Systemic Operational Design: An Introduction

1 Systemic Operational design : An Introduction A Monograph by Lieutenant Colonel William T. Sorrells, US Army Lieutenant Colonel Glen R. Downing, USAF Major Paul J. Blakesley, British Army Major David W. Pendall, US Army Major Jason K. Walk, Australian Army Major Richard D. Wallwork, British Army School of Advanced Military Studies United States Army Command and General Staff College Fort Leavenworth, Kansas AY 04-05 Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited Report Documentation PageForm ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering andmaintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.

2 Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information,including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and Reports, 1215 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 1204, ArlingtonVA 22202-4302. Respondents should be aware that notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person shall be subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if itdoes not display a currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 26 MAY 2005 2. REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Systemic Operational design : an Introduction . 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b.

3 GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) William Sorrells; Glen Downing; Paul Blakesley; David Pendall; Jason Walk 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) US Army School for Advanced Military Studies,250 Gibbon Ave.,Fort Leavenworth,KS,66027 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATIONREPORT NUMBER ATZL-SWV 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Systemic Operational design (SOD) is an application of systems theory to Operational art.

4 It is an attemptto rationalize complexity through Systemic logic employing a holistic approach that translates strategicdirection and policy into Operational level designs. SOD focuses upon the relationships between entitieswithin a system to develop rationale for Systemic behaviors that accounts for the logic of the system,facilitating a cycle of design , plan, act, and learn. This is accomplished through seven discourses, leading toa holistic design of an operation that will facilitate planning. Military operations exhibit the signs indicativeof complex behavior. Traditional industrial age thinking has led to an approach to planning based ondecomposition of problems into pieces of the coherent whole and specialization into organizational sub-setsfor analysis and planning.

5 Synchronization of these separate ideas was then enacted to form a completeplan. This approach to design and planning is classical in its roots, based on a mixture of Jomini andClausewitz, and characterized by a predominantly linear and mechanistic approach. This approach toplanning had, and continues to have, many advantages for dealing with tactical level problems. At theoperational and strategic level however, problems are often unbounded and no clear solution is is an inherent danger in adopting a process that started off as a tactical problem solving tool and viaan induction has been imposed on the Operational level. A danger is that in ignoring the distinction of theoperational level of war, strategy can become tactics writ large.

6 The advent of the use of systems theory inmilitary art and science provides another theoretical framework for understanding. SOD utilizes a systemsapproach to study these complex problems. It is contended that SOD embraces the ideal of systemsthinking, thus more effectively representing the contemporary operating environment for the purposes ofdesigning and planning military campaigns. Many current doctrinal models do not adequately deal withthe dynamic complexity of war. To ensure the relevance of doctrine, dialogue between and among conceptsmust occur in an open and honest forum. The aim is not to find a winner and a loser, but to ensure that ourfuture thought processes are based on sound principles that are useful in explaining the real world for thepurpose of acting within it (or as close as an approximation as is possible).

7 Military science needs toembrace systems theory and SOD provides a promising vehicle to do so. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT 1 18. NUMBEROF PAGES 105 19a. NAME OFRESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT unclassified b. ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 SCHOOL OF ADVANCED MILITARY STUDIES MONOGRAPH APPROVAL Title of Monograph: Systemic Operational design : An Introduction Approved by: _____ Monograph Director, Mark S. Inch, COL, MP School of Advanced Military Studies _____ Director, Kevin Benson, COL, AR School of Advanced Military Studies _____ Director, Robert F.

8 Baumann, Graduate Degree Programs Approved for Public Release; Distribution is Unlimited Abstract Systemic Operation design : An Introduction . 103 pages. Systemic Operational design (SOD) is an application of systems theory to Operational art. It is an attempt to rationalize complexity through Systemic logic employing a holistic approach that translates strategic direction and policy into Operational level designs. SOD focuses upon the relationships between entities within a system to develop rationale for Systemic behaviors that accounts for the logic of the system, facilitating a cycle of design , plan, act, and learn. This is accomplished through seven discourses, leading to a holistic design of an operation that will facilitate planning.

9 Military operations exhibit the signs indicative of complex behavior. Traditional industrial age thinking has led to an approach to planning based on decomposition of problems into pieces of the coherent whole and specialization into organizational sub-sets for analysis and planning. Synchronization of these separate ideas was then enacted to form a complete plan. This approach to design and planning is classical in its roots, based on a mixture of Jomini and Clausewitz, and characterized by a predominantly linear and mechanistic approach. This approach to planning had, and continues to have, many advantages for dealing with tactical level problems. At the Operational and strategic level however, problems are often unbounded and no clear solution is apparent.

10 There is an inherent danger in adopting a process that started off as a tactical problem solving tool and via an induction has been imposed on the Operational level. A danger is that in ignoring the distinction of the Operational level of war, strategy can become tactics writ large. The advent of the use of systems theory in military art and science provides another theoretical framework for understanding. SOD utilizes a systems approach to study these complex problems. It is contended that SOD embraces the ideal of systems thinking, thus more effectively representing the contemporary operating environment for the purposes of designing and planning military campaigns. Many current doctrinal models do not adequately deal with the dynamic complexity of war.