Assess Tab
Running Assessment and Reframing
Purpose
The Assess tab closes the operations process loop. It tracks measures of effectiveness and performance, aggregates running estimates from staff roles, detects deviations between planned and actual outcomes, and surfaces the assessment findings that may trigger a return to the Understand or Design tabs for reframing.
Assessment is continuous — it runs in parallel with planning and execution, not just after the fact.
Components
MOE / MOP Tracking
Tracks two complementary types of measures:
| Measure Type | Definition | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Measures of Effectiveness (MOE) | Criteria used to assess changes in system behavior, capability, or environment. Answers: "Are we doing the right things?" | "Adversary logistics throughput reduced by 40%" |
| Measures of Performance (MOP) | Criteria used to assess friendly actions. Answers: "Are we doing things right?" | "3 of 5 planned strikes executed on schedule" |
- MOEs and MOPs are defined during planning (Plan tab) and tracked during execution.
- Each measure links to the objective or task it supports.
- Status indicators: on track (green), at risk (amber), off track (red).
- Trend tracking shows whether measures are improving, stable, or degrading.
Running Estimates from Staff Roles
- Each staff section (J1 through J9) maintains a running estimate reflecting the current state of their functional area.
- Running estimates update continuously as new information arrives.
- Structured templates ensure consistency across staff sections.
- Estimates feed into the overall assessment and are visible to the commander and cross-functional staff.
| Staff Section | Estimate Focus |
|---|---|
| J1 Personnel | Manning, casualties, morale, replacements |
| J2 Intelligence | Enemy situation, threat assessment, intelligence gaps |
| J3 Operations | Current operations status, synchronization |
| J4 Logistics | Supply, maintenance, transportation, medical |
| J5 Plans | Future operations, branch/sequel readiness |
| J6 Communications | Network status, cyber posture, PACE plans |
Deviation Detection (Plan vs. Actual)
- Automated comparison of planned activities and timelines against actual execution data.
- Deviations are categorized by severity: minor (within tolerance), significant (requires attention), critical (requires immediate action).
- Each deviation links to the affected plan element, responsible unit, and relevant MOE/MOP.
- AI agents flag patterns of deviation that may indicate systemic issues rather than isolated incidents.
Assessment Dashboards
- Commander's Dashboard — High-level summary of campaign progress, key decisions pending, and critical deviations.
- Staff Dashboard — Detailed view per functional area with running estimates, MOE/MOP status, and recommended actions.
- Objective Tracker — Visual progress toward each strategic and operational objective.
- Risk Matrix — Current risk levels by category with trend indicators.
- All dashboards are configurable and support drill-down to source data.
Doctrinal Assessment Loop
The Assess tab implements the doctrinal feedback loop described in JP 5-0 and ADP 5-0:
Understand <-- Reframe if assumptions invalid
| ^
v |
Design <-- Reframe if approach failing
| ^
v |
Plan |
| |
v |
Direct |
| |
v |
COP |
| |
v |
ASSESS -----> Assessment findings trigger reframing
Reframing Triggers
Assessment findings may indicate the need to revisit earlier phases:
- Return to Understand — When planning assumptions are invalidated by new information, or the operational environment has fundamentally changed.
- Return to Design — When the operational approach is not producing the desired effects, and the problem needs to be reframed rather than merely re-planned.
- Plan adjustment — When execution deviations require plan modification but the overall approach remains valid (handled via FRAGO in the Direct tab).
Reframing decisions are human decisions — AI surfaces the indicators, but the commander decides whether and where to reframe.
AI Agents
| Agent | Function |
|---|---|
| Deviation Detector | Compares plan timelines and objectives against execution data to flag discrepancies. |
| Trend Analyzer | Identifies patterns in MOE/MOP data and projects future trajectories. |
| Assumption Monitor | Cross-references planning assumptions (from the Plan tab's assumption registry) against current intelligence to flag invalidated assumptions. |
| Assessment Synthesizer | Aggregates inputs from all staff running estimates into a coherent overall assessment narrative. |
Role Access
| Role | Access |
|---|---|
| Commander | Full access. Reviews overall assessment and makes reframing decisions. |
| All staff | Maintain their section's running estimate. View cross-functional assessments. |
| J5 Plans | Monitors assessment for branch/sequel decision points. |
| J3 Operations | Monitors execution deviations and coordinates adjustments. |
Data Flow
COP (Execution Status)
Direct Tab (Orders, Resource Status)
Plan Tab (Assumptions, MOE/MOP Definitions)
Staff Sections (Running Estimates)
|
v
+-------------------------------+
| MOE / MOP Tracking |
| Deviation Detection |
| Running Estimates |
| Assessment Dashboards |
+-------------------------------+
|
v
Reframing Decisions
-> Understand Tab (if environment changed)
-> Design Tab (if approach failing)
-> Direct Tab (if plan adjustment needed via FRAGO)
Inputs
- Execution status from COP
- Orders and resource status from Direct tab
- MOE/MOP definitions and assumptions from Plan tab
- Staff running estimates
- Intelligence updates from Understand tab
Outputs
- Assessment summaries and dashboards
- Deviation alerts and trend analysis
- Reframing recommendations
- Updated running estimates
Doctrinal Reference
- JP 5-0, Chapter XIII: Assessment
- ADP 5-0, The Operations Process — Assessing
- JP 3-0, Joint Operations — Assessment of Joint Operations
- FM 6-0, Commander and Staff Organization and Operations — Running Estimates
Part of the BASTION Capability Tabs documentation.