Is anybody aware of any typologies of 'strategic' level CoAs/ConOps? I realize different countries use different terminologies here, but what I am looking for are some 'high-level' (i.e. not JUST 'operational'-level) rough 'design' sketches of how one could approach certain missions/mission types. A UK general told me recently that they now call this 'pre-question 1' in operational planning. Or it is also akin to some of the pre-planning design thinking that 'systemic operational design'-enamored people keep referring to (rightfully so in my mind).
I realize that people like Naveh would abhor the very idea of creating such a typology, but it still seems to me that one could identify some high-level questions/suggestion that should ALWAYS be asked/raised when a country sets out to tackle various security challenges. Questions like: what are direct AND indirect ways of solving the problem (i.e. is there a CoA whereby we enable OTHERS - maybe better placed than we - to do the heavy lifting, whereby we just enable them); kinetic AND low- or even non-kinetic ConOps; different 'environmental' options (various mixes of air/land/sea/cyber/human terrain approaches), etc. etc. The idea would be to think through some of those high level design ideas on the basis of a couple of criteria (how effective would it be in achieving our effects; how much would it cost, how long would it take, how much support would it have politically/at home, how sustainable is it, etc.) And just like we use a plethora of other mental 'aids' in various aspects of military planning (think DOTMLPF/TEPIDOIL/etc.; task lists; etc.) NOT to stifle creativity, but to at least make sure we have at least thought of various aspects of the problem - so too would such a taxonomy (when properly done) at least trigger some strategic-level consideration of some maybe less' traditional' courses of actions. This - to me - is one of the many areas that I have identified in my own work where the military as an organization could really teach their counterparts in other government departments a thing or two.
If anybody could refer me to any literature on this topic, I would be very grateful!
-Stephan
