Joint Vision 2020 is the conceptual template for how we will channel the vitality of our people and leverage technological opportunities to achieve new levels of effectiveness in joint warfighting.

Effects-based operations (EBO) are defined for thismonograph as operations conceived and planned in a systems framework thatconsiders the full range of direct, indirect, and cascading effects

This publication has been prepared under the direction of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS). It sets forth joint doctrine to govern the activities and performance of the Armed Forces of the United States in joint operations and provides the doctrinal basis for interagency coordination and for US military involvement in multinational operations. It provides military guidance for the exercise of authority by combatant commanders and other joint force commanders (JFCs) and prescribes joint doctrine for operations, education, and training. It provides military guidance for use by the Armed Forces in preparing their appropriate plans. It is not the intent of this publication to restrict the authority of the JFC from organizing the force and executing the mission in a manner the JFC deems most appropriate to ensure unity of effort in the accomplishment of the overall objective.

This handbook describes operational design and its interaction with joint operation planning. It is based partly on joint doctrine contained in JP 5-0 , Joint Operation Planning, and JP 2-01.3, Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment, but it provides more details on operational design than currently exist in these publications. The handbook also highlights “best practices” derived from Service, joint, and multinational operations and joint exercises. In particular, this handbook increases the depth of discussion on operational design by incorporating new design-related ideas developed and refined in Service and joint academic institutions during the past three years. This handbook has two primary purposes. The first is to provide useful details to commanders and planners on joint operational design and its interaction with the joint operation planning process. The second is to stimulate thinking about the best ways to incorporate new, design-related ideas into emerging joint doctrine, training, and education. This handbook provides a platform the joint community can use to examine and debate design issues and establish a common frame of reference for collaboration on assimilating value-added ideas. This handbook focuses on operational design and related aspects of joint operation planning within strategic and operational-level context. The handbook is relevant to joint force commanders (JFC), joint force Service and functional component commanders, and their respective staffs. However, the staff is the intended target audience, especially those involved in planning joint operations.