CIVILIAN-MILITARYCOOPERATION POLICY

PD-ACL-777July 2008

Cover photo: Elizabeth A. Edwards/U.S. Navy

This policy establishes the foundation for theUnited States Agency for InternationalDevelopment (USAID) cooperation withthe United States Department of Defense(DoD) in the areas of joint planning,assessment and evaluation, training, imple-mentation, and strategic communication.This cooperation is designed to facilitate awhole-of- government approach in which U.S.Government (USG) agencies work withintheir mandated areas of responsibility in amore coherent way to provide a coordinated,consistent response in pursuit of sharedpolicy goals to include, inter alia, humanitarianrelief efforts, counter-terrorism initiatives,civil affairs programs, and reconstruction andstabilization efforts.1

Such improved cooperation is a critical ele-ment of stabilization efforts in fragile states,particularly in pre- and post-conflict environ-ments. This paper clarifies, formalizes, anddefines the parameters of USAID’s interac-tion with DoD. It complements the efforts ofthe Department of State,Office of the Coor-dinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization(S/CRS), to define a broader civilian inter-

agency engagement with DoD. DoD repre-sentatives in the field and inWashington donot seek to supplant USAID’s role, but ratherlook to the Agency for guidance in identifyinghow the military can play a more supportiverole 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 onoperational issues, and illustrative approachesfor implementing this policy framework.2

The present policy is not intended to modifyor supplant existing USAID policies regardingdisaster response activities. Standard operat-ing procedures of the Office of U.S. ForeignDisaster Assistance (OFDA), Bureau forDemocracy, Conflict, and HumanitarianAssistance (DCHA),will continue to be usedin these situations.

2 BACKGROUND

Development is a cornerstone of nationalsecurity, along with diplomacy and defense.Development is also recognized as a key ele-

ment of any successful whole-of-governmentcounterterrorism and counter-insurgencyeffort. The Departments of State andDefense have issued policy guidance anddirections to guide their organizations insupport of the National Security Strategy.The policy defined herein is designed tocomplement those efforts and clarify the roleof USAID as a key part of the interagencyprocess. It places stabilization efforts as a keyelement of USAID’s development mission.The 2006 National Security Strategy (NSS)

CIVILIAN-MILITARY COOPERATION POLICY 1

CIVILIAN-MILITARYCOOPERATION POLICY

1There is no universal agreement on the definition of “stabilization.” For the purpose of this paper, USAID defines it as the process of making a country or territory lesslikely to descend into or return to a state of conflict or instability through the provision of a range of assistance tools that support sectoral interventions including provisionof social services and public security to strengthening local governance.2 The following references were consulted in preparing this policy:

Baltazar et al., Engagement with the Department of Defense in Support of National Security,USAIDWhite Paper, October 2007.Beyond Assistance:The HELP Commission Report on Foreign Assistance Reform,December 2007.CSIS Commission on Smart Power : a smarter, more secure America, cochairs, Richard L.Armitage, Joseph S. Nye, Jr, Center for Strategic and International Studies, 2007.Department of Defense Directive 3000.05,Military Support for Stability, Security,Transition and Reconstruction (SSTR) Operations, November 28, 2005.National Security Presidential Directive 44, December 7, 2005.

KEY TERMS

SSTRO: Stability, Security,Transition,and Reconstruction Operations. A termemployed, primarily by the militarycommunity, to refer to the complexnon-lethal activities that may precede,accompany, or follow a conflict. The DoDdefines Stability Operations as “militaryand civilian activities conducted acrossthe spectrum from peace to conflict toestablish or maintain order in Statesand regions.”

Three-DApproach: A policy thatrecognizes the importance of Defense,Diplomacy, and Development as partnersin the conduct of foreign operations,particularly in the developing world.

1PURPOSE

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3 In addition to the implicit reference in Defense Department Directive 3000.05, see the Speech by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates to students of Kansas StateUniversity, Manhattan, Kansas, Monday, November 26, 2007.

acknowledges that weak and impoverishedstates and ungoverned areas are not onlya threat to their people and a burden onregional economies, but are also susceptibleto exploitation by terrorists, tyrants, andinternational criminals. The relationshipbetween poverty and insecurity is complex,and not reducible to a simple formula, butmany of the indicators of instability andinsecurity are associated with poverty andinadequate governance. Accordingly, theNSS pledges that the United States willwork to bolster threatened states, providerelief in times of crisis, and build capacity indeveloping states to increase their ability togovern and provide basic services. Foreignpolicy institutions, including USAID, musttherefore address the challenges andopportunities of the twenty-first century.The realities of the twenty-first centurycampaign against terrorism and the need toprevent violent extremism and its underly-ing causes have highlighted the need toadapt the DoD and civilian structures towork more effectively together.

Department of Defense Directive (DODD)3000.05 (November 2005) indicates thatstability operations are a core U.S. militarymission that the DoD shall be prepared toconduct and support. They shall be givenpriority comparable to combat operationsand be explicitly addressed and integratedacross all DoD activities. The Directiveacknowledges that many of the tasks andresponsibilities associated with reconstruc-tion and stabilization operations are notones for which the military is necessarily

best suited. However, in the absence ofcivilian capacity to carry out these tasks, thecapabilities will be developed within themilitary. Manifestations of this Directiveare appearing in new DoD guidance anddoctrine documents across the spectrumof DoD activity.

National Security Presidential Directive 44,issued in December 2005, empowers theSecretary of State to improve coordination,planning, and implementation for recon-struction and stabilization (R&S) assistancefor foreign states and regions at risk of, in,or in transition from conflict or civil strife.The Presidential Directive establishes thatthe Secretary of State, supported by aCoordinator for Reconstruction andStabilization (S/CRS), shall coordinate andlead integrated United States Governmentefforts, involving all U.S. Departments and

Agencies with relevant capabilities, to pre-pare, plan for, and conduct stabilization andreconstruction activities.When the U.S. mili-tary is involved, the Secretary of State isresponsible for coordinating with the Secre-tary of Defense to ensure harmonizationwith any planned or ongoing U.S. militaryoperations across the spectrum of conflict.

Peace and Security is one of the five objec-tives outlined in the Framework for U.S.Foreign Assistance (2006). Internationaldevelopment increasingly benefits from—and requires—close cooperation betweencivilians and the military. In unstable areasin which USAID frequently works, develop-ment and security are intertwined andinterdependent. The absence of a stableand secure environment constrains theprovision of development assistance, andwithout development assistance, securitywill remain unsustainable. In humanitarian,stabilization and reconstruction opera-tions, U.S., and international armed forceshave long made invaluable contributions inlogistics, planning, and implementation tosave lives, build infrastructure, transportmaterials, and other efforts that benefitdevelopment. DoD acknowledges thatUSAID’s expertise in building the capacityof local institutions is key to stability andreconstruction. 3 Close cooperation willenhance the likelihood that Defense-funded programs are consistent withdevelopment principles, while ensuring theachievement of overall national securityobjectives.

Development is

a cornerstone

of national

security, along

with diplomacy

and defense.

3

CIVILIAN-MILITARY COOPERATION POLICY

3 POLICYSTATEMENT

It is USAID’s policy for all operating unitsto cooperate with DoD in joint planning,assessment and evaluation, training, imple-mentation, and communication in allaspects of foreign assistance activitieswhere both organizations are operating,and where civilian-military cooperation willadvance USG foreign policy. Cooperationby all relevant operating units, whether inWashington or in the field, will strengthencoordination, planning, and implementationof assistance to states and regions at risk of,in, or in transition from violent conflict orcivil strife. USAID is committed to a com-prehensive, coherent whole-of-governmentapproach and will partner with other USGentities to strengthen efforts to prepare,plan for, and conduct conflict mitigation,management, and stabilization assistance.

4 GUIDINGPRINCIPLES

In implementing this policy, USAID will beguided by the following principles:

4.1(a) Cooperation with the DoD will notdivert USAID resources away from itsdevelopment mission4 or the principles ofeffective development assistance.5 USAID isthe lead U.S. government agency for U.S. for-eign assistance planning and programming.It works in fragile states and post-conflictenvironments which often require programadjustments without compromise of its

overarching mission to improve the capacityof local institutions, improve the host coun-try’s ability to assure stability, and achievesustainable development.

4.1(b) In order to maximize the chancefor successful outcomes, USAID will striveto ensure that solutions for short termobjectives are consistent with long termgoals. USAID recognizes that conflictsoften produce a need for immediate stabi-lization and reconstruction programs.Short-term stabilization activities, oncecompleted, become the foundation uponwhich the longer-term developmentagenda can grow.

4.2 USAID will continue to maintain itslong-standing relationships and work witha variety of partners. Since the USG’s pri-mary expertise in internationaldevelopment resides at USAID, it will con-tinue to lead and serve as principal advisoron development issues. Soliciting andmaintaining the support of local popula-tions and host governments, including the

long-standing USAID practice of hiring andtraining Foreign Service Nationals (FSN),is critical to the success of joint USAID-DoD efforts.

5 USAID ROLE ANDRESPONSIBILITIES

5.1 As the USG’s primary resource forexpertise in international development,USAID seeks to influence the developmentdimensions of DoD strategic plans andimplementation activities. Within the USG,USAID offers the comparative advantage ofits field presence and its pool of skilled,experienced development and humanitarian

assistance professionals. These assets mustbe better utilized in tandem with DoD tohelp further the overall national securityobjectives of the U.S.

5.2 USAID will strengthen its planning,training and implementation capacity tocontribute to interagency security, stability,transition, and reconstruction operations.

4 USAID’s Mission Statement, adopted on March 24, 2008, is as follows: “USAID accelerates human progress in developing countries by reducing poverty, advancingdemocracy, building market economies, promoting security, responding to crises, and improving quality of life.Working with governments, institutions, and civil society, weassist individuals to build their own futures by mobilizing the full range of America’s public and private resources through our expert presence overseas”.5 The nine recognized principles of effective development assistance are Ownership, Capacity Building, Sustainability,Accountability,Assessment, Results Orientation, Partnership,Flexibility and Selectivity. For more on this subject see Natsios, The Nine Principles of Reconstruction and Development, in Parameters, autumn 2005, pp. 4-20.

…USAID will strive to ensure that

solutions for short term objectives are

consistent with long term goals.

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This recognizes the need to reduce thelong-standing imbalance between themilitary and civilian components of theUSG whole-of-government responseto unstable, conflict-prone, and post-conflict states.

5.3 Opportunities for civil-militarycooperation will take place at many levelsand will depend upon the context and USGobjectives. At the regional level, USAID willexchange officers with all appropriateGeographic Combatant Commands, andplace Senior Development Advisors withinthe Combatant Commands to improvecoordination and communication and topromote program synchronization andeffectiveness. In the field, USAID staffcollaborate with U.S. military officials atpost to develop integrated approaches tocountry-specific security and developmentchallenges. At headquarters, USAID willcoordinate with DoD representativesthrough Principals’ Committees, Deputies’

Committees, or other regional andfunctional Policy Coordinating Committees,and among other fora.

5.4 USAID will seek to improve thepreparedness of its personnel to operate incoordination with DoD, through improvedpre-deployment training; recruiting andretaining personnel with military experienceas appropriate; emphasizing the career-enhancing nature of interagency andcivilian-military assignments; training FSNpersonnel in effective civilian-militarycooperation; developing exchange andfellowship programs with the DoD;and while maintaining USAID’s priorities,ensuring training and tour schedules canbe adapted to synchronize with those ofcounterpart military units.6

5.5 DoD clearly recognizes the criticalrole of civilian involvement and expertisein addressing today’s challenges andopportunities, and seeks input on how it

cooperates with and complements broaderefforts led by USAID and other USGdepartments and agencies.7 USAID believesthat the most significant contribution of DoDto the achievement of development goalsis through long-term, strategic military-to-military engagement. USAID looks to DoDto lead, coordinate, and communicate thein-theater DoD response for securitycooperation.This policy recognizes thatcoordination with the DoD is one aspectof our vital role in U.S. national security, butit also reiterates that DoD should notsubstitute for civilian capabilities.

6 For complementary DoD role and responsibilities, see DODD 3000.057 Secretary Gates, op. cit.

Opportunities for civil-military cooperationwill take place at many levels and willdepend upon the context and USGobjectives.

U.S.Agency for Internatiional Development

The U.S.Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent federal agencythat receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. For more than 40years, USAID has been the principal U.S. agency to extend assistance to countries recoveringfrom disaster, trying to escape poverty, and engaging in democratic reforms.

USAID supports long-term and equitable economic growth and advances U.S. foreignpolicy objectives by supporting

• economic growth, agriculture, and trade

• global health

• democracy, conflict prevention, and humanitarian assistance

The Agency’s strength is its field offices located in four regions of the world:

• Sub-Saharan Africa

• Asia and the Near East

• Latin America and the Caribbean

• Europe and Eurasia

U.S.Agency for International Development1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20523-1000Telephone: 202-712-4810

Fax: 202-216-3524www.usaid.gov