ATP-5-0-2-1 Staff Reference Guide Volume 1 Download
Page 18 of 440
Chapter 1 2 ATP 5-0.2-1 07 December 2020 1-6. Situations and echelons dictate the focus and methods leaders use to assess. Assessment occurs at all echelons. Normally, commanders assess those specific operations or tasks that they were directed to accomplish. This properly focuses collection and assessment at each echelon, reduces redundancy, and enhances the efficiency of the overall assessment process. 1-7. Assessment resources (to include staff officer expertise and time available) proportionally increase from battalion to brigade, division, corps, and theater army. Analytical resources and level of staff expertise available at higher echelon headquarters include a dedicated core group of analysts. This group specializes in operations research and systems analysis (ORSA), formal assessment plans, and various assessment products. For example, divisions and above have fully robust staffs that have either dedicated modified table of organization and equipment (MTOE) positions or they can create an assessment working group. 1-8. At brigade and below, assessments are usually less formal and often rely on direct observations and judgment of commanders and their staffs. Leaders focus on assessing their unit's readiness (personnel, equipment, supplies, and morale) and their unit's ability to perform assigned tasks. Leaders also determine whether a unit has completed assigned tasks. If those tasks have not produced the desired results, leaders explore why not and consider what improvements can be made. As they assess and learn, small units change tactics, techniques, and procedures. In this way, even the lowest echelons of the Army follow the assessment process. ASSESSMENT ACTIVITIES 1-9. The situation and type of operation affect assessment characteristics. During large-scale combat, assessments tend to be rapid, focused on the level of destruction of enemy units, terrain gained or lost, objectives secured, and the status of friendly forces. In other situations, such as stability operations, assessment is more subjective. For example, assessing the level of security in an area or the level of the population's support for the government is challenging. 1-10. Whether conducting formal or informal assessments in large-scale combat or in operations dominated by stability operations, assessment comprises three major activities: Monitoring the current situation to collect relevant information. Evaluating progress toward attaining end state conditions, achieving objectives, and performing tasks. Recommending or directing action for improvement. MONITORING 1-11. Monitoring is continuous observation of those conditions relevant to the current operation. Monitoring allows commanders and staffs to collect relevant information, specifically information about the current situation described in the commander's intent and concept of operations. Progress cannot be judged, nor effective decisions made, without an accurate understanding of the current situation. 1-12. Commander's critical information requirements (CCIRs) and associated information requirements focus the staff's monitoring activities and prioritize the unit's collection efforts. Information requirements concerning the enemy, terrain and weather, and civil considerations are identified and assigned priorities through reconnaissance and surveillance. Operations officers use friendly reports to coordinate other assessment-related information requirements. 1-13. Staffs monitor and collect information from the common operational picture (COP) and other friendly reports. This information includes operational and intelligence summaries from subordinate, higher, and adjacent headquarters and communications and reports from liaison teams. Staffs also identify information sources outside military channels and monitor their reports. These other channels might include products from civilian, host-nation, and other government agencies. Staffs apply knowledge management in the two focus areas of information management and foreign disclosure to facilitate disseminating this information to the right people at the right time. 1-14. Staff sections record relevant information in running estimates. Staff sections maintain a continuous assessment of current operations as a basis to determine if operations are proceeding according to the