Page 229 - MDSL Final

NAVY PLANNING
by increasing frequency of guidance, direction, and decision making.
This is done through sound, precise guidance and up-front decisions on
COAs, wargaming and with decreased formality of the process.

Planning Team and Staff’s Role in the Navy Planning Process

The staff must be properly organised to support the NPP. However, staffs
are functional organisations and often support a command’s efforts
across multiple time horizons: far, mid, and near and through their
respective staff directorates; future plans, future operations (FOPs),
and current operations. Therefore, the planning team(s) should draw
personnel from the various staff codes and directorates. This cross-
sectional approach provides a holistic and dedicated effort to the NPP.
Planning initiation can come from various sources depending on the
level of command.

The Plan, Brief, Execute, Debrief Cycle

While the NPP provides a framework for operational planning, many
naval tactical organisations practice the Plan, Brief, Execute, Debrief
(PBED) cycle. This is to remain ready and focused on continuously
improving mission performance in support of operational planning.

Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment (JIPOE)

JIPOE is a product of Intelligence Staff Estimate. Most important portions
of the estimate enemy’s objectives, respective (COG) and enemy’s most
likely and dangerous COA. All planners need a basic familiarity with the
IPOE process in order to become critical consumers of the products
produced by the intelligence community. Although the specifics of the
IPOE process vary depending on the situation and force involved, there
is general agreement on the following four major steps:

• Define the operational environment (OE).
• Describe the impact of the operational environment.
• Evaluate the adversary.
• Determine adversary courses of action (COAs).

To Nurture a Stable Environment at Sea 209