text: Operational Art and Planning
  6-6. FM planning sets the conditions for the effective and decentralized provision of FM support to
  theater forces within the AO. Planning activities typically associated with MDMP initially focus on
  gathering information and mission analysis followed by COA development, COA assessment, and
  ultimately results in a COA recommendation to the commander. FM planners perform the following critical
  tasks during the planning process:
  * Understand the unit mission and the mission of supported and supporting units to include
  location of each element.
  * Determine FM resources required to support the operation by COA (to include special funding
  authorities to support the COA – refer to Chapter 2, Section IV for a list of existing authorities).
  * Formulate the concept of FM support in line with the overall concept of operation and the
  commander’s intent.
  * Develop and maintain the FM running estimate.
  * Identify specified and implied tasks to include identification of mission essential tasks for
  subordinate FM units and FM staff elements. These tasks apply across all FM operations.
  * Identify constraints and limitations that impact FM operations.
  * Identify key facts and assumptions that impact FM support to the operation.
  * Prepare, authenticate, and distribute the FM plan in the form of approved annexes, estimates, and
  OPLANS.
  * Formulate and recommend Commander’s Critical Information Requirements (CCIR). Possible
  FM CCIR include the following:
  Major loss of funds equal to or in excess of $750. Any loss of funds equal to or greater than
  
  $750 or losses resulting from a theft or losses with evidence of fraudulent acts by disbursing
  personnel require reporting and formal investigations. Procedures are outlined in the DODFMR
  7000.14-R Volume 5. The major loss of funds investigation is NOT a 15-6 investigation, but
  findings from a 15-6 investigation may be used as supporting evidence for the major loss of
  funds investigation. Your regional FMSC can assist you with these investigations.
  Less than 3 days’ supply of U.S./Foreign Currency available to support operations.
  
  Unauthorized commitments and/or possible ADA violations.
  
  Critical shortage of available special program funding (e.g., CERP, Small Rewards
  
  Program, Train and Equip).
  Critical FM systems outages that significantly degrade FM operations.
  
  6-7. Building and maintaining running estimates is a primary task staff sections perform to support the
  commander. A running estimate is a staff section’s continuous assessment of current and future operations
  to determine if the current operation is proceeding according to the commander’s intent and if future
  operations are supportable (ADP 3-0). FM staff within operational and tactical units, maintain FM running
  estimates between operations, even when not deployed. At a minimum, the staff maintains situational
  awareness of friendly force capabilities within their area of expertise. During planning, the FM running
  estimate is a key source of FM information that enables mission analysis. FM planners maintain and update
  the running estimate throughout MDMP in order to provide the best possible FM information available at
  the time to support the commander’s decision. The FM running estimate serves as the initial assessment of
  the current readiness of equipment and personnel and how the factors considered in the estimate affect FM
  support to the mission. Figure 6-3 on page 6-6 provides a basic template for an FM running estimate. The
  format can be modified to suit the organization’s planning requirements. More information regarding the
  preparation of a running estimate is contained in ADP 5-0.