Understanding Incident Objectives in PRATUS
Incident objectives establish what the incident organization intends to accomplish during an operational period.
Overview
Incident objectives establish what the incident organization intends to accomplish during an operational period.
In PRATUS, selecting the correct objective type is especially important because it determines whether the objective can continue into later operational planning activities.
If an objective will eventually require a work assignment, pay close attention to whether it is categorized as Operational, Managerial, or Operational & Managerial.
Objective types
PRATUS provides three objective types:
| Objective Type | Used for downstream operational planning? |
| Operational (O) | Yes |
| Managerial (M) | No |
| Operational & Managerial (O&M) | Yes |
Operational and O&M objectives can flow into the ICS-234 Work Analysis Matrix during the Tactics Meeting. Managerial objectives do not populate into that workflow.
Why the objective type matters
When you reach the Tactics Meeting, PRATUS uses eligible objectives as the starting point for developing strategies, tactics, and work assignments.
If you expect to create a work assignment from an objective, that objective must be categorized as:
Operational (O)
or
Operational & Managerial (O&M)
Otherwise, the objective will not appear in the ICS-234 for downstream operational planning.
Think ahead when categorizing objectives. If an objective will require operational work to accomplish it, selecting the appropriate objective type early prevents it from being excluded from later planning activities.
How objectives connect to later planning
The basic relationship is:
Objective
↓
Strategy
↓
Tactic
↓
Operational Work Planning
↓
Work Assignment
During the Tactics Meeting, eligible objectives appear in the ICS-234 so planners can develop the strategies and tactics needed to accomplish them.
Those decisions then support operational planning and creation of work assignments.
Before moving forward
Before proceeding to the Tactics Meeting, confirm:
- Your incident objectives are entered.
- Each objective has the appropriate objective type.
- Objectives requiring operational work are categorized as Operational or O&M.
- Required work groups have been established or you understand which existing groups will receive assignments.