Which JPP step involves COA analysis and wargaming?

• A. Step 2 JPP
• B. Step 3 JPP
• C. Step 4 JPP
• D. Step 5 JPP

Answer: (C)

In the Joint Planning Process, the phase where you analyze each proposed course of action and test them through war gaming is the stage for probing feasibility, risks, and outcomes before committing to a plan. During this step, you evaluate whether each COA can be executed with available forces and time (feasibility), whether it effectively achieves the mission (suitability), and whether the anticipated costs and consequences are acceptable to stakeholders (acceptability). War gaming walks through possible enemy actions, reactions, and timing to reveal gaps, bottlenecks, and assumptions, allowing you to refine the COAs, adjust timelines, and specify information or resources you’d need to succeed. This analysis-and-wargaming phase sets up a clearer basis for comparing COAs later and selecting the best option to pursue.