The purpose of this working group is to define and develop the concept of goal-based operation of highly automated systems such as spacecraft, robots, unmanned aerial vehicles, and industrial process control systems. Goal-based operation (GBO) is the operational control of systems based on explicit expressions of intent, termed 'goals'. Compared to traditional command-based sequencing, GBO simplifies operator workload, enables more controllable autonomy, and allows better integrated fault protection. GBO is motivated by the increasing complexity of systems, the increasing computational power of flight systems, the need for interoperability of multiple assets, and the growth of human-robot interaction. Some aspects of GBO have been appearing under other names such as policy-based management and activity-based commanding. Discussions in this forum will define terminology, explore the implications of GBO across the engineering life-cycle, and identify areas for standardization.