9-2. The MDMP facilitates collaborative planning. The higher headquarters solicits input and continuously shares information concerning future operations through planning meetings, warning orders, and other means. It shares information with subordinate and adjacent units, supporting and supported units, and unified action partners. Commanders encourage active collaboration among all organizations affected by pending operations to build a shared understanding of the situation, participate in course of action development and decisionmaking, and resolve conflicts before publishing the plan or order.

9-4. The MDMP also drives preparation. Since time is a factor in all operations, commanders and staffs conduct a time analysis early in the planning process. This analysis helps them determine when to begin certain actions to ensure forces are ready and in position before execution. This may require the commander to direct subordinates to start necessary movements, conduct task organization changes, begin information collection, and execute other preparation activities before completing the plan. As the commander and staff conduct the MDMP, they direct preparation tasks in a series of warning orders (WARNORDs).

9-6. The MDMP consists of seven steps, as shown in figure 9-1. Each step of the MDMP has various inputs, a step to conduct, and outputs. Each step also has a series of processes that commanders and staffs conduct to produce the outputs. The outputs lead to an increased understanding of the situation, facilitating the next step of the MDMP. Commanders and staffs generally perform these steps sequentially; however, they may revisit several steps in an iterative fashion as they learn more about the situation before producing the plan or order.

9-9. The MDMP stipulates several formal meetings and briefings between the commander and staff to discuss, assess, and approve or disapprove planning efforts as they progress. However, experience has shown that optimal planning results when the commander meets informally at frequent intervals with the staff throughout the MDMP. Such informal interaction between the commander and staff can improve the staff’s understanding of the situation and ensure their planning efforts adequately reflect the commander’s visualization of the operation.

9-12. The MDMP can be as detailed as time, resources, experience, and the situation permit. Performing all steps of the MDMP is detailed, deliberate, and time-consuming. Commanders use the full MDMP when they have enough planning time and staff support to thoroughly examine two or more COAs and develop a fully synchronized plan or order. This typically occurs when planning for an entirely new mission.

9-25. The MDMP continues with an assessment of the situation called mission analysis. Commanders (supported by their staffs and informed by subordinate and adjacent commanders and by other partners) gather, analyze, and synthesize information to orient themselves on the current conditions of the operational environment. The commander and staff conduct mission analysis to better understand the situation and problem, and identify what the command must accomplish, when and where it must be done, and most importantly why—the purpose of the operation.

2-93. The MDMP consists of seven steps. Each step of the MDMP has inputs, a series of sub-steps, and outputs. The outputs lead to an increased understanding of the situation facilitating the next step of the MDMP. Commanders and staffs generally perform these steps sequentially; however, before producing the plan or order, they may revisit several steps in an iterative fashion as they learn more about the situation. The seven steps are—

2-95. The MDMP and TLP are similar but not identical. Troop leading procedures are a dynamic process used by small-unit leaders to analyze a mission, develop a plan, and prepare for an operation. TLP extend the MDMP to the small-unit level. Commanders with a coordinating staff use the MDMP as their primary planning process. Company-level and smaller units lack formal staffs and use TLP to plan and prepare for operations. This places the responsibility for planning primarily on the commander or small-unit leader with assistance from forward observers, supply sergeants, and other specialists in the unit.

9-7. Commanders initiate the MDMP upon receipt of, or in anticipation of, a mission. Commanders and staffs often begin planning in the absence of a complete and approved higher headquarters’ operation plan (OPLAN) or operation order (OPORD). In these instances, the headquarters begins a new planning effort based on a WARNORD and other directives, such as a planning order or an alert order from its higher headquarters. This requires active collaboration with the higher headquarters and parallel planning among echelons as the plan or order is developed.

9-15. Commanders initiate the MDMP upon receipt or in anticipation of a mission. This step alerts all participants of the pending planning requirements, enabling them to determine the amount of time available for planning and preparation and decide on a planning approach, including guidance on using Army design methodology and how to abbreviate the MDMP, if required. When commanders identify a new mission, commanders and staffs perform the actions and produce the expected key outputs. (See figure 9-2.)

5-32. After completing the MDMP (to include developing requirements), the commander and staff complete an information collection plan. Developing the information collection plan involves overlaying the information requirements on the current situation, operational plan, and the existing intelligence architecture.

2-94. Commanders initiate the MDMP upon receipt of, or in anticipation of, a mission. Commanders and staffs often begin planning in the absence of an approved higher headquarters’ OPLAN or OPORD. In these instances, they start planning based on a warning order (WARNORD), a planning order, or an alert order from higher headquarters. This requires active collaboration with the higher headquarters and parallel planning among echelons as the plan or order is developed. (See FM 6-0 for detailed instructions for conducting the MDMP.)

4-6. Troop leading procedures and the MDMP are specifically designed for planning and problem solving for conducting operations. For situations when operational planning is not appropriate, the Army’s approach to problem solving involves the following steps:

9-11. The staff’s effort during the MDMP focuses on helping the commander understand the situation, make decisions, and synchronize those decisions into a fully developed plan or order. Staff activities during planning initially focus on mission analysis. The products the staff develops during mission analysis help commanders understand the situation and develop the commander’s visualization. During course of action (COA) development and COA comparison, the staff provides recommendations to support the commander in selecting a COA. After the commander makes a decision, the staff prepares the plan or order that reflects the commander’s intent, coordinating all necessary details. (See figure 9-1.)

9-13. Commanders may alter the steps of the MDMP to fit time-constrained circumstances and produce a satisfactory plan. In time-constrained conditions, commanders assess the situation, update the commander’s visualization, and direct the staff to perform the MDMP activities that support the required decisions. In extremely compressed situations, commanders rely on more intuitive decisionmaking techniques, such as the rapid decisionmaking and synchronization process. (See paragraphs 9-205 through 9-210 for information on planning in a time-constrained environment.)

9-200. The commander decides how to adjust the MDMP, giving specific guidance to the staff to focus on the process and save time. Commanders shorten the MDMP when they lack time to perform each step in detail. The most significant factor to consider is time. It is the only nonrenewable, and often the most critical, resource. Commanders (who have access to only a small portion of the staff or none at all) rely even more than normal on their own expertise, intuition, and creativity as well as on their understanding of the environment and of the art and science of war. They may have to select a COA, mentally war-game it, and confirm their decision to the staff in a short time. If so, they base their decision more on experience than on a formal, integrated staff process.

9-18. The gathering of knowledge products continues throughout the MDMP. Staff officers carefully review the reference sections (located before paragraph 1. Situation) of the higher headquarters’ OPLANs and OPORDs to identify documents (such as theater policies and memoranda) related to the upcoming operation. If the MDMP occurs while in the process of replacing another unit, the staff begins collecting relevant documents—such as the current OPORD, branch plans, current assessments, operations and intelligence summaries, and SOPs—from that unit.

9-8. The commander is the most important participant in the MDMP. More than simply decisionmakers in this process, commanders use their experience, knowledge, and judgment to guide staff planning efforts. While unable to devote all their time to the MDMP, commanders follow the status of the planning effort, participate during critical periods of the process, and make decisions based on the detailed work of the staff. During the MDMP, commanders focus their activities on understanding, visualizing, and describing.

3-42. The D3A methodology is an integral part of the MDMP. As the MDMP is conducted, targeting becomes more focused based on the commander's guidance and intent. Certain targets may require special considerations or caution, because engaging them improperly could create unintended effects. Examples include targets that should be handled with sensitivity due to potential political and or diplomatic repercussions and targets located in areas with a high risks of collateral damage, to include weapons of mass destruction facilities. These measures are incorporated in the coordinating instructions and appropriate annexes of the operation plan or operation order.

6-5. Members of the protection cell evaluate COAs during the MDMP against the evaluation criteria derived from the protection warfighting function to determine if each COA is feasible, acceptable, and suitable in relation to its ability to protect or preserve the force.