Systemic Operational Design

[Hippasus]

Goesh,
Thank you for your response, though admit it troubles me. SOD does indeed acknowledge the reality of uncertainty in ways that other methodologies do not. That is, perhaps, its greatest strength, and another is that it therfore requires those who practice it to return to their strategic sponsor and question when they recieve instructions that may result in great harms. Do we really have leaders so malicious, so conniving, that they are uncaring about the harm caused to their nations, citizens, and soldiers so long as their own power remains intact? I can not, in reflection, believe such a terrible truth about all political leaders.
In response to the question of logistics, I agree that more straightforward planning methodologies are better at "getting stuff done." But I believe that SOD, since it is design and NOT planning, offers a chance to more clearly understand why, if, and how much of our blood and treasure we should be willing to risk in the first place.
If Olmert thought that a non-SOD approach would result in fewer KIAs....I wonder if he considered Lebanese KIAs? I think that the Israeli failure to account for the ability of small groups of people to capitalize on international networks for money, weapons, media exposure, and other factors has cost them. I guess the question is, will they learn from it? Kind of ironic, since the point of SOD is really to learn...

[slapout9]

Hi Hipp, I was very interested in SOD as it was being looked at from a FEMA type situation to try an instill some type of better thinking about natural disasters and responses to them. It never got off the ground. However Major Strickland found an instructor at the advanced war fighting school who is part of the SWC. I don't remember his name and can not find his original post. You might PM the Major and ask him. There are several papers at the CGSC about SOD one dealt with hurricane Katrina. I don't remember the links but they should be easy to find. SOD is a little complicated (new) but it's key benefit as you pointed out is it is a design methodology not a planning methodology. Figure out the right things to do first then plan it. Hope this helps.