Collaborative Synchronization Management Tool - A User's Guide

A user's guide is presented for the Collaboration Synchronization Management Tool (CSMT), intended for use during Effects-Based Planning (EBP) within an Effects-Based Approach to Operations (EBAO). This tool uses a Cross-Impact Matrix (CIM) which is populated with the cross-impact information about how different planning objects, such as Actions and Effects, are assessed to affect each other in a positive or negative way (support, or counteract each other). This information should be gathered during the EBP phase, and is used for analyzing how the developed Actions, Supporting Effects and Decisive Conditions can affect each other and the Military End State. It is shown how to use CSMT for analyzing plan stabilities and comparing plan alternatives.