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Organizational and Structural Reform: Transforming the United States Government for 21st Century Contingencies
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Daum, Richard S. |
| Copyright Year | 2009 |
| Abstract | Nearly twenty years after the end of the Cold War, an analysis of successful and failed overseas operations leaves little doubt the United States must do better if it is to retain its position of power and influence in world affairs. Even after years of focused effort against transnational terrorism, full-scale wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and numerous smaller-scale interventions including Somalia, Haiti and Bosnia, the United States struggles to integrate its available resources in a common, unified manner. Simply put, the national security system designed at the end of World War II is not responsive, flexible or sufficiently adaptable to ensure success today or for the near future. The thesis of this paper is that the United States must develop and implement organizational and structural reform to ensure unity of effort in complex contingencies overseas. It requires new organizations and leaders empowered with the authority to integrate and direct interagency resources in ways that employ all the elements of national power in a coordinated, comprehensive strategy. Based on an analysis of common problems in recent interventions, this paper identifies desirable organizational characteristics to ensure greater unity of effort. Then, from an examination of current proposals to change the way the United States organizes for complex contingencies, the paper recommends a new structure based on regionally aligned organizations led by senior civilian representatives of the president empowered with directive authority over all departments and agencies involved in complex contingencies. A “Regional Affairs Center,” as the centerpiece of a new national security structure, provides the best option to integrate the interagency team at all levels and to provide optimal direction and authority where the next emerging crisis or complex contingency is likely to begin. |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a530230.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
