text: Planning Challenges for Multinational Operations
  consider whether to rely on direct coordination between unit and mission partner staff elements to conduct
  the required interoperability planning and preparation.
  3-15. In accordance with the commander’s decision and final planning guidance, the chief of staff or
  executive officer coordinates with staff principals to assist the G-3 or S-3 in developing the plan or order.
  Based on the commander’s planning guidance, the chief of staff or executive officer dictates the type of order,
  sets and enforces time limits and development sequence, and determines staff section responsibilities for
  attachments within the order. Before the commander approves the plan or order, the staff ensures the plan or
  order is internally consistent and nests with the higher commander’s intent. Mission partner coordination
  centers, staff elements, working groups, and planning teams provide input on final operation plans and
  operation orders, and they complete and coordinate required attachments. Input from these planning efforts
  vary but may be specified tasks, coordinating instructions, sustainment instructions, and fire support
  instructions.
  3-16. The unit prepares for multinational operations by implementing planned human, procedural, and
  technical dimension solutions. Preparation normally begins during planning and continues into execution by
  forces identified but not yet committed. Like the other activities of the operations process, commanders drive
  preparation activities with a focus on leading and assessing.
  3-17. When the situation permits, commanders seek to improve the contributions of national forces by
  planning for training assistance and sharing resources such as radios, vehicles, or weapons. Training
  assistance and dedicated liaison teams are important when working with forces that have digital capability
  and those with analog means. Effective integration in combat operations requires training beforehand through
  multinational command post exercises or through full-scale multinational exercises at combined training
  centers such as the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Germany. Commanders make every effort to
  integrate mission partners into the exercise design and planning conferences prior to exercise execution. This
  practice fosters buy-in and can serve as a substantial training event for the foreign staff officers as they plan
  alongside their U.S. counterparts. It also functions as a rehearsal, ensuring all parties understand and agree
  to the exercise design and training objectives prior to execution.
  PLANNING GROUPS FOR MULTINATIONAL FORCES
  3-18. When a multinational force is formed, the commander determines the organization and functions of the
  planning group and the methods for the group and the staff sections to interact during planning and execution.
  The planning group includes the commander and representatives from appropriate multinational staff sections
  and national formations. Challenges from these planning groups range from diversity and different
  perspectives to strategic and operational problems and solutions. This planning group should—
  • Perform crisis action planning.
  • Be the focal point for the operation plan or operation order development.
  • Perform future planning.
  • Perform other tasks as directed by the commander.
  • Analyze and develop the MPE based on the commander’s specific guidance.
  MISSION PARTNER ENVIRONMENT PLANNING
  CONSIDERATIONS
  3-19. Multinational operations present planning challenges for MPE planning. The Army MPE framework
  enables the Army, with the joint forces and mission partners, access to an information environment (such as
  an MPE MPN). This environment supports required planning, training, and conduct of operations through all
  operational phases across the competition continuum. The MPE facilitates shared understanding, fosters
  mutual trust and confidence, and is critical to achieving unity of effort with all mission partners. The MPE
  generates strategic, operational, and tactical flexibility for national, regional, and deployed commanders by
  moving and managing information onto the MPN with appropriate common security enclaves.
  3-20. A significant planning challenge for MPE development and implementation involves adjudicating
  existing policy with desired MPE capabilities and functions. The foreign disclosure officer gets involved
  early in the planning stages to determine appropriate levels of classification. This officer can assist with the
  “write to release” process and implementation of the foreign disclosure procedures. The foreign disclosure