In the Interagency Process, Mere Coordination Is Not Enough: Toward Joint Government

摘要

Since the end of the Cold War, the face of conflict and the role of the U.S. military around the world have changed. Instead of focusing on a single adversary, the National Security Strategy directs engagement and shaping on a global level. Responding to situations across the spectrum of conflict, the U.S. military is working alongside U.S. and foreign government agencies, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and International Organizations (IOs) around the world in pursuit of U.S. interests. The sheer volume and complexity of work requires integration of all U.S. government agencies, and a standardized command and control organization to accomplish seamless planning and execution of national policy. Mere coordination is not enough. New legislation is needed to mandate the integration of U.S. government agencies within joint government operations similar to the Goldwater-Nichols Defense Reform Act of 1986. This paper summarizes the common themes for improvement cited in existing literature on interagency coordination and outlines the proposed legislation as a long-range solution to interagency integration.