Capability Development in Support of Comprehensive Approaches: Transforming International Civil-Military Interactions
Abstract
In 2008, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) agreed to develop and implement the Comprehensive Approach (CA) concept to address international security challenges involving civil and military actors. The commitment to CA was reaffirmed at Lisbon in the Alliance s 2010 Strategic Concept. Motivations included both the need for effectiveness in an increasingly complex international environment, and efficiency in an era of declining defense resources. However, implementation of the CA and its structures has to be grounded in the political realities surrounding any major operation, whether in response to a manmade crisis or a natural disaster. Not only will political imperatives drive the structure, scope and timing of any CA, but they also have a tendency to change rapidly as part of either the domestic issues of the day or the response from the international community. Partly as a result, the Alliance has not yet agreed on a precise definition of the CA. But this should not be a cause for inactivity. All agree that CA refers to the integration, in some manner, of military and civilian activities, including nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). The Dutch Foreign Ministry recommendation that the approach be as civilian as possible, and as military as necessary seems correct. As the papers point out, under any CA definition, NATO will need an effective change management process to prepare for operations in complex, civil-military environments. Developing such increased agility, in itself, can be valuable asset for facing a future that is likely to be filled with chaos, complexity and surprise. Moreover, many of the capabilities that can be applied in different civil-military contingencies can be developed at relatively low cost by leveraging private sector developments.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA635022
Entities
People
- Derrick J. Neal
- Linton Wells Ii
Organizations
- National Defense University