ATP-5-0-2-1 Staff Reference Guide Volume 1 Download
Page 17 of 440
07 December 2020 ATP 5-0.2-1 1 Chapter 1 Assessing Everyone constantly assesses. The reader is assessing whether or not this introduction is worth reading. This chapter describes assessment activities, includes guides for performing an effective assessment, and describes how to conduct an effective after action review (AAR). OVERVIEW OF ASSESSING 1-1. The information in this chapter is primarily from JP 3-0, ADP 5-0, ATP 5-0.3/MCRP 5-10.1/NTTP 5-01.3/AFTTP 3-2.87, FM 6-0, and the Joint Staff's J-7 Commander's Handbook for Assessment Planning and Execution. 1-2. Assessment is the determination of the progress toward accomplishing a task, creating a condition, or achieving an objective (JP 3-0). Assessment is a continuous activity of the operations process that supports decision making by ascertaining progress of the operation, developing and refining plans, and making operations more effective. 1-3. Assessment involves deliberately comparing intended outcomes with actual events to determine the overall effectiveness of progress toward attaining the desired end state, achieving objectives, and performing tasks. Through professional military judgement, assessment helps answer the following questions: Where are we? What happened? Why do we think it happened? So what? What are the likely future opportunities and risks? What needs to change? What needs to be done differently? 1-4. Assessment precedes and guides the other activities of the operations process. During planning, assessment focuses on understanding an operational environment (OE) and building an assessment plan. During preparation, the focus of assessment switches to discerning changes in the situation and the force's readiness to execute operations. During execution, assessment involves a deliberate comparison of forecasted outcomes to actual events, using indicators to judge operational progress towards success. Assessment during execution helps commanders determine whether changes in the operation are necessary to take advantage of opportunities or to counter unexpected threats. 1-5. No single way exists to conduct assessments. Every assessment is unique with its own challenges. The following steps can aid in developing an effective assessment plan and analyzing performance during execution: Develop the assessment approach. Develop the assessment plan. Collect information and intelligence. Analyze information and intelligence. Communicate feedback and recommendations. Adapt plans or operations. See ATP 5-0.3/MCRP 5-10.1/NTTP 5-01.3/AFTTP 3-2.87 for a detailed discussion of each step of the assessment process (see FM 6-0 for developing an assessment plan).