Intra-Military Communication : The Exchange of Information between the Dutch Provincial Reconstruction Team and the PSYOPS Support Element in Uruzgan, Afghanistan
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2010-10
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en
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Abstract
During the last four years two of the most important military actors that focus on the
mind-set of the population during a counterinsurgency campaign, were deployed in
Afghanistan as part of the Dutch Task Force Uruzgan. The Provincial Reconstruction Team
and the PSYOPS Support Element each had to work on winning the hearts and minds of the
Afghan population. However, the exchange of information between the two units did not
function as efficient as it should be. Individual actions were not coordinated and too little
information was shared.
This thesis will therefore try to find an answer to the question how the exchange of
information between the PRT and PSE can be improved. It will start by presenting an
introduction on counter-insurgency and the importance of clear and well-functioning lines of
communication between military units. In order to raise situational awareness, these actors
need to communicate as much as possible on relevant and critical topics like security and
safety issues in general, but also on their individual activities.
Next their mutual relations and their activities related to the exchange and management of
information will be discussed together with the structures of the two units and their place in
the organization of the Task Force Uruzgan, the concept of a PRT and PSE, their tasks and
goals.
An instrument for analysis, based on various military and non-military models on
information and intelligence management will be used to assess the exchange of information
between March 2009 and March 2010. The model contains nine phases: the construction of an
information goal, the formulation of an information need, the collection of information, the
organization of information, the storage of information, a production phase, a distribution
phase and a phase in which the information is used. This last phase is connected to the first
one through a feedback loop (the ninth phase) which essentially makes it a cycle.
Although I have always been aware of the fact that the model I created would not be as
easily applicable as I liked, another major outcome more or less divided the information
management process into two individual (but connected) cycles: a staff cycle and a tactical
cycle.
Through various interviews with PRT and PSE representatives I was able to identify the
actual information flows within both the PSE and PRT. The interviews provided me with the
information to schematically visualize these flows of information and investigate their
effectiveness and efficiency accordingly. Five areas were then identified that hamper the
process of information exchange: interpersonal relations, a need-to-know mentality, a lack of
feedback, the use of private databases and capacity problems.
In order to solve these problems, or at least reduce their risk of affecting the exchange of
information negatively, a couple of recommendations were formulated. A decentralized
organizational structure can eventually confront the problem of suboptimal information
sharing. Working in clusters, according to the network centric warfare theory, along vertical
lines in a flatter hierarchy together with the right infostructure could lead to an improved
battlespace awareness. Therefore I suggest to invest in a solid information infrastructure.
Every team, every single member for that matter, needs to have access to a shared information
database. Not only to improve his own awareness, but also to contribute to the alertness of
others by contributing to it. It simply cannot be that information sharing gets hampered by a
lack of collators or other technical deficiencies. Together with the introduction of a network
centric mind-set and the construction of clusters of related actors this could improve the
discontinuity of informal networking.
At the same time future colleagues need to be familiar with each other‘s activities. As I
suggested, this should be done by introducing each other‘s field of work in combined
exercises during the preparation phase. By introducing a feedback loop, the process as a
whole, can be constantly monitored.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen