Jointness Writ Large? Presidential Decision Directive 56 Managing Complex Contingency Operations
Abstract
Following the Cold War, the U.S. has repeatedly engaged in complex contingency operations that have challenged decision-makers to delimit U.S. objectives in response to crises, apportion interagency roles and missions to achieve U.S. objectives, and coordinate effective identification and application of the tools needed to meet those objectives. If, as John Hillen postulates, "the essence of American statecraft in the post-Cold War world is discrimination about where, when, why and how to use American power," then Presidential Decision Directive 56 (PDD-56) provides a first cut in developing and institutionalizing a process to link policy, strategy, and execution in conducting complex contingency operations. While the concepts of coordination, planning, responsibility and accountability, and lessons learned are second nature to military leaders, these concepts are, in large measure, alien to the culture of the civilian agencies. This paper argues that PDD-56 is a potential threshold shift in the way that the whole of the U.S. government structures and formulates its response to crises. If PDD-56 is implemented as envisioned, it may well form the basis for a revolution in civil-military affairs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 24, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA442838
Entities
People
- David N. Thorson
Organizations
- National War College