1. Provincial Reconstruction Team Lessons-Learned Project
Center for Complex Operations
National Defense University
Fort Lesley J. McNair, DC
31 March 2010

2. Overview
An integrated, interagency civilian-military effort to capture and institutionalize Lessons Learned and Best Practices from Afghanistan and Iraq Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs).
Conducted through a partnership developed by the interagency Reconstruction and Stabilization Best Practices Working Group (R&S BPWG).
Builds upon previous collection initiatives and studies about PRTs, seeks to identify lessons:
with immediate operational and tactical relevance,
as well as those which can inform future reconstruction and stabilization operations.
Intended to inform the establishment of a standing interagency lessons-learned capacity at the Center for Complex Operations (CCO)’s Lessons Learned Hub and is intended to last for the duration of the Afghanistan and Iraq PRT programs.

3. Key Aspects Methodology:
Interview questions and survey methodology for Afghan and Iraq PRTs developed collaboratively by representatives of all partner Agencies
Interviews
Civilian USG personnel interviewed in-person primarily through CCO partners
Military personnel interviewed in accordance with owning Service LL process
Questionnaire
On-line
Distributed through multiple means – military and civilian USG
Analysis will be conducted by an interagency analysis team
Agencies or their respective components may issue their own products which describe their specific lessons learned, when appropriate and as desired

4. Working Group Composition
Co-chairs Best Practices and Lessons Learned Working Group:
S/CRS
OSD/PS&SO
USAID
CALL
CCO
FSI
JCOA
Joint Staff/J-5/Afghanistan
Joint Staff/J-5/Iraq
Joint Staff/J-5/SOD
Joint Staff/J-7/JETD
NLLP
OSD/Afghanistan
OSD/Iraq
OSD/PS&SO
PKSOI
S/CRS
State/Afghanistan
State/Iraq
USAF/A9L
USAID/Afghanistan
USAID/Iraq
USDA
USDOJ
USDOC
USIP

5. Center for Complex Operations BEST PRACTICES INDEX 16 Categories
Civ-Mil Relations
Communication
Continuity of Effort
Coordination
Funding
Local Community
Logistics
Management
Mission
Personnel
Planning
Relations with Coalition Actors
Relations with Embassy
Relations with NGOs
Training

6. Best Practices Index (Iraq)

7. Best Practices Index
Index identifies over 300 best practices: actions that PRT members have employed to overcome
situation-specific obstacles and achieve a desired outcome.
Not intended as “one size fits all” solutions or doctrines.
What works in one place and time may not work in another place and time.
Actions that have been effective in the past for PRT members.
Deployed personnel must use their own discretion to determine whether such actions would be useful in their particular circumstances.

8. Center for Complex Operations OBSERVATIONS INDEX 17 Categories and 44 Sub-categories
Civ-Mil Relations
Mission
Relations with Embassy/ISAF
Local Community
Personnel
Relations with Coalition
Intra-PRT Relations
Infrastructure
Continuity of Effort
Funding
Training
Metrics
Logistics
Support
Relations with Other Actors
Corruption
Planning

9. Categories and Sub-Categories

10. Categories and Sub-Categories

11. Observation Index
Sub-Categories

12. Observations Index
Categorizes over 700 observations by PRT- affiliated personnel.

13. Preliminary Survey Results Iraq and Afghanistan
Iraq Afghanistan
49 took survey took survey
38 completed completed
77.6% rate of completion % rate of completion
Distribution Ongoing Data Reflects Period Jan. 1 – Mar. 5, 2010

14. Majority of Iraq Respondents From Department of State

15. All Afghanistan Respondents from Department of Defense

16. MISSION OBSERVATIONS
Operational Guidance
Iraq Afghanistan

17. Civ-Mil Mission Coordination
MISSION OBSERVATIONS
Civ-Mil Mission Coordination
Iraq Afghanistan

18. Understanding of Mission
MISSION OBSERVATIONS
Understanding of Mission
Iraq Afghanistan

19. View of Mission Success
MISSION OBSERVATIONS
View of Mission Success
Iraq Afghanistan

20. MISSION OBSERVATIONS
In Iraq, majority cited management, security and the ad-hoc structure of PRTs as the greatest obstacles to achieving their mission.

21. MISSION OBSERVATIONS
In Afghanistan, majority cited PRT staff training, attitude and motivation as the greatest obstacles to achieving their mission.

22. PARTNERS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Local Buy-In
Iraq Afghanistan

23. PARTNERS AND RELATIONSHIPS
International Organizations
Iraq Afghanistan

24. PARTNERS AND RELATIONSHIPS
Relations with NGOs
Iraq Afghanistan

25. IRAQ FUNDING

26. AFGHANISTAN FUNDING

27. Way Ahead Interagency Working Group analysis
Dissemination to military DOTMLPF activities and Civilian equivalents
Expansion beyond PRT activities
Directed research / collection