Preparing for a Mid-Term Assessment of Leadership and National Security Reform in the Obama Administration

Abstract

On April 22, 2010, the Reserve Officers Association (ROA), the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI), the Hudson Institute, the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the American Security Project (ASP), Creative Associates International, Inc. (CAII), and the Project on National Security Reform (PNSR) participated with the Bush School of Government and Public Service, and the U.S. Army War College, Strategic Studies Institute, in co-sponsoring a colloquium in Washington, DC, on a mid-term assessment of leadership and national security reform in the Obama administration. Three panels discussed Assessing National Security Reform, Legislative Imperatives, and Assessing National Security Reform -- The Way Forward. This brief presents key insights from the colloquium. First, the initiatives for the extensive national security reform that is required to meet current threats will have to come from outside of the executive branch bureaucracy. Second, the 3-Ds (defense, diplomacy, development, as 3 overlapping circles) has been a harmful way to portray the capacities, requirements, and relationships for policy and operational effectiveness, especially in ongoing counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan. The current 3-Ds model is incorrect, as these functions are not properly represented by circles, are not the same size in terms of capacity and resources, and in many significant ways they do not overlap in several respects in the key areas necessary for effective integration, alignment, and coordination. Third, the Obama Administration still has much work to do in organizing development efforts to focus on the need for stronger political, economic, and social development structures, resources, and leadership. Given the ongoing efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is an urgent need for better defining the roles and responsibilities of the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and the Agency for International Development.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 2010
Accession Number
ADA527771

Entities

People

  • Jared E. Bennett
  • Joseph R. Cerami
  • Robin Dorff

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter IED
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Congress
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of State
  • Foreign Policy
  • Foreign Relations
  • Governments
  • Improvised Explosive Devices
  • Law
  • Leadership
  • National Security
  • President (United States)
  • Schools
  • Security
  • Universities
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Defense Acquisition Program Management
  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Government and Public Administration Law.