A Suggested Decision-Making Guide for Use by Interagency Working Groups in Developing Policy Recommendations for Complex Contingency Crisis Operations.
Abstract
Development, coordination, and implementation of foreign policy through the use of the interagency process is vital to U.S. interests. The overwhelming trend of comments on the interagency decision making process are negative. Personal and organizational biases carry great weight in a decision making system that has little structure and does not provide decision makers with holistic recommendations during crisis operations. What is needed is a decision making tool that transcends individual and groups biases. This guide for decision making, coordination, and implementation should unite the diverse efforts of agencies, contribute to the development of holistic recommendations, and assist in executing and monitoring synchronized plans. This paper uses Graham Allison's Rational Actor, Organizational, and Governmental Politics Models and Irving Janis's research to develop nine critical factors (information, requirements, alternatives, analysis, recommendations, accountability, synchronization, initiative, and versatility) that must be considered if one is to construct an effective interagency decision making guide. The paper then establishes a nine step decision making guide for use by interagency working groups that incorporates the critical factors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 25, 1997
- Accession Number
- ADA326872
Entities
People
- Timothy D. Lynch
Organizations
- United States Army War College