text: Comprehensive Tactical Planning in Counterinsurgency
  Step 1: Receipt of Mission
  4-63. As with any military operation, the MDMP begins upon receipt of an order, upon anticipating a
  change in mission or upon seizing an opportunity in the AO. As in conventional operations, the MDMP
  steps during this phase—alert the staff, gather the tools, update running estimates, perform an initial
  assessment, issue the initial guidance, and issue the initial warning order—are largely unchanged. Units
  should account for additional time when working with HN security forces and continue to refine their
  METT-TC analysis, especially the civil considerations using ASCOPE.
  4-64. During receipt of the mission, two basic considerations apply. First, the strategic mission
  of defeating the insurgency applies to all levels at all times. This means that all operational or tactical
  missions, activities and tasks are nested within this mission and can have a direct, lasting impact on its
  success or failure. Second, it is here that the commander begins to visualize the operation. It is critical for
  the commander to create a comprehensive vision of the end state. From this desired end state, the staff
  develops the lines of effort that support creating the commander’s vision. All lines of effort are focused on
  their own end states and those end states are nested with the commander’s overall end state for the
  operation, which is nested with the overall mission of defeating the insurgency.
  Step 2: Mission Analysis
  4-65. The seventeen tasks within mission analysis differ little from those for conventional operations.
  For COIN, the staff considers the following factors:
  Analyze Higher Headquarters' Order
  4-66. In addition to analyzing the information the order, the staff must use the operational and mission
  variables to analyze the AO. Staff members pay special attention to civil considerations within the AO,
  using ASCOPE.
  Perform Initial IPB
  4-67. (See Appendix A for a detailed discussion of IPB in a COIN environment.)
  Determine Specified, Implied, and Essential Tasks
  4-68. The staff may find identifying the implied tasks in the ambiguous and complex COIN
  environment more difficult than the task would be for a conventional operation. They may have to conduct
  the MDMP many times as situations change.
  Review Available Assets
  4-69. The staff must remember to account for all HN security forces and for US, coalition, and Host
  Nation enablers.
  Determine Constraints
  4-70. The staff reviews the ROE.
  Identify Critical Facts and Assumptions
  4-71. The staff ensures that facts and assumptions include US, HN security forces, population groups as
  well as the enemy.
  Perform Risk Assessment
  4-72. (Same as for conventional operations; see FM 5-19.)
  Determine Initial CCIR (PIR and FFIR) and EEFI
  4-73. (No change from conventional.)