NATO Strategic Communications Policy Eric Povel, Strategic Communications Coordinator, NATO Public Diplomacy Division 26 April 2012

STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION CELL NATO PUBLIC DIPLOMACY DIVISION TOPICS: StratCom at NATO StratCom Policy StratCom Doctrinal Aspects 4. StratCom Cell 5. Conclusions

NATO Strasbourg/Kehl Summit 2009: “Increasingly important that the Alliance communicates in an appropriate, timely, accurate and responsive manner on its evolving roles, objectives and missions. StratComs are an integral part of our efforts to achieve the Alliance’s political and military objectives”.

NATO StratCom Definition (SEP 2009) 1. Strategic Communications at NATO NATO StratCom Definition (SEP 2009) The coordinated and appropriate use of NATO communications activities and capabilities – Public Diplomacy, Public Affairs (PA), Military PA, InfoOps and PsyOps, as appropriate – in support of Alliance policies, ops and activities, and in order to advance NATO’s aims.

2. NATO HQ STRATCOM POLICY First ever NATO HQ policy document on Communication; Driven by ISAF experience: Losing the info war? Purpose: better pol-mil coordination; more long-term planning; better use of resources; Need for StratCom to be integrated early in the policy and operational planning process; Need shift in mindset; huge education challlenge. 5

6. Calls for clear leadership/guidance from the top; but no “5000 mile screwdriver”; need bottom-up feedback; Regular StratCom Policy Board and Working Group meetings with main pol-mil comms reps; STRATEGIC focus, not day-to-day issues; 6

9. Strategic Communications Cell in PDD set up in July 2011; 10. Conclusion: real opportunity to improve pol-mil StratCom coordination, but test for our leaderships at all levels to make it work. SecGen personally committed. 7

StratCom Bodies StratCom Policy Board: Top level pol-mil staff body to oversee all StratCom issues; StratCom Standing Working Group: monthly meeting with all key pol-mil internal NATO stakeholders to manage all StratCom aspects; Weekly Communicators VTC with the relevant military commands; Daily PA confcall on all NATO operations. Formal (OPC/CPD) and informal coordination with Allies, Partners, International Organizations.

StratCom Products StratCom Frameworks: provides top-level pol-mil D&G for all NATO communication disciplines. StratCom Plans: implementation document of StratCom Framework. Joint Planning Calendar/StratCom Matrix

3. StratCom Doctrinal Developments

Military Concept for NATO StratCom( August 2010) Military implementation of NATO StratCom Policy; Enables development of professional StratCom capabilities within mil forces and structures; Helps Commanders to organise StratCom and cross-coordination; Help develop broader common understanding of StratCom StratCom Capability Implementation Plan in development. 11

NATO StratCom Capability Implementation Plan (CIP) (June 2011) Programme planning and management document for long term StratCom capability development; Basis for resource/investment decisions; While military, also identifies pol-mil capability requirements.

CIP recommendations: Operationalisation of StratCom: doctrine, process, tools, products, organisation, positions, training, etc; Allied Joint Doctrine WG 27 SEP 2011 agreed: short-term: develop StratCom Implementation Guidelines (SCIG), long-term: doctrine.

IV. Summary of Action Items The outcome is a list of 17 action items which we will approach over the upcoming month. As I said, we started to work on the doctrine and also started the Training needs Analysis. In late fall an experiment will start in RC north on the analysis of the Information environment. And we also try to get all the other items marked with 2011 up and running by end of the year. Unfortunately I don’t have 300 Million dollars. My budget is only 50 k for the rest of the year and even for that I have to beg over and over again.. So, this end my presentation and I am now ready to answer your questions. 14

4. PDD StratCom Cell Created as part of PDD’s reform in July 2011: 1 full time, 3 half-time; Deputy from IMS SC & PA; Close cooperation with ACO/ACT StratCom; To support ASG PDD as StratCom coordinator; Support SecGen StratCom Advisor/Editor-in-Chief; Engage on doctrinal issues; Educate/inform staffs.

PDD StratCom Cell Products/Activities: Joint Planning Calendar (JPC) StratCom Matrix New/Revised StratCom Frameworks/Plans NATO-wide StratCom Seminars

CONCLUSIONS: 1. StratCom crucial coordination function in support of operations and policies; 2. Urgent need to operationalise, clarify, educate, build cadre of qualified StratCom-related staffs; 3. StratCom is only as good as our actions and policies. So, our motto is: BE GOOD AND TELL IT!

QUESTIONS?

BACK-UP SLIDES

SHAPE StratCom Definition: In cooperation with NATO HQ, the co- ordinated, appropriate use of Military PA, InfoOps and PsyOps which, in concert with other military actions and following NATO political guidance, advances NATO’s aims and operations.

Public Diplomacy: NATO civilian communications and outreach efforts responsible for promoting awareness of and building understanding and support for NATO’s policies, operations and activities, in complement to the national efforts of Allies.

NATO (civil) Public Affairs: NATO civilian engagement through the media to inform the public of NATO policies, operations and activities in a timely, accurate, responsive and proactive manner.

NATO Military PA (MC 457/2): PA is the function responsible to promote NATO’s military aims and objectives to audiences in order to enhance awareness and understanding of military aspects of the Alliance. This includes planning and conducting external and internal communications, and community relations. Military PA at each level of command directly supports the commander and may not therefore be further delegated or subordinated to other staff functions.

Case Study: Libya

Libya StratCom Context in Execution phase: OUP not as controversial as Kosovo 1999: Majority support for OUP: UN mandate, regional support, Qadhafi widely unpopular, humanitarian aspects; But UN mandate fudged: protect civilians; impartial?; accused of violating UN mandate; serve as NTC air force; Difficult balance/distinction between NATO and nations; Only air power: “hands tied”, cannot work without boots on ground? When is it “mission accomplished”? NATO claims of success premature?

Libya StratCom Planning Lessons Learned: Got StratCom guidance into SACEUR’s OPLAN: earliest phase possible. Basis for OUP StratCom Framework. But StratCom still being in its infancy, mechanisms not fully employed. Major StratCom/PA staffing shortfalls, quantitative and qualitative. No surge!

Role of Strategic Communications in crisis management process

Allies developed the NATO Crisis Management Process (NCMP), a 6-Phase decision-making process, that describes how NATO theoretically manages the life of a crisis. The NCMP is described in the NATO Crisis Response System Manual (NCRSM) that sets out NATO’s procedures for crisis management. Recall that Allies developed a phased decision-making process which takes us through the theoretical life of a crisis. It is described in the NCRS Manual as the NATO crisis management process (NCMP). The Manual description provides an excellent insight into ‘how NATO works’ in a crisis: in other words the process by which indications and warnings, once accepted, launch a process whereby military and civil advice is married to political guidance through the committees structure, resulting in comprehensive and coordinated recommendations being provided for NAC decision-making. In principle, NAC decisions are normally required to move the process from phase to phase, as indicated by the ‘red stars’; but acceleration of the earlier phases of the process is perfectly feasible when circumstances require. The process comprises 6 phases: Phase 1 - indications and warning of a potential or actual crisis – could also be based on external request for support (e.g. by UN). Phase 2 - assessment of the developing crisis, and of its potential or actual implications for alliance security or interest, and Phase 3 - the development of recommended Response Options to guide NAC decision-making through the process of determining a Political-Military Estimate of the situation, including a Strategic Military Analysis (SMA), and leading, if NAC so requires, to operational planning guidance, set out in a ‘NAC Initiating Directive’ (NID). Phase 4 – Planning Phase 5 - Execution of NAC decisions – i.e. conduct of a mission or operation = such as ISAF or c/piracy Phase 6 - Transition to theatre exit and cessation of NATO’s role = the KFOR mission is currently ‘transitioning’ *The reverse ‘arrow’ indicates continuous re-assessment during ‘Execution/Transition’ using Ph 2/3 procedures NIWS = NATO Intelligence & Warning System MC 133 = Operation Planning process CEP = CEP crisis management

Where does StratCom fit? Phase 2 – Assessment StratCom input = analysis of the information environment Phase 3 – Military Response Options (MRO) Development StratCom input = StratCom requirements for each MRO Output = Draft NAC Initiating Directive (NID), which should include NATO’s StratCom Approach for the operation 29

Phase 4 – Planning Intermediate task: SACEUR develops Strategic Planning Directive StratCom input = SACEUR’s draft StratCom Approach/Framework as Annex to SPD CONOPS and OPLAN StratCom input = Overview of StratCom Approach/Framework in Main Body (Execution Paragraph) and coordinated Annexes L, O and X