text: Chapter 8
  Assessment
  8-1. Assessment precedes and guides the other activities of the operations process. It is also part of
  targeting. In short, assessment occurs at all levels and within all operations and has a role in any process or
  activity. The purpose of assessment is to improve the commander's decision making and make operations
  more effective. Assessment is a key component of the commander's decision cycle, helping to determine the
  results of unit actions in the context of overall mission objectives. Assessment provides information about
  the current state of the operational environment, the progress of the operation, and recommendations to
  mitigate or overcome discrepancies between actual and predicted progress. It also reveals how specific
  capabilities, such as IRCs, contribute to this progress. Commanders adjust operations based on assessment
  results to ensure objectives are met and the military end state is achieved.
  ASSESSMENT PRIORITIZATION
  8-2. Assessment has little value unless it meets the needs of its users. It does this by supporting two critical
  aspects of mission command: shared understanding and decision making. When prioritized and resourced
  adequately, assessment facilitates a more detailed shared understanding among the commander, staff, and
  other stakeholders about how the operation is progressing. Regardless of the level or frequency of assessment
  data collection, staffs will provide the commander ongoing assessment updates.
  8-3. Staff assessments, along with those received from higher headquarters or unified action partners,
  combine with the commander's personal assessment to create an overall assessment, which informs the
  commander's subsequent decisions. The commander may decide to stay the current course or to issue a
  FRAGORD to reprioritize missions or tasks, terminate or initiate activities, or redirect resources or the
  allocation of forces to achieve overall mission objectives. The commander can also direct the development
  of a new operational approach or plan, if necessary.
  8-4. IO contributes to overall operations assessment by examining efforts in and through the information
  environment. IO-focused assessment is an integral part of the unit's assessment plan, which is discussed
  broadly in ADRP 5-0 and in detail in FM 6-0. ADRP 5-0 provides overarching guidance on assessment;
  however, there are unique considerations to the assessment of IO that commanders and staffs take into
  account.
  ASSESSMENT RATIONALE
  8-5. Assessment or evaluation is a judgment of merit of an action or operation as to whether it achieved its
  intended outcome(s). It supports planning, improves effectiveness and efficiency of operations, and enforces
  accountability. These three purposes correspond to three types of evaluation: formative, process, and
  summative.
  8-6. Formative evaluation supports planning by examining whether an operation or program is being
  designed to meet its intended purpose. In terms of IO, it involves testing messages, determining baselines,
  analyzing audiences, and developing the logic by which the operation will create influence.
  8-7. Process evaluation occurs primarily during execution and serves to enhance effectiveness and
  efficiency, as well as facilitate in-process decision making. In terms of IO, it assesses whether the scheme of
  IO is being executed as planned. If the scheme is not going as planned, process evaluation facilitates decisions
  that lead to corrective action.
  8-8. Summative evaluation occurs post-execution and supports decision making and accountability. While
  process evaluation supports decisions that adjust activities or efforts as the operation unfolds, summative
  evaluation supports decisions about the overall operation and whether it achieved the commander's intent. It