Call for Participation Scholars interested in complex operations research and teaching are invited to submit short proposals to participate in the Consortium for Complex Operations Case Studies Series. If selected, participants may receive travel funding for research and participate in a case teaching and writing workshop in Monterey, California. Project objectivesThis project provides an opportunity to promote research for civilian and military education on complex operations, to develop work that is relevant to civilian and military practitioners in the field, and to strengthen relationships among civilian universities, research and policy institutions, lessons-learned centers and military schools. Who Should Participate?
What is Involved?
How to apply:To apply for participation and travel funding please return the short form at the following link: Apply to Participate About the Complex Operations Case SeriesThe Consortium for Complex Operations (CCO) launched in 2008 as an interagency initiative by the US Department of Defense with support from the State Department and Agency for International Development. The CCO emphasizes the importance of a whole of government approach to complex operations – including stability operations, counterinsurgency and irregular warfare. The CCO provides a forum for a community of practice and plays a number of roles in the production and distribution of learning about complex operations, including supporting the compilations of lessons and practices. The Naval Postgraduate School and the US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute are working together to build research and education tools for the peace and stability community. The US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute key issues for researchers in 2008 emphasized the need for integrative scholarship and approaches, among government agencies and across disciplines including political science, economics, sociology, law, strategic studies and peace research. The United States Institute of Peace in “Sharing the Space,” a study on education and training commissioned by the CCO, emphasized similar themes, including the need to include host-country interests, to develop case studies and lessons, and to build incentives to grow the field. The establishment of a CCO case study series will meet these objectives, embracing the insights of these studies and the collaborative spirit that produced them. The method of case-based instruction in business schools and across the social sciences is well established. Case narratives provide a systematic approach to the study of a subject and to do so with a rich appreciation for context. Teaching cases – whether decision-forcing, problem-solving or a role-playing – are very effective when they require students to actively participate and to confront ambiguity. We will be working with the well-respected Georgetown Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Accepted cases published by Georgetown undergo peer review and copy-editing and distribution. A typical GUISD case is 7,000-10,000 words and is accompanied by a teacher’s guide to the learning objectives and activities. For examples, and resources on the case method, see the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy website. In particular, see the guide to writing a case for peer-reviewed publication.In a potential follow-on to this project, participants interested in scholarly projects around specific complex operations themes may develop comparative analyses. Comparison of cases is an important tool for analyzing complex causal relationships. This can be particularly useful with respect to the various components of path dependency, for example, in identification of current path constraints. Complex operations environments differ, yet the categories of many activities are similar. These provide an excellent basis for comparative analysis. To illustrate, the Department of State’s typology of essential task matrix of stabilization and reconstruction – governance, justice, security, economics and social – has become a widely utilized construct. Challenges persist across sectors and missions – strategic communication, metrics, interagency integration, and information sharing and planning. These topics are all excellent candidates for a project to conduct comparative analysis that would draw upon some of the research that informed the case study narratives. |
References Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Publications Website Gundersen, Jon et al. "Sharing the Space: A Study on Education and Training for Complex Operations." Washington, DC: US Institute of Peace and Consortium for Complex Operations, 2008.
Tyson, Ann Scott. “Standard Warfare May Be Eclipsed By Nation-Building,” Washington Post, October 5, 2008; A16. U.S. Army Field Manual 3-07 Stability Operations, October 2008. U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute, 2008 Topic List U.S. Department of State Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. "Essential Task Matrix, 2005.” U.S. Department of Defense. “Military Support for Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction (SSTR) Operations. Directive Number 3000.05.” November 28, 2005. Questions? Contact Dr. Karen Guttieri Naval Postgraduate School - 831-869-5275 - guttieri@nps.edu |