ABSTRACT
The three essentials that form the basis of planning as a whole are discern, devise, and decide. This planning triad is important to the planning process, as it forms underlying principles that support the entire effort of planning. A process of discerning, devising, and deciding goes on from the beginning of a planning effort through the actual planning assignment. In planning anything, it is necessary to comprehend the information available: the goals or requirements of the project ahead; the context of the project itself; how it is contained in a larger frame of reference; and the particulars: the facts, data, observation, or statements of others that relate to the project. Putting all this together on a grand scale is discerning. Devising is a matter of contemplating or analysing the influences and information and conceiving or synthesizing a possible approach, solution, or plan for the project at hand.
