DECISION MAKING-PROCESS

MILITARY DECISION MAKING PROCES

MATEOIU Ștefania
Land Forces Academy,,Nicolae Bălcescu”, Sibiu
mateoiustefania@yahoo.com
Scientific coordinator:

ABSTRACT
An integral part of the current life of the individual, as well as of any organization, the
decision is a natural act of the people, but especially of the leaders. This paper defines the
concept of decision, the stages of the decision making, and the process decision-making itself.
Its scheme shows that the different stages of the decision-making process, starting from the
generating fact, can be linked, within a framework, after a linear process. In reality, however,
the generating fact is the bearer of a strategy in force and new facts are likely to occur during
the decision-making process.

Keywords

decision, decision making, mission, strategies, generating facts

1
INTRODUCTION
In traditional businesses, decisions are taken at different hierarchical levels and are
applicable if they occur at lower echelons. Everyone makes his own choices function, as
events occur in his or her life and service, or according to decisions taken to the upper
echelons. An organization of this type is less and less oriented to a dynamic evolution, in the
current context, at least for the following reasons:
- fierce competition that haunts between businesses as fast and faster reactions an
easier adaptation to market demands and environmental variations;
- the different evolution of mentalities and the mismanagement of staff
responsibilities to which he aspires risking to perceive, to confuse his state of mind with the
enterprise in general.
These lead to significant decreases in productivity, quality, a competitiveness in
general. There is a need to put on a new way organization based on the whole human
resources of the enterprise, not only with the purpose of modifying the structure and
functioning of the enterprise, but also the redistribution goals and reshaping "tissue". It is
simply necessary to render the company more a lot of intelligence encouraging each of his
actors to practice their intelligence or to understand adapt to a situation, choose according to
the circumstances, solve problems of all varieties, all of which means making motivated
decisions and applying them.
This definition, however precise and complete it may be, does not make us see how,
within a real organization, the various members will be able to exercise their intelligence in a
mannerconsistent. It is therefore necessary to enter the detail of the decision.

1. THE CONCEPT OF DECISION

The decision, in general, is the conclusion of the process by which we make a choice
conscious, an option between two or more available alternative courses of action with the goal
of achieving one or more goals.
It results from this definition that deciding is to determine an action program after
reflecting. " Why a prior reflection? Because the new actions can not be left to the hazard if
we want them to be effective in relation to the goals we have set. So there is a decision every
time you have to change a predefined program or a elaborate an action plan with different
alternatives or not. Concluding, the opportunity to make a decision exists every time the
balance between the results of our actions and the criteria that we use or want to use is broken.
It is, in fact, a regulation mechanism. The purpose of the decision is to change the results our
actions to render them according to the evaluation criteria we have fixed or are likely to adopt
them. This will result in a change in our business. [1]

2. THE MILITARY DECISION-MAKING PROCESS

The decision-making process is not just about choosing a course of action from
several possible variants, the decision-making process involves knowing the need to decide,
knowing when to make a decision and not last, what to decide. Moreover, any decision-
making process has consequences, which requires their understanding and foresight.
The military decision-making process is a unique, stable and proven analytical
process.
Both the commander and the subordinate are used by the MDMP as a tool for estimating and
developing a plan.
This article describes the process of solving the problems that arise with the receipt of
the mission, this process having the purpose of issuing an order even if it is carried out
throughout the operations.

2
 In order to make logical and correct decisions, in the shortest time, the commander
uses the MDMP even in the battlefield.
We need to keep in mind that the MDMP is not a simple process, it is a complex,
detailed, step-by-step action that requires time to allow staff to plan and examine possible
ways of action, friendly or enemy.
To perform the mdmp correctly, you must follow the following steps:
1 receiving the mission
Step 1. Receipt of Mission.
Of course, mdmp starts with receiving the mission. The mission must not necessarily be
issued by the upper echelon, it may be made aware by the commander or may result from an
ongoing operation. For example, in the case of the intervention of significant changes of the
enemy's action and the course of action envisaged by the commander it changes considerably.
The five elements of a mission statement answer the questions—
• Who will execute the operation?
• What is the unit‘s essential task ?
• When will the OPN begin (time/event) or what is the duration?
• Where will the operation occur (AO, objective, grid coordinates)?
• Why will the force conduct the OPN (for what purpose or reason)?

Step 2. Mission Analysis.

This step gives the commander a vision of the field of action. The mission's mission
analysis aims to clarify the tactical problem and look for possible solutions. This analysis is
performed both by the staff and the commander, but the image of the waters that the
commander creates is much broader, implying the capacity of the staff and the means of
action.Forecasting, prior training and well-trained personnel are key elements for timely

mission analysis.

Step 3. Course of Action Development.

3
 Following the instructions communicated and drawn up by the commander, the staff
elaborates the COA for analysis and comparison, which is why it is desired to participate all
the personnel in this activity
In order to develop a complex and suitable plan that can be implemented in a timely
manner.
Also, the personal involvement of the commander is of particular importance in the
development of the COA, which contributes with clarifications and exact answers to the
questions that arise during the course.
In order to be considered effective, a COA must meet the following conditions:
1. Affordability. This is one of the characteristics that a COA must align with, as well
as the directives of the commander. All this under the conditions in which these directives
drawn up by the commander can be modified at any time. In this situation the COA changes,
the staff being in a permanent adaptation.
2. Feasibility. The action must take place during the proposed time, I confirm the plan
with the minimum possible resources.
3. Acceptability. By implementing the established COA, one seeks to obtain a tactical
or operational advantage, but at the same time there must be a justification for the
consumption of resources, especially victims.
4. Differentiation. Each COA must be unique, differentiated by the amount of
resources used, the different tasks, the executed options or the maneuvers used.

Step 4. Course of Action Analysis

By analyzing the COA, one chooses the course of action considered to be the most
effective in terms of the minimum number of possible victims and a position as advantageous
for the future actions.
Through the COA analysis, the commander and the staff determine the course of
action to have less collateral damage, fewer casualties and maximum fighting power.
More recently, war games are used for war games.
The war game represents a transposition in the virtual environment of the rules and
stages specific to a battle, transposition of the dispositions, strengths, but also of the weak
points, the characteristics of the battle zone.
The war game determines the discovery of different perspectives, of new ideas that
otherwise could not be identified.

4
 War games are the most important step that should receive more attention during COA
analysis and comparison. Thus, this is the time when the commander must make sure that all
actions are within the time limit.
Simultaneously with the development of the war game, based on the COA, an
elaborate plan is drawn up, establishing the favorable and unfavorable elements. The role of
games is to test or elaborate with the COA. After this stage, the commander, together with the
staff after discovering critical events or unforeseen problems, can initiate a new COA or
adjust the existing one.

Step 5. Course of Action Comparison.

This step involves the personal evaluation of the staff on each COA and will determine
the advantages and disadvantages from their own perspective based on predetermined criteria.
The COA comparison starts with each staff officer analyzing and evaluating the
advantages and disadvantages of each COA from his perspective. Each staff member presents
his findings for the others’ consideration. Using the evaluation criteria developed earlier, the
staff then outlines each COA, highlighting its advantages and disadvantages. Comparing the
strengths and weaknesses of the COAs identifies their advantages and disadvantages with
respect to each other.

Step 6. Course of Action Approval.

After the decision is communicated, the COA is presented to the commander, who
will decide. There is the possibility to choose one, to consider it necessary to modify it or
even to elaborate a completely new one. After choosing the COA, it issues the additional
guidelines for the preparation and execution of the mission.
Based on the commander's decision, the staff immediately informs the subordinate units so
that they can organize and perfect their plans.

5
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, MDMP is the starting point for any activity. The commander must take
into account the five questions, to eliminate as much as possible the uncertainties , until the
uncertainty and the panic are installed. The decision-making process must be carried out in a
step-by-step manner, a stage must be well defined before moving on to the next one, as each
step is based on the previous one, and with a weak basis, success cannot be achieved.

REFERENCES
[1]http://conferinta.academiacomerciala.ro/CD2015/ARTICOLE/1/ELABORAREA
%20PROCESULUI%20DECIZIONALMiclaus.pdf , p11

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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%20PROCESULUI%20DECIZIONALMiclaus.pdf
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Bucureşti, 1996
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