Explanation of the Issue (15%):  The student has identified the problem/issue and provided a defined end-state.  In identifying the problem/issue, the student demonstrated a good understanding of the problem/issue and utilized appropriate source data to support their conclusions.

8. Explain the situation’s current state. Evaluate items such as the: situation background, current operations and issues, significant and major players, and potential roadblocks.
9. Create an effective problem statement that is focused on the root causes and influencing factors related to the situation.
10. Define the end state and described what it looks like.
11. Consider any potential opposition to your end state. Have you eliminated your own biases, and examined how your end state will affect other stakeholders?
12. Have you been realistic in making the end state a reality? Consider the components that will be needed to successfully reach the end state – organizational support, leadership support, cultural change, money, time, manning/training, etc.
13. What is your overall purpose/objective?
14. What information do you need in order to answer/speak to the topic?
15. What inferences or assumptions are you making regarding the problem/issue?
    • Are your assumptions reasonable? Logical?

Topic 2: The mental health providers are losing their critical clinical skill set. They do not get the exposure or opportunity to deal with psychiatric emergencies, psychotic patients or combative patients. Typically, they treat active duty service members who do not suffer from Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Psychosis, delusions, etc. This is a critical skill set that may be required in a deployed location. If you do not treat these types of patients, you may not be aware of current medications and treatment options. Currently there is not a training agreement in place so that they mental health providers are able to go in town locally and work at a psychiatric mental health inpatient unit, where they will have exposure to a variety of mental health disorders/conditions. There needs to be a training agreement in place with the local hospitals so that we can ensure these providers are proficient in treating all mental health disorders.

This is the problem, you will need to come up with the defined end state, this is also Air Force mental health providers

COA Development (25%):   The COA the student selected is adequate, feasible, acceptable, complete, developed (acceptable to appropriate level of decision maker), and displays innovative thinking towards solving the problem.

There only needs to be 1 course of action for the problem

A course of action (COA) consists of the following information:  what type of action should occur; why the action is required; who will take the action; and the expected outcomes.

A valid COA is one that is:

 Adequate—Can accomplish (or appropriately support) the mission.

 Feasible—Can accomplish the mission within the established time, space, and resource limitations.

 Acceptable (balanced)—Should balance cost and risk with the advantage gained and maintained.

 Distinguishable—Should be sufficiently different from other COAs.

 Complete—Should incorporate objectives, effects, and tasks to be performed; concepts for deployment, employment, and sustainment; time estimates for achieving objectives; mission success criteria; and end state.

Second and Third Order Effects (STOEs) (25%):  The student developed multiple STOEs that result from the implementation of the chosen COA.  Additionally, the student provided good linkages between the STOEs with appropriate source support data.

This should be the primary, secondary and third order effect of your COA.

1. Create a list, by brainstorming, of all entities that could be effected by the execution of your selected course of action (COA). Consider primary, secondary, and potential tertiary factors.

Consider and evaluate the potential cause – effect pairings from the COA to primary effects (labeled Effect¹).  Also, determine one additional effect from the given primary effects (labeled as Effect²).

Risk/Constraining Factors (20%):  The student identified risk/constraining factors and provided appropriate details on how the selected COA mitigates risk/constraining factors.

What risk could be associated with your course of action

Communication and Mechanics (10%):   The student’s paper provided an introduction, a developed body, a conclusion, appropriate transitions and correctly cited references within the paper.  The paper is easy to read with few grammatical and spelling errors.

Pretty self explanatory