Co-Leaders: Daniel Gerstein and Kathleen Hicks
The Strategy, Policy, and Planning Processes Working Group analyzes processes used across the national security system to conduct the formulation of strategy, policy-making, and operational planning. The w
orking group examines the history and underlying assumptions of the current national security system’s processes to determine how they took their current form. The working group is developing a common framework for future interagency processes by defining desired attributes of strategy, policy and planning and the relationships among them. Finally, the working group will make recommendations regarding both the strategy and policy development and execution process.
The Strategy, Policy, and Planning Processes Working Group seeks to determine the extent to which strategy and policy drive actual department and agency plans and performance for both the short and long term. Similarly, the working group assesses the extent to which performance feedback modifies plans. The working group must determine whether departments and agencies are equipped with logistical, financial, administrative and reporting systems that enable them to implement strategies and plans. To the extent such support is available, are the systems similar enough to allow collaboration on multi-agency contingencies? In addition, the working group assesses the extent to which the U.S. government is able to learn from actual national security experiences and make those lessons readily available.
Strategic planning involves defining major objectives and developing strategies to reach those objectives. General Brent Scowcroft identified strategic planning as the National Security Council’s key deficiency. Here, the working group focuses on the strategic planning and strategy development processes from the working level to the Oval Office, identifying their strengths and weaknesses.
What is the ability of the interagency process to produce an integrated plan for the full range of activities required for conducting interagency operations? Problems in the response to Hurricane Katrina show deficiencies in the National Response Plan and the inadequacy of complementary planning at state and local levels. This working group examines the various departmental and interagency approaches to planning – in terms of methodology, training and skills required – for both deliberate planning and crisis-action planning.
The working group also deals with the existing systems – logistical, financial, administrative, risk-related -- to support operations, especially by civilian departments and agencies, and how the different systems pose problems for multi-agency deployments.
In evaluating execution processes, the Strategy, Policy, and Planning Processes Working Group deals with two main elements: immediate execution following a presidential decision and longer-term implementation and tracking of developments. Under this directive, the working group examines the existing civil and military logistical, financial, and administrative systems that support operations. It looks at internal reviews of operations and lessons learned processes.
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