Design, assessment, and the causal imperative in complex operations and campaigns

Military planners and commanders participate in two activities, design and assessment, that are currently separate and distinct processes. Military design aims at environmental understanding and crafting well-justified interventions. Assessment requires the discernment of whether these interventions are working. However, the logical and practical connections between design and assessment are under-theorized. We argue that the exercise of military design and assessment must become indistinguishable in practice. Assessment must be a continuous action as commanders and staff officers understand the environment, craft an array of interventions, and determine if these interventions are working.