the staff study individual requirement introduction and overview
TRANSCRIPT
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The Staff Study
Individual Requirement
Introduction and Overview
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Purpose
To provide instruction on how to
correctly write a staff study, further
improve your problem solving and
written communication skills, and to deliver a decision brief to standard.
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References
• Field Manual (FM) 5-0, Army Planning andOrders Production
• Army Regulation (AR) 25-50, Preparing and
Managing Correspondence, 3 June 2002
• Staff Officers Guide (SOG), Chapter 7, staff
study example
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Outline
• Staff study background
• Standard format requirements
• Common staff study errors
• Summary
• Questions
• Conclusion
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“To solve a problem, a staff officer must research
the problem to identify issues, develop and eval-
uate alternatives, and recommend effective action
based on relevant facts…. Because a staff study
generally conforms to the problem-solving model, it is
both a formal military problem-solving process and
the written form of a decision briefing.”
FM 5-0 (Appendix D)
Overview
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Staff Study Format
• Problem
• Recommendation
• Background
• Facts
• Assumptions
• Courses of Action
• Criteria
• Analysis
• Comparison of COAs
• Conclusion
Decision briefing follows very similar format
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Problem StatementParagraph 1
Must be concise, specific, and answer the“4 W’s”: who, what, where, when. “Why” isoptional but helpful to decision maker
EXAMPLE:“To determine the best4-wheel drive, full- size
SUV, costing under $40,000, for me to purchase in the
Kansas City area, during 20xx to replace my old car.”
(Scope the problem down up front)
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RecommendationParagraph 2
• Based on final staff study results
• Must recommend a specific COA
• Must solve the problem
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BackgroundParagraph 3
• Answers “why the problem exists”
• Chronologically presents problem/symptoms
• Provides a lead-in to your staff study
• Concise, short paragraph
• Sets the stage for presentation of pertinent
facts and assumptions
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FactsParagraph 4
• Foundation for remainder of staff study• Must use complete sentences and conveycomplete ideas. Stated as given.• Facts relevant to problem and all COAs• Organize facts efficiently:
- Group facts by verifiable source- Use sub-paragraphing to list facts- List facts from most to least important Must provide references used-
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AssumptionsParagraph 5
• Must pass two tests:- Is the assumption valid?- Is the assumption necessary?
• Must be based on a fact you’ve already presented (believe it’s true but can’t verify)• Must make sense and be defendable• Should use to help shape the problem orsupport evaluation or screening criteria
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Courses of ActionParagraph 6
• List all COAs you will study
• Identify each COA by short title and amore detailed description
• Must briefly describe where your COAscame from
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CriteriaParagraph 7
• List all criteria to judge the COAs
• Clearly define each criteria to ensurereader can understand them
• There must be a fact or assumption fromparagraph 4 or 5 that supports each criteria
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• Places specific limitations on the COAs• Show the “must have” attributes a COA
must possess to warrant further study
• Screening criteria have two parts:
- Short Title: 1 or 2 words- Definition: Clear, concise definition that
includes the words “must” or “must not”
Go / No-Go proposition
Screening CriteriaParagraph 7a
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Evaluation CriteriaParagraph 7b
(1of 2)
• Measures, evaluates, and analyzes
remaining COAs• Presented in priority order
• Written in detailed narrative form
• Don’t “short-cut” the format exampleprovided in the SOG
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• Evaluation Criteria have five parts:- Short Title: 1 or 2 words- Definition: Stated precisely- Unit of Measure: Objective, quantifiable- Benchmark: Minimum point of advantage (source?)- Advantage Formula: State whether more or less is better
Each EC subparagraph includes all the above
Evaluation CriteriaParagraph 7b
(2 of 2)
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Weighting of CriteriaParagraph 7c
• Establishes importance of one evaluationcriterion over another
• Reflects important guidance and intentfrom key players
Explains your DECMAT criteria weighting
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AnalysisParagraph 8
• 8a. Presents screened outCOAs :- Explain whichCOAs failed your screening
criteria
• 8b. Analysis of survivingCOAs :- Shows whether each COA is advantaged or disadvantaged compared to benchmark
- Uses COA raw data and tells whether it’sbetter, worse, or equal to the benchmark
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Comparison of the COAs Paragraph 9
• 9a. Evaluation Criteria Comparison:- Visual depiction of a COA ranking against evaluation criteria, based on rawdata
• 9b. Results of Quantitative Techniques: - Refers to raw data matrix - Refers to DECMAT (consistency ratio) - Presents detailed discussion of DECMAT sensitivity analysis results
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ConclusionParagraph 10
• Objectively answers the problemstatement• Tell the good news and the bad news
• Address each EC
• Tell how your COA is advantaged or
disadvantaged against each EC
• Finish strong, sell your recommendation--
but don’t omit shortfalls “Truth in lending”
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Common Staff Study Errors(1 of 3)
• Procrastination.
• Short-cutting format requirements, therebysacrificing clarity for the reader.
• Not providing enough detail in thefacts section. Write complete sentencesand convey complete ideas (I don’t knowwhat you know unless you tell me).
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• Using an SC or EC that is not supportedby a previously presented fact or assumption
• Not telling whether the recommendedCOA is advantaged or disadvantagedagainst each EC in conclusion paragraph
• Raw data matrix and DECMAT errors
Common Staff Study Errors(2 of 3)
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• Choosing a COA before doing the analysisand evaluation, then trying to make yourproduct fit your choice
Common Staff Study Errors(3 of 3)
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Summary
• The staff study is a written decision briefing
• Keys to success in writing a good staffstudy are:
- Follow the problem-solving process
- Write clearly and effectively
- Do thorough and accurate research
- Make it easy for the decisionmaker
Use the Staff Officers Guide
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Questions
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Conclusion
The litmus test of any staff study is
whether the decision-maker can follow it,
understand it, and “get it” in a single read .
Writing a good staff study is relatively hard.
Reading a good staff study is extremely
easy.