an emerging methodology that has been under research by the US Army, provides a source from which a new approach to operational design can be developed and integrated into the JOPP. A new Designing Based Approach (DBA) inspired by SOD principles and driven by the need to enhance joint doctrine is proposed to in this monograph. More precisely, the DBA incorporates SOD discourse, proposes sweeping changes to the current elements of operational design, and establishes a parallel design application. Thus, SOD enhances the JOPP indirectly through the DBA.