Five Steps to Solving the Interagency Coordination Process
Abstract
The current structure of the United States elements of national power creates significant interagency coordination problems, leading to a less efficient unity of national effort. The primary hurdle to interagency coordination lies not in the grand strategic formulation of policy, but in the theater-strategic and operational implementation of such policy. The National Security Council lacks the political will and the current capacity to handle the volume of interagency coordination required. The lack of interagency coordination creates significant deficiencies in national effort during periods of transition from military to civil control and vice versa. The Department of Defense has instituted Joint Interagency Coordination Groups (JIACG) and Civil-Military Operations Centers (CMOC) in an attempt to solve these deficiencies; however both solutions have significant limitations and are not fully effective. This paper provides a five step process of reform that standardizes regional department alignment, creates an IA command and control structure, eliminates bureaucracy and redundancy, shifts funding to deficient capabilities, and develops IA education, career placement, and planning, which could significantly reduce interagency coordination issues and more effectively harmonize the instruments of national power.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 10, 2007
- Accession Number
- ADA470843
Entities
People
- Mark C. Reyes
Organizations
- Naval War College