The Whole of Government Approach in West Africa

Abstract

Pursuing a whole-of-government approach in West Africa by the Department of State (DOS), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the Department of Defense (DoD) is essential for ensuring that U.S. interests and objectives in the region are achieved. This paper addresses the whole-of-government approach as it relates to the integration and coordination of development assistance initiatives, security concerns, and humanitarian relief efforts in West Africa. Attaining national security objectives in the region will require the efficient and effective use of the diplomatic, informational, economic, and military instruments of national power supported by and coordinated with those of allies and West African regional organizations. U.S. efforts aimed at strengthening state and regional capabilities and inhibiting the spread of extremist ideology in West Africa have fallen short. An indicator of this is the lack of a comprehensive, integrated strategy that identifies program goals and objectives, defines agreed-upon agency roles and responsibilities, and identifies the resources needed to achieve the objectives. While individual agencies have been successful in their programs at the lower levels, the United States is not achieving its broader strategic goals for the region. In addition, forthcoming budget cuts may have an impact on the U.S. Government's ability to fund programs at their current levels in West Africa. This retrenchment could affect the country's ability to influence the region. The United States must take a fiscally coordinated, integrated, and balanced approach to the implementation and execution of programs in West Africa so that any pending budget cuts will have minimal impact on the West African countries who receive U.S. aid.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 27, 2012
Accession Number
ADA562022

Entities

People

  • Nestor A. Sadler

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Africa
  • Commerce
  • Department Of Defense
  • Department Of State
  • Environmental Protection
  • Governments
  • Interagency Coordination
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Relations
  • National Governments
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Security
  • United States
  • United States Africa Command
  • War Colleges
  • West Africa

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • International Relations, focusing on Korea-Africa and North Korea-South Korea relations, and Nigeria-Latin American Relations.
  • Strategic Security Studies