In August 2022, at the direction of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin, the Department of Defense (DoD) released the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan (CHMR-AP), which reflected an unprecedented commitment to overhauling US policies around preventing, mitigating, and responding to civilian harm resulting from US military operations.

The CHMR-AP lays out over a hundred concrete actions, organized by thematic objectives and fiscal year (FY), to steadily improve and build upon DoD civilian harm policies and practices.

While the plan itself is expansive, ensuring comprehensive implementation amid competing Department priorities will require sustained attention, resources, and constructive engagement between the Department and civil society.

As the CHMR-AP entered implementation, Center for Civilians in Conflict and the Stimson Center developed an assessment framework to track and evaluate yearly implementation progress across the four phases of the Action Plan (representing FY 2022-2025).

This framework indicates whether the DoD‘s progress is on track, ahead, or behind in its CHMR-AP implementation, and, when possible, includes qualitative information around identified challenges, needs, innovations, and lessons learned.

This report is intended to inform DoD implementation and public oversight by evaluating progress, recommending technical solutions to implementation challenges, and ensuring public awareness of this important effort.

Read the full report here.