A Strategic Planning Approach: Defining Alternative Counterterrorism Strategies as an Illustration
Abstract
While the U.S. government has historically undertaken strategic reviews and produced numerous strategy documents, these have provided only very general directions for U.S. policymakers. They do not represent what might be called strategic planning: the definition of a strategy in which the means are prioritized to achieve an operationally defined strategic goal. Many would argue that the setting of priorities is impossible given the complexity of the world. Priorities can also limit the flexibility government departments claim they need to be able to carry out their missions. There is also widespread appreciation of the difficulty of setting priorities within the decentralized U.S. policymaking process. Others, however, do see a need for setting priorities. One reason would be to increase the effectiveness of one's policies in achieving strategic goals. Priorities would also make it possible to allocate limited government resources and provide a compelling foundation for seeking public and congressional support for particular programs. Better efficiencies in government activities could also be achieved by establishing priorities, and priorities could help achieve coherence in the government's overall activities and operations. The purpose of this study is to define an approach to strategic planning for consideration by the U.S. government and to illustrate its application using the example of the critical national security topic of counterterrorism. To do this, we drew on more than twenty RAND research reports and on numerous RAND experts. It is important to note that this exercise is intended to be purely illustrative: We are not advocating any specific roadmap, operational plan, or bureaucratic solution to the counterterrorism challenges discussed here.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA514750
Entities
People
- Lynn E. Davis
- Melanie W. Sisson
Organizations
- RAND Corporation