| Discussion Issue 1: Pre-Deployment Planning
Requirement:
From a national perspective, what changes could be made to your planning process in order to ensure that national forces are capable of arriving in theatre prepared as effectively and efficiently as possible to meet the challenges of current and future peace support operations?
Summary of Group Findings:
1. Factors that have changed significantly that impact on the preparation of national forces for future peace support deployments are:
- Increase in stakeholders: local population, military, civilian police, non-governmental organizations, local government, warring factions, etc.
- Shift in conflict from interstate to intrastate
- Subsequent shift in PKO from peace keeping to peace enforcement
- Multi-polar world: Non-state actors, proliferation of small arms, transnational crime, global terrorism
- National security vs. human security
- Emergence of regional country groupings
- Meeting national objectives through PKO/PSO
- Differences in National/UN Rules of Engagement (ROE)
- Lack of consent and agreement by warring factions
- Pre-established UN OCHA/NGO guidance
- Troop and civilian police sustainment
- Degree of risk and its impact on contributing nations
- Legal issues, including Rules of Engagement and Geneva Conventions
- Private security forces, particularly their impact on NGOs
- Force protection
- Media and the “strategic corporal”
2a. Mechanisms for improving the planning effort - time, information, and processes and procedures - are, at the strategic level:
- Determining the nature of the conflict (historical factors, culture, national sensitivities, economic and social factors)
- Understanding national interests, political and public will
- Developing national political/strategic guidance for participation
- Supporting national dialogue with NGOs/IOs through UN or other mechanisms
- Addressing importance of regional groupings and interests
- Improving political visibility between UN and governments
- Shortening the national, inter-agency planning process
- Enhancing capacity in military and civilian capabilities at the national level
- Developing capability-based approach to contingencies
- Addressing the importance of political will by developing directives and solidifying commitment
- Determining entry and exit strategies
- Establishing measures of effectiveness
- Determining logistical and financial arrangements
- Understanding of the Command and Control arrangements
- Designing a method for coordination and cooperation
- Addressing capability and readiness
- Identifying legal issues, such as SOFA, ROE, MOU, International law, etc.
- Determining training window prior to deployment
- Supporting an information sharing network
- Developing contingency plans
2b. Mechanisms for improving the planning effort - time, information, and processes and procedures - are, at the operational level:
- Understanding mission and expectations (mission statement, UN employment guidelines, ROE)
- Including other stakeholders in the planning process, to the degree the type of operation permits (Chapter VI, Chapter VII, etc.)
- Identifying clear lines of operations
- Confirming Command and Control arrangements
- Identifying clear lines of communications and coordination
- Addressing reconnaissance requirements
- Confirming entry and exit strategies
- Confirming intelligence sharing arrangements
- Integrating with the security forces and other agencies of the host nation
- Conducting concurrent operational and tactical planning (pre-deployment training, information requirements)
- Having CIMIC Centers, and using CIMIC doctrine
- Confirming SOFA, MOU, ROE
- Address types of training to be conducted: armed forces exchanges, seminars, conferences, exercises, lessons learnt
2c. Mechanisms for improving the planning effort - time, information, and processes and procedures - are, at the tactical level:
- Understanding the ROE
- Understanding Command and Control
- Supporting interoperability
- Executing Coordination and Cooperation (CIMIC Centers, use of liaison officers)
- Ensuring operational preparedness: in-country study of host nation history, background and situation, deployment of assessment teams, manpower - medical, psychological, etc.
- Completing mission essential training (pre-deployment, in-mission, post-deployment): unit/sub-unit preparation, specialists (medical, language, local laws, etc.)
- Addressing specific logistics issues: mission essential equipment, communications, acquisition of perishables
- Understanding of legal issues and available legal representation
- Addressing force protection issues
3. Methods to Integrate civilian peacekeeping partners input into the national military planning process and plan are:
- Determining government intent and influence (interdepartmental and with UN OCHA as lead agency to coordinate NGOs/IOs)
- Understanding the civilian partners’ plans
- Determining limitations on communications interoperability and address
- Including civilians in military planning, with the degree of participation influenced by operational security, type of operation (HA or combat), UNOCHA presence and influence in theater, local NGO participation, transition to NGOs, and CIMIC plan
- Addressing civilian police and the possible law and order gaps in planning
- Addressing gender issues, cultural issues, human rights
- Developing training with civilian partners; involve civilians and other stakeholders in pre-deployment training to the extent possible
- Encouraging better relations through constant interactions via meetings, training, combined exercises, exhibitions, open houses, exchange programs
- Considering memorandums of understanding for NGOs/IOs/UN/civilian contractors
- Engaging the UN Economic and Social Council for the Asia Pacific (UNESCAP)
- Developing CIMIC doctrine and procedures to formalize interactions with civilian partners
- Having CIMIC Centers within the deployed unit
Creating a flexible plan that can adapt to changing circumstances quickly
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