How Successful Are U.S. Efforts to Build Capacity in Developing Countries? A Framework to Assess the Global Train and Equip 1206 Program

• Main Authors: Moroney, Jennifer D, Grill, Beth, Hogler, Joe, Kennedy-Boudali, Lianne, Paul, Christopher
• Format: Publication
• Language: English
• Published: 01.01.2011
• Subjects: BUILDING PARTNER CAPACITY; CAPACITY BUILDING; COMBATANT COMMANDERS; CONGRESS; COOPERATION; COST EFFECTIVENESS; COUNTERTERRORISM; DEFICIENCIES; DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE; DEPARTMENT OF STATE; DEVELOPING NATIONS; FOREIGN MARITIME SECURITY FORCES; GLOBAL TRAIN AND EQUIP 1206 PROGRAM; GOVERNMENT AND POLITICAL SCIENCE; GOVERNMENT(FOREIGN); INTERVIEWS; MILITARY ASSISTANCE; MILITARY FORCES AND ORGANIZATIONS; MILITARY FORCES(FOREIGN); MILITARY FORCES(UNITED STATES); MILITARY TRAINING; POLITICAL ALLIANCES; PROGRAM OUTCOMES; RECOMMENDATIONS; SECURITY ASSISTANCE; SECURITY COOPERATION ASSESSMENTS; STABILITY; STABILITY OPERATIONS; SURVEYS; UNCONVENTIONAL WARFARE

The U.S. government has long worked with allies and partners to build their capacities to counter threats through various means, including training, equipping, and exercising, as well as through relationship-building activities such as workshops and conferences, staff talks, and education. Yet, it is challenging to comprehensively assess exactly how these activities have contributed to U.S. objectives. Security cooperation activities are long-term and geographically dispersed, and there is currently no comprehensive framework for assessing these programs. Assessing the impact of security cooperation efforts is inherently difficult but extremely important. In short, security cooperation assessments support informed decisionmaking at the policy, program manager, and execution levels, and they provide stakeholders at all levels of government with effective tools to determine which aspects of these investments are most productive and which require refinement. Those who plan and execute security cooperation efforts intuitively know whether their individual programs have successfully gained ground with their respective partner nations. At the most basic level, officials assert that the U.S. partner nation relationship is simply better than it was prior to executing the activity. These assertions are difficult to validate empirically, however. At present, assessments of security cooperation programs, if they are done at all, are largely conducted by the same organizations that executed the activities. Thus, these assessments, no matter how carefully carried out, are subject to concerns about bias on the part of the assessors. Objective assessments, when available, provide valuable data on which meaningful discussions about program funding can be grounded. This report provides a framework for thinking about, planning for, and implementing security cooperation assessments for the 1206 Program managed by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OUSD[P]).