New Research Division Publication

• Forum Paper 15 – Towards a Comprehensive Approach: Integrating Civilian and Military Concepts of Strategy, edited by Christopher M. Schnaubelt

The new NDC Forum Paper presents a wide range of ideas regarding the elements of strategy, its purpose, and how it should be developed. It is not intended to be a primer on strategy nor a comprehensive review of the topic. There is an extensive literature on military strategy and planning that is not duplicated or reviewed here. Instead, this volume highlights the differences and similarities between the approaches typically used by civilian organizations and the doctrinal methods of NATO and the militaries of its member states and partners, while presenting some ideas on how to bridge the gaps.

There is no single “best” way to address the complex security problems that NATO faces in the contemporary operational environment. Instead, developing mutual understanding to recognize where approaches overlap and where actors simply need to “agree to disagree” is the route most likely to produce practical improvements in the integration of civilian and military efforts. Appreciating the range of views and methods is the first step towards achieving a workable synthesis of them. It is hoped that this NDC Forum Paper will contribute to such an appreciation.

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