Design for military operations

[Bob's World]

Bob's World posted - We've actually been applying design at USSOCOM for about a year now in the Strategy Division, and not only is the command allowing us tremendous freedom of intellectual maneuver, the products that we have developed are having a major impact far outside out Command.

Where does the Strategy Division fit within the staff and how often do you interact with planners?

Also, when you say "outside the command" are you referring to IA partners? Are they finding design opportunities more acceptable than JOPP and MDMP planning tools?

Thanks,

Dave

We are quickly becoming the foundation for everything the command does, and probably work with the planner as much as anyone. They have been using design as well within their shop as they attack revisions on the various plans we work.

As to interaction with the interagency community, they really like our products, we don't spend a lot of time talking about the process that got us there. I think you'll find that Army planners even withing the military are way more wrapped around the axel on process than other military planners (did you do it right over did you get a good result), and civilian planners much less so again.

My one fear as TRADOC works to codify this "art" of war process, that they inadvertantly squeeze the life out of it in converting it to a repeatable "science." Guard against that, please. This is definitely something where it is far more important to apply some broad concepts than to rigidly execute a specific process.