Ideas & Issues (MCIsRe)

IPB Dashboard
Interactive and anticipatory
by Maj Keith S. Crim, Jr.

W
ithin a day of notification, IPB
you are to represent your The IPB process consists of four
>Maj Crim is the G-2 Operations Of-
warfighting function at a steps: defining the battlespace, describ-
ficer, 3d MAW.
MAGTF command ele- ing the battlespace effects, evaluating
ment operational planning team (OPT). the threat, and determining enemy
Because of your ongoing operational com- courses of action. To develop the IPB,
mitments elsewhere, you are unfamiliar trying to gather the data required to the intelligence professional gathers and
with the situation facing the OPT and support the entire MAGTF planning analyzes information and produces an
find yourself at a loss concerning rudi- process. The penultimate purpose of iterative series of products within each
mentary knowledge associated with the an IPB brief is to inform planning step of the process. When the process
weather, enemy forces, and the physical and decision making within the single is complete (though, by definition, it
environment, i.e., the minimum intel- battle framework (a tenet of the Ma- is never really complete but is con-
ligence requirements needed to begin ef- rine Corps Planning Process) by en- stantly modified and updated until
fective planning. Lacking the time to do abling the MAGTF to achieve a com- the MAGTF mission is complete),
encyclopedic research, you find yourself mon understanding of the operational the resultant IPB PowerPoint brief can
defaulting and depending on the intel- environment. However, by itself, the encompass hundreds of slides address-
ligence brief given at the commencement typical IPB brief does not distill, ana- ing enemy, weather, and terrain from a
of the OPT from the MEF G-2. Fearing lyze, articulate, or improve the creation macro to micro perspective. While this
death by PowerPoint presentation, you at- and synthesis of knowledge, nor does process often provides an impressive
tend this brief with a charged cup of coffee it permit the filtering of the plethora level of detail, as mentioned above, it
to keep you stimulated and engaged, but of information that it contains, which is not necessarily effective in providing
you lose your concentration, and slide 74 can easily overwhelm any OPT or staff a comprehensive and common single
passes with specific information covering member and, in many cases, even an battle understanding.
your warfighting function. You miss it intelligence analyst. In its current form,
and find yourself, two hours later, without the products of the IPB process do not PNA
the information you needed to address facilitate informing the single battle in Similar to IPB, the typical PNA
your concern. Determined to make an a timely manner or anticipate follow-on provides detailed information on
informed assessment, you ask your question requirements originating from across nodes1 and infrastructure in the op-
and are told to reference the intelligence the warfighting functions. This article erating environment. To date, there is
preparation for the battlespace (IPB) brief proposes an interactive and anticipatory no clear doctrinal definition of what
just given. dashboard concept that harnesses the constitutes PNA; conventional oper-
You gain a copy of the IPB brief and aggregated information developed in ating force wisdom holds that PNA is
start clicking away on the slides. Not the IPB process, facilitates commander the identification/analysis of physical
knowing where your one nugget of in- and staff synthesis and knowledge, and operating nodes, the connectors be-
formation is, you read each slide meticu- enables intelligence professionals to get tween these nodes (e.g., ground, air,
lously until you reach the desired informa- out of the stovepipe mode. and sea lines of communications, modes
tion. An hour later, when you’ve reached To demonstrate these techniques, of movement, etc.), and the analysis of
that one piece of information, however, we will use the LCE IPB instructional how these relate to MAGTF operations
it sparks another question, and in order product used by both the Marine Corps within and between these nodes. Intelli-
to answer it, you keep clicking away on Logistics Operations Group (MCLOG) gence professionals often interpret PNA
the slides in hopes of running across it. and the MAGTF Staff Training Pro- as IPB(plus), with the specific goal of
Overall, you have just spent an inordinate gram (MSTP). As starting points of PNA being support to logistics, move-
amount of time trying to find answers to reference, what follows is a quick look ment, and distribution. In any case, a
your concerns, which has now caused a at the general IPB process as well as well-developed PNA, and its associated
delay in tempo of the OPT. one of the LCE’s specific contributions products, by default, makes the LCE
The command element IPB brief is to the MAGTF IPB: physical network intimately knowledgeable on maneu-
the first stop for most OPT members analysis (PNA). ver between multi-mode (land, sea,

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 complex data in a simplistic manner (see
Map 1). Via SharePoint, an IPB link off
the G-2 page opens a window that con-
sists of a map chip depicting the entire
MAGTF area of operations flanked by
links on both sides that are tailored and
relevant to operations. The links on the
left align to traditional IPB products,
and the links on the right align to PNA.
The order of battle (OOB) tab located
in the upper left links to a different
SharePoint site that breaks down the
enemy by its warfighting capabilities.
The PNA tabs on the right are specific
to the environment and the operating
nodes within that particular MAGTF’s
area of operations.

Anticipatory
To accommodate follow-on ques-
tions following the IPB, the G-2 typi-
cally breaks products down from a
macro level to a micro level to further
Map 1.
facilitate follow-on queries. Using the
example of the dashboard depicted
air) capable nodes. Much like IPB, the is crucial, and there are significant op- above to support this macro to micro
PNA concept provides focus for intel- portunities to create and transform approach, we will consider the following
ligence professionals within the LCE, multiple tools and applications such as question: “Where are the main supply
with experienced LCE S-2/G-2 shops SharePoint to foster integrated thinking routes and alternate supply routes lo-
focusing on the analysis required to pro- and collaboration. Coordination can be cated in the MEF’s area of operations?”
vide commanders and planners with enhanced via a SharePoint site that is To answer the question, a user of the
assessments regarding the probabilities, structured in a systematic way to enable SharePoint dashboard merely needs to
effects, and mitigating factors related to operators to pull relevant intelligence click on the ground lines of communi-
possible disruptions that may occur at in a quick and efficient manner with cations (GLOC) tab to access a graphic
designated nodes and while traveling domain access tailored to a particular displaying the GLOC relating to oper-
between them. operating environment. In execution, ating areas or static positions. A sepa-
IPB and PNA together provide a the intelligence section can design its rate tab will depict the time-distance
MAGTF with the necessary knowl- analysis for traveling between locations
edge to facilitate informed decisions. via organic assets and the current bat-
This reinforced product increases the ... managing informa- tlespace owner’s tactics, techniques,
amount of information and emphasizes and procedures. As the user acquires
how best to manage it. The next section tion is the key to suc- additional information on the routes
will explain how to best organize the connecting operating areas, questions
depth of detail and demonstrate the IPB cess when dealing with will invariably follow. In anticipation
dashboard’s ability to facilitate naviga- vast amounts of data. of this, the dashboard construct further
tion so that a user can move from the enables the user the ability to quickly
macro to the micro. dive into a particular route by clicking
on the name of that route. This then
Interactive particular SharePoint portal site as a takes the user to a tactical route assess-
As with any intelligence product, it is dashboard of information broken down ment (TRA) that covers route specif-
incumbent that the IPB be tailored and by the four steps of the IPB process. ics along with an assessment as to the
relevant to support the MAGTF and its This concept quickly enables a user probability of disruptions occurring
mission in a rapidly changing environ- to drill down into the step of the IPB along the route. Two slides later, the
ment. In particular, managing informa- process that is relevant to his specific TRA informs further assumptions and
tion is the key to success when dealing concerns. intelligence queries. To address these
with vast amounts of data. The filing The following is an example of an micro-level details concerning a par-
and disseminating of this information IPB dashboard format that expresses ticular GLOC, an additional link on

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 Ideas & Issues (MCIsRe)

the TRA titled “enhanced route study”

takes the user to a very detailed depic-
tion of the route, which includes the
current imagery products, elevation
profiles, and analyses on historic ki-
netic activity. As an interactive tool, a
SharePoint site enables a user to quickly
navigate and obtain the level of detail
he needs to make an informed decision.
Further amplification of the following
IPB products is as follows: GLOC as-
sessment, TRA, and enhanced route
study.
GLOC. The LCE intelligence sec-
tion produces the GLOC assessment,
which serves as its contribution to the
federated production of MAGTF intel-
ligence. The purpose of this product is
to provide an assessment of the prob-
ability of a disruption occurring along
a GLOC that is directed at mounted
movements. A disruption can consist of
all things related to assessed enemy ac-
tions, terrain, and weather effects. The Map 3.
route colors indicate the likelihood of a
disruption occurring against a mounted
movement. (See Map 2.) This particular permissive environment such as a hu- day trend and narrative of routes sepa-
assessment process involves five criteria manitarian assistance/disaster relief, the rated by region. In a kinetic environ-
following the initial IPB: trafficability, IED strike-to-find ratio would not be ment like Afghanistan, in addition to
weather effects, kinetic activity, IED an appropriate metric. Instead, a new broad attack categories such as IED and
strike-to-find ratio, and indications category, such as the status of dislocated direct/indirect fire, GLOC charts and
and warnings. These metrics are spe- civilians along GLOCs, might be more analyses were used to provide data on
cifically suited to the LCE’s mission and apt. In a kinetic environment, a map IED types because of the considerably
the environment but pertain/apply to chip would depict significant activities greater threat posed by such weapons
the entire MAGTF. For instance, in a (SIGACTs) and charts showing a seven- to mounted movements. Specifically,
charts display information relating to
an IED initiation mechanism and the
net weight of explosives used. Charts
depicting the frequency of four weeks of
SIGACTs provide a basis for compari-
son. Though the GLOC tab serves the
purpose of providing an executive-level
assessment by region, additional detail
is available on specific routes.
TRA. The TRA consists of two Pow-
erPoint slides that provide more detail
on the status of a particular route. The
first slide (see Map 3) depicts the overall
assessment of the route. This includes
a listing of the five assessment criteria
stated above, wherein route colors pro-
vide a current assessment. A narrative
informing the probability of a disrup-
tion directed at mounted movements
along a specific route is also provided.
Lastly, a graphic depiction of the route
Map 2. displays the locations of the most re-

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 cent seven days of SIGACTs in colored vides the user finite details on a spe- strike-to-find ratio, and SIGACT fre-
icons along with an assessment of the cific route. It serves as the micro-level quency.
three weeks’ significant events in black construct of the PNA concept (macro/ • IED strike, IED find, and small
and white. This graphic also displays a GLOC assessment to TRA to micro/ arms fire depicted on overview imag-
call-out box depicting specific events enhanced route study). The following ery to show clusters of activity.
or forecasted disruptions along with is a specific list of analyses produced • SIGACTs depicted on close-up im-
accompanying grid coordinates. The within an enhanced route study: agery to determine if enemy forces use
depiction of the SIGACTs also provides • Recent, high quality, multi-spectral micro-terrain, local national routes,
a graphic density representation of ki- (color) imagery. local national compounds, etc., to
netic activity along that route. • Coordinates derived from geo-rec- facilitate attacks.
The next slide (see Map 4) displays tified, commercially based imagery. • Line-of-sight study showing areas
a time/event wheel of the SIGACTs, • Annotations of choke points, such as visible within 500m of route.
by type, in the battlespace over the wadis and bridges, and their respective • Elevation profiles showing changes
previous seven days, providing opera- measurements. in elevation along routes and areas of
concern to mounted movements be-
cause of significant changes in slope.
• Time/distance from beginning to
A user of the enhanced route study is able to navigate end of a route showing the average
to this product via a tab displayed on the first slide of time to travel the route with a route
clearance platoon and without.
the TRA. • Topographic product of the area
showing surrounding routes and
friendly force locations in reference
to major logistical hubs within the area
tors with a brief understanding of the • Friendly force locations and routes of operations.
day and time of when events occurred within proximity. • Complete assessment, taking into
or are most likely to occur. Second, a • Overview imagery slide allowing consideration all sources of intelligence
glide slope chart depicting one month the user to jump to specific locations previously stated in order to enhance the
of SIGACTs is broken down by type along a route and back to the overview. product’s ability to reduce uncertainty
to show increased/decreased levels of • SIGACT activity within 180 days, on the battlefield and provide com-
activity. Lastly, and on the bottom of broken down by IED size, IED type, manders with a more complete picture.
this slide, another glide slope chart de-
picts the effects of SIGACTs that have
occurred along a specific route, bro-
ken down by KIA/WIA and mobility
kills. This glide slope chart puts the
SIGACTs into perspective; e.g., just
because a route has consistent small
arms fire, it does not necessarily rank
high with respect to the probability of
disrupting a mounted movement in
a Mine Resistant Armored Personnel
Carrier. These two slides are, or can
be, updated weekly and displayed on
SharePoint to be pulled at the user’s
convenience. These slides enable the
LCE intelligence section to satisfy mul-
tiple requests for information and en-
able a planner to plan operations to an
acceptable level of risk. However, more
detail on a specific route is available via
an enhanced route study. A user of the
enhanced route study is able to navigate
to this product via a tab displayed on
the first slide of the TRA.
Enhanced route study. An enhanced
route study is a fused product that pro- Map 4.

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 Ideas & Issues (MCIsRe)

The enhanced route study serves within three clicks also enables decision
as a fused product that incorporates makers to make informed decisions in a Note
all capabilities resident in the intel- quick and efficient manner. The ability 1. Node: A location in a mobility system where a
ligence cell of the LCE. An imagery to transition back and forth between movement requirement is originated, processed
analyst (0241) exploits raw imagery. A macro-level and micro-level intelligence for onward movement, or terminated.
topographic Marine (0261) produces a information leaves no stone unturned
line-of-sight study and elevation profile and is anticipatory of queries. >Editor’s Note: The author used the following
data, and the all-source intelligence The example referenced in this article publications in the development of this article:
analysts (0231) analyze SIGACT data. began with the macro/GLOC assess- MSTP, Logistics Planner’s Guide Pamphlet,
An enhanced route study can include ment, which led to the TRA and ended (Quantico, VA: 29 June 2011); Headquar-
hundreds of PowerPoint slides based at the micro/enhanced route study. If ters Marine Corps, MCDP 2, Intelligence,
on the length of the route. To shape intelligence professionals adopt this (Washington, DC: 7 June 1997); Head-
the efficiency of this product, hyper- dashboard concept, OPT/staff mem- quarters Marine Corps, MCRP 2-10B.1,
links within an overview slide with bers will greatly appreciate its interactive Intelligence Preparation of the Battlespace,
segmented boxes enable the user to nature, and in turn, the OPT will not (Washington, DC: November 2014); and
pull data on exact locations. As the suffer from the inundation of informa- Joint Staff, JP 2-01.3, Joint Intelligence
micro-level product of a GLOC study, tion provided in the initial IPB brief. Preparation of the Operational Environ-
a user obtains a greater understanding Lastly, it is important to note that this ment, (Washington, DC: 21 May 2014).
of the environment. concept has proven to be effective in
shaping the decisions made by operators
Conclusion within the LCE and the MAGTF writ
SharePoint, displayed under the large.
IPB(plus) dashboard concept, meets
the needs of our decision makers. The
ability to navigate through its interactive
format and access specific information

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