Assessment, Command, and Training Theory

This chapter explains assessment, command, and training (ACT) theory in detail, describing its predictions and the kinds of evidence that confirm or reject its validity. The chapter covers a detailed discussion of definitions, case selection, and scope conditions. ACT theory seeks to explain why some wartime militaries are better than others at learning so as to correctly update how they fight. With such knowledge, the chapter modifies the definitions of learning and doctrine to understand how a specific subset of organizations (militaries) learn while under extraordinary conditions (warfare). It focuses specifically on one type of learning: how militaries update, revise, and otherwise change their war-fighting doctrines. The chapter then explores how learning helps a military force become more effective on the battlefield. It details how the wartime militaries, assessment mechanisms, and centralized training are particularly relevant to both battlefield effectiveness and doctrinal learning.