4-53. For stability operations, commanders use measures of performance. A measure of performance is an indicator used to measure a friendly action that is tied to measuring task accomplishment (JP 5-0). Examples of measures of performance include the construction of a training facility for host-nation security forces or an increased border presence by friendly forces.

4-54. In stability operations, measures of performance track implementation of an activity. They answer the question, “Is the stability task progressing?” and in the long run, “Is the activity complete?” Examples of output indicators might be the number of miles of road paved or number of police trained. Military forces monitor output indicators during the implementation of an activity until they complete the activity.

2-52. Six Army stability operations tasks correspond to the stability sectors adopted by the DOS. The subordinate tasks performed by military forces under the stability operations tasks directly support broader efforts within the stability sectors executed as part of unified action. None of these Army stability operations tasks is performed in isolation. When integrated within their complementary stability sectors, they represent a cohesive effort to reestablish the institutions that provide for the civil participation, livelihood, and well-being of the citizens and the state. At the operational level, Army stability operations tasks serve as lines of effort or simply as a guide to action, ensuring broader unity of effort across the stability sectors. (See the discussion on the lines of effort beginning in paragraph 4-29.) Each Army stability task and stability sector contains a number of related subordinate tasks. In any operation, the Army stability operations tasks, and the subordinate tasks included within each area, are integrated with offensive and defensive tasks. (See ADP 3-0 for more information on unified land operations.)

2-63. The Army stability operations tasks reflect a myriad of interrelated activities conducted across the five stability sectors. Tasks executed in one sector inevitably affect another sector; planned and executed appropriately, carefully sequenced activities complement and reinforce these effects. Achieving a specific objective or establishing certain conditions often requires performing a number of related tasks among different stability sectors. An example of this is the effort required to provide a safe, secure environment for the local populace. Rather than the outcome of a single task focused solely on the local populace, safety and security are broad effects. Military forces achieve these effects by ending hostilities, isolating belligerents and criminal elements, demobilizing armed groups, eliminating explosives and other hazards, and providing public order and safety. Sustaining security over time requires the execution of even more tasks across all the stability sectors.

3-47. Successfully executing stability operations depends on informing the local populace and, when applicable, influencing behaviors. Although more tangible objectives mark the success of stability activities, the final measure of success or failure often rests with the perceptions and behaviors of the population. Military forces must go beyond defeating an enemy—they must secure the trust and confidence of the population. This requires a mastery of information operations—the integrated employment, during military operations, of information-related capabilities in concert with other lines of operation to influence, disrupt, corrupt, or usurp the decision-making of adversaries and potential adversaries while protecting our own (JP 3-13). Since forces conduct operations within a broader global and regional context, success often depends on the integration of information efforts among military forces and the various agencies and organizations participating in the operation. Based on mission objectives, commanders may employ themes and messages as part of planned activities designed to influence specific foreign audiences for various purposes that support current or planned operations. Information themes are overarching and apply to the capabilities of public affairs, military information support operations, and Soldier and leader engagements. A message is a narrowly focused communication directed at a specific audience to support a specific theme (JP 3-61). Information efforts must support and complement those of higher echelon headquarters, national interests, and broader USG policy. (See FM 3-13 for more information on information operations.)

3-51. In executing stability operations, military forces focus on people. They strive to gain the cooperation and support of the populace. Stability operations that improve their safety, security, and livelihood help to shape perceptions that supporting objectives of an operation is in the people’s best interest. Shaping perceptions that an operation is legitimate using information operations increases support for that operation. Performing these tasks can further the populace’s and the international community’s understanding of the commander’s objectives:

4-24. When executing stability operations, commanders integrate and synchronize military and nonmilitary tasks through collaborative planning. Therefore, every operation focuses on clearly defined, decisive, and attainable objectives. However, these objectives may evolve over the course of an operation, as strategic and operational guidance is refined, conditions of operational environment change, and understanding increases. Hence, all commanders continuously monitor operations and assess their progress against measures of effectiveness and the end state conditions. These conditions form the basis for decisions that ensure stability operations progress consistently toward the desired end state.

5-37. When conducting stability operations, protection is essential for success at all operating levels, from tactical to strategic. Like offensive and defensive operations, stability operations can derive some protection from the concept of operations alone, but the most sustainable protection success for the force is achieved by integrating the protection tasks that comprise the protection warfighting function. Loss, damage, injuries, and casualties can influence the will of participating populations to sustain operations. The long-term nature of stability operations may require a scheme of protection that is more resource-intensive and more prescribed than typical security operations.

4-20. Planning for stability in operations draws on all elements of operational art. However, certain elements are more relevant than others are, and some in particular are essential to successful stability operations. (See ADP 3-0 for a detailed discussion of the operational art. See the discussion beginning in paragraph 4-21 concerning those elements applicable to stability in operations.)

3-50. Although not considered stability operations, information operations are fundamental to each stability sector. Information operations are deliberately integrated with tasks in each stability sector and Army stability operations tasks to complement and reinforce the success of operations. Forces carefully sequence information operations with other tasks and support them with thorough risk assessments. Commanders exploit the initiative within the information environment with effective integration and synchronization of information-related capabilities. Combined with broad efforts to reduce the drivers of conflict and build host-nation capacity, information operations facilitate achieving decisive results: the recovery of the host-nation government and the attainment of a lasting, stable peace.

4-59. Effective assessment for stability operations incorporates both quantitative (observation-based) and qualitative (opinion-based) indicators. Human judgment is integral to assessment, especially in operations where the civil population plays such a prominent role. A key aspect of any assessment is the degree to which it relies upon human judgment and the degree to which it relies upon direct observation and mathematical rigor. Rigor offsets the inevitable bias, while human judgment focuses rigor and processes on intangibles that are often key to success. The appropriate balance depends on the situation—particularly the nature of the operation, its included stability operations, and available resources for assessment.

5-48. Protection schemes for stability operations often begin by determining where the current situation is best described along the stability framework and then applying protection capabilities to the most significant military and civilian vulnerabilities. Primary stability tasks reflect a host of subtasks within the range of military operations and throughout the five stability sectors. Protection measures are applied during vulnerability assessments focused on the primary stability tasks.

1-6. Any integrated approach to stability operations requires a framework that applies across the range of military operations, from military engagement to large-scale combat operations. It must frame purposeful intervention at any point along that range, reflecting the execution of a wide range of stability operations tasks performed in various operational environments, including stability operations tasks—

3-23. Transfer of control of stability operations requires detailed planning as well. These transitions may be from U.S. military forces to another multinational military force or civilian organization, to another USG organization or agency, or to a host-nation military or government agency. The role of a military force may also change from leading the conduct of stability operations to supporting a new organization executing stability operations.

2-32. The stability sectors form a framework for executing stability operations that represents the five key areas in which civil-military efforts focus on building host-nation capacity. Individually, they encompass the distinct yet interrelated tasks that constitute reform activities in a functional sector. Collectively, they are the pillars upon which the government frames the possible reconstruction tasks required for nations torn by conflict or disaster. Although U.S. forces execute some tasks sequentially, success necessitates an approach that focuses on simultaneous actions across an operational area. These tasks are inextricably linked; positive results in one sector depend on successfully integrating and synchronizing tasks across other sectors.

5-47. Information operations are also essential to the success of stability operations. Unified action and interagency participation are achieved by nesting the six stability tasks with the five stability sectors identified by the Department of State. To support stability operations, the scheme of protection is developed and refined to link stability and protection tasks to operational goals and end states. Stability operations and security sectors are integrated within the stability framework to help define and measure progress and to provide a context for conducting operations. The stability framework defines the environment according to two quantifiable, complementary scales—decreasing violence and increasing normalization of the state.

3-28. Forces first perform minimum-essential stability operations tasks, then they establish a safe and secure environment to provide essential governmental services, emergency infrastructure reconstruction, and humanitarian relief. Maneuver forces may require significant augmentation to their task organization to perform stability tasks effectively.

2-19. Commanders must resource minimum-essential stability operations tasks. When a demand for resources exceeds an organization’s capability, commanders provide additional resources. Sometimes commanders provide the chain of command with the necessary information to provide additional resources to meet the requirements. At other times they request higher commanders provide follow-on forces to conduct the tasks expeditiously. Commanders at all levels assess resources available against the mission to determine how best to conduct these minimum-essential stability operations tasks and what risk they can accept.

2-16. All operations morally and legally require forces to conduct minimal-essential stability operations tasks to provide for the protection and well-being of civilian populations. Every operation order implies forces or organizations conduct the minimum-essential stability operations tasks. These tasks provide for minimum levels of security, food, water, shelter, and emergency medical treatment. The Army has two minimum-essential stability operations tasks:

2-59. The commander and staff identify essential stability operations tasks based on consideration of relevant mission variables. (See ADP 5-0 for a discussion of mission variables.) Military forces must successfully execute stability operations tasks to accomplish specific missions. These essential tasks may include specified and implied tasks required to establish the end state conditions that define success. They include stability operations and supporting information operations that communicate to a wide array of audiences. Some stability operations are executed simultaneously and some sequentially.