USAID Civilian-Military Cooperation Policy

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08-01-2008
SWJED

USAID Civilian-Military Cooperation Policy

USAID Civilian-Military Cooperation Policy

Quote:

Purpose: This policy establishes the foundation for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) cooperation with the United States Department of Defense (DoD) in the areas of joint planning, assessment and evaluation, training, implementation, and strategic communication. This cooperation is designed to facilitate a whole-of-government approach in which U.S. Government (USG) agencies work within their mandated areas of responsibility in a more coherent way to provide a coordinated, consistent response in pursuit of shared policy goals to include, inter alia, humanitarian relief efforts, counter-terrorism initiatives, civil affairs programs, and reconstruction and stabilization efforts.

Such improved cooperation is a critical element of stabilization efforts in fragile states, particularly in pre- and post-conflict environments. This paper clarifies, formalizes, and defines the parameters of USAID’s interaction with DoD. It complements the efforts of the Department of State, Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS), to define a broader civilian interagency engagement with DoD. DoD representatives in the field and in Washington do not seek to supplant USAID’s role, but rather look to the Agency for guidance in identifying how the military can play a more supportive role in USAID’s development activities.

The companion internal document, Civilian-Military Cooperation Implementation Guidelines, further details functional areas for USAID DoD cooperation, provides legal guidance on operational issues, and illustrative approaches for implementing this policy framework.

The present policy is not intended to modify or supplant existing USAID policies regarding disaster response activities. Standard operating procedures of the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance (DCHA), will continue to be used in these situations.
08-01-2008
John T. Fishel

My, how "the times they are a-changin'"

Back in 1986 and 87, during my stint in Southcom, we attempted to work with USAID on civic action projects in Honduras and a civic action symposium in Bolivia. The senior guy in AID in the embassy in Tegucigalpa that I spoke with was sympathetic but was hadicapped by a policy letter that prohibited him from cooperating with the US military. The AID guy in La Paz was less sypathetic but relented a bit when we suggested that Southcom might be able to get him some resources that AID could not get through its own capabilities.

Cheers

JohnT
08-01-2008
Tom Odom

My best experience with USAID was working with its Chief of Staff Dick McCall in Rwanda. Dick came out for a short visit that lasted some 6 months. It was amazing how much leverage we had as a country team with Dick sitting in on our side. he was a bureaucrat's worst nightmare--a senior official who took a personal interest in making things happen. Oh my! :wry:

Tom
08-01-2008
PghFan

Development is key in current security strategy

USAID's Civ-Mil Cooperation Policy is a step in a constructive direction. It underscores what I keep reading/hearing: that development is increasingly becoming a critical tool in acheiving national security goals. The National Defense Strategy released yesterday underscores this belief - that development efforts can contribute to a new form of strategic deterrence.
08-01-2008
John T. Fishel

Remids me of the 4 Ds

of US Central American policy in the 1980s: Deterrence, Defense, Development, and Democracy.:cool:

Cheers

JohnT
08-01-2008
SWJED

I agree 100%...

Quote:

Originally Posted by PghFan

USAID's Civ-Mil Cooperation Policy is a step in a constructive direction. It underscores what I keep reading/hearing: that development is increasingly becoming a critical tool in acheiving national security goals. The National Defense Strategy released yesterday underscores this belief - that development efforts can contribute to a new form of strategic deterrence.

... My worry is - will the gains we have made, albeit small steps, survive the January transition of power in the US? Even good initiatives tend to be abandoned by a new administration that feels empowered to throw out the baby with the bath water by washing their hands of the previous administration's policies, strategies and initiatives and starting anew from scratch. I sincerely hope this won’t happen – WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS – excuse the shout and soapbox rant...
08-02-2008
John T. Fishel

That is the danger

and would be even if we weren't changing administrations. One may hope - I know, hope is not a method - that the senior bureaucrats in AID (not the politicals) will remember the hard won lessons. What are the odds? Most likely is that we will reinvent the wheel again only it won't take as long. Best case is that the change will have been institutionalized (don't hold your breath). Worst case - you did say that.:eek:

Cheers

JohnT
08-02-2008
Spud

Quote:

Originally Posted by SWJED

... My worry is - will the gains we have made, albeit small steps, survive the January transition of power in the US? Even good initiatives tend to be abandoned by a new administration that feels empowered to throw out the baby with the bath water by washing their hands of the previous administration's policies, strategies and initiatives and starting anew from scratch. I sincerely hope this won’t happen – WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS – excuse the shout and soapbox rant...

Pretty much the pain we're feeling now ... a new Government that made a million promises (no matter how uninformed) in the run up to the election and is now trying to enact them based on their "clear mandate for change!"

Hence we have managed to establish a thousand differernt reviews/studies/forums to look at the fantastical at considerable public expense only to have them come back and say "well what thye are doing is probably the best option." Still waiting to see where the great plans for a Homeland Security Department, a Coast Guard, a future air power study, the Dfence white paper and a thousand other end up. The only concrete appear to be massively cut costs, reduce most of our overseas excahnge positions and piss off our friends and allies everytime someone opens their mouth.

Yep loving life at the moment (just found out my proposed posting to San Antonio fell foul of the budget cuts and has been scrapped!)
08-02-2008
SWJED

Updated w/ 3D Approach in the Philippines

Colonel Dave Maxwell was kind enough to send SWJ a copy of Securing Peace in Mindanao through Diplomacy, Development, and Defense by US Embassy, Manila, Republic of the Philippines.

Quote:

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the United States Government (USG) are pursuing a successful strategy incorporating diplomacy, development, and defense to secure peace and defeat terrorists in Mindanao. This strategy is based on the principle that the threat of terrorism is eliminated only when both terrorists and the ideology that supports their actions are defeated. In Mindanao, the GRP and USG are working in partnership to expand a stable zone of peace and development, thereby denying domestic (Abu Sayyaf Group) and international (Jemaah Islamiyah) terrorists the physical and psychological space they require to survive.

The US Embassy in Manila maintains a strong bilateral relationship with the Philippines based upon a shared history and common goals in today’s world. Vibrant economic and political ties between the two countries strengthen governance, spur economic growth, and reduce the threat posed by terrorism in the Philippines.

Development assistance from the American people improves the lives of average Filipinos - Muslims and Christians alike - in the areas of health, education, economic livelihood, and the environment. Finally, US military assistance is enhancing the professionalism of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and strengthening its ability to respond to a range of modern threats, including domestic and international terrorists...
08-02-2008
SWJED

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spud

Pretty much the pain we're feeling now ... a new Government that made a million promises (no matter how uninformed) in the run up to the election and is now trying to enact them based on their "clear mandate for change!"

Hence we have managed to establish a thousand differernt reviews/studies/forums to look at the fantastical at considerable public expense only to have them come back and say "well what thye are doing is probably the best option." Still waiting to see where the great plans for a Homeland Security Department, a Coast Guard, a future air power study, the Dfence white paper and a thousand other end up. The only concrete appear to be massively cut costs, reduce most of our overseas excahnge positions and piss off our friends and allies everytime someone opens their mouth.

Yep loving life at the moment (just found out my proposed posting to San Antonio fell foul of the budget cuts and has been scrapped!)

If you don't mind an outsider chiming in on your domestic politics - I saw this coming. I'll admit that I was a fan of PM Howard, but to me it appeared OZ desired change for change sake.