The Effects-Based Approach to Operations (EBAO) offers a new method for planning and conducting operations, linking cause and effect, technology and thorough analysis to achieve the desired effect from a military operation through complete control of the effects of the actions conducted. Nevertheless, the extreme complexity of management of knowledge and control of undesirable or secondary effects has left them outside the process despite efforts to include them. That should not, however, blind us to the advantages of EBAO, notably the capability to share tasks between military and civil authorities (interagency). If EBAO has its faults they are largely teething problems which can be cured, and more importantly a number of the positive aspects of the concept could help to improve our current methods of operational planning and conduct.

In order to retain our capability to influence the development of the process among the major nations and to avoid having our allies impose on us a process which goes against our views, it would seem sensible to take part in its development and in doing so lead some in-depth national consideration of the issues at stake, drawing upon precise knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of EBAO before deciding on how the concept might be developed in France.

The Concept’s Two Sides

It is worth identifying the new ideas in this concept which could improve current processes without actually going for wholesale application of EBAO. At the same time it would seem prudent–essential even–to overcome the deficiencies that have been identified so that resolution of known problems does not in turn create new and even more complex ones. Any decision on whether to devote resources to the development of the concept and its partial or general use within our forces can only be taken on the basis of thorough knowledge of its intrinsic advantages and disadvantages.