No. 15-06

No. 15-06

MDMP

MAR 15

Military Decisionmaking

Process

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MILITARY DECISIONMAKING PROCESS

Foreword

Historically, a unit¡¯s success is directly related to the ability of the staff to

execute the military decisionmaking process (MDMP). Given the increased

complexity of today¡¯s operational environment and the vast array of mission

command systems and processes, integration and synchronization of all

activities associated with operations are increasingly difficult.

Observations derived from deployed units, as well as from trainers at

Combat Training Centers (CTCs) over the past decade, indicate a significant

loss of unit ability to conduct a detailed MDMP. This lack of planning

expertise results in de-synchronized operations, and could ultimately cost

the lives of Soldiers.

Both in actual operations and in training at the CTCs, planning time is

often extremely limited. In these instances, units often omit steps of the

MDMP. Most CTC trainers agree that when time is limited, completely

omitting any step of the MDMP is not the solution and often degrades

mission success. Combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan resulted in

the use of non-doctrinal story boards in the planning process. This practice

lacks the fidelity necessary to provide the commander with decisionmaking

information he needs, and can lead to a loss of synchronization during

operations.

The MDMP is a solid model for developing a solution to a problem.

However, if the staff conducting the MDMP is unfamiliar with each of the

steps, the process can become very complex, and errors committed early in

the process become increasingly problematic as planning continues.

The MDMP facilitates interaction among the commander, staff, and

subordinate headquarters throughout the operations process. It provides

a structure for the staff to work collectively and produce a coordinated

plan. During planning, staff members monitor, track, and aggressively

seek information important to their functional areas. They assess how

this information affects course of action development and apply it to any

recommendations they make.

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