How are mission objectives evaluated during COA Comparison?

The evaluation of mission objectives during Course of Action (COA) Comparison is centered around established criteria, specifically feasibility, acceptability, and suitability. The rationale for this approach is that it allows planners to comprehensively assess each COA's potential to achieve the desired outcomes in a systematic manner.

Feasibility ensures that the COA can realistically be accomplished with the available resources and capabilities, while acceptability evaluates whether the potential benefits of the COA justify the risks involved. Suitability examines if the COA effectively meets the mission's objectives given the operational environment and constraints. This structured analysis helps decision-makers determine which COA aligns best with the mission's goals.

In contrast, evaluating mission objectives based solely on time constraints would neglect other critical factors that influence the effectiveness of a COA. Peer review of each objective, while beneficial in terms of gathering diverse perspectives, does not provide a formalized method for evaluating the objectives against operational criteria. Focusing solely on resource availability overlooks the necessary assessment of how those resources would be employed in relation to the mission objectives.