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Cusps Operations Project
It has become readily apparent that military force does not equal victory in conventional conflicts. As events in the Balkans, Middle East and Afghanistan illustrate, war is no longer neatly compartmentalized. Today, war is non-linear. It encompasses armed conflict, developmental challenges, communications issues and humanitarian relief. As such, militaries acting alone cannot fix many of the security problems that plague today's world.
Despite the recognition of this fact, coordination between international organizations, non-governmental organizations and military forces is often far from optimal. The problem is well known, the solutions are not. Much time and effort has been devoted to reforming counter-insurgency doctrine, but substantially less work has been done exploring how to better civil-military relations.
The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies therefore launched in 2006 the RUSI Project on Civil-Military Relations to explore this specific piece of the puzzle that is 'unconventional warfare', with the direct intent of producing policy recommendations for NATO governments.
However, many of the participants in the project felt that civil-military was too narrow a descriptor for the topic of discussion. Others believed that civil-military relations carried a very specific connotation. For this reason the project was renamed in the Cups Operations Project (COP). This term, which harkens back to RUSI earlier research in this area, is more analytical and carries less baggage. It also accurately reflects the different points of transition in current military operations:
- The points of transition within the cycle of conflict;
- The transitions between institutional capabilities and areas of responsibility;
- The transitions between familiar military conceptual and doctrinal constructs;
- The points of transition between categories of strategic challenge;
- The points of transition between strategic, operational and ‘virtual’ levels of action
Related COP Publications
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Programme Report
Comparative Perspectives on Civil-Military Relations in Conflict Zones
RUSI Analysis
Links to RUSI publications are available to the right.
Summary of Civil-Military Project Workshop I (May 24-25)
Summary of Civil-Military Project Workshop II
Summary of Civil-Military Project Workshop III
Capabilities and Assets for Civil-Military Projects in Afghanistan
Official Documents
NATO Civil-Military Co-operation (CIMIC) Doctrine
NATO
NATO Military Policy on Civil-Military Co-operation
NATO International Military Staff
The DCDC Global Strategic Trends Programme
UK Ministry of Defence
Joint Doctrine Publication 3-90: Civil-Military Co-Operation
UK Ministry of Defence
The Comprehensive Approach: Joint Discussion Note
UK Ministry of Defence
Military Support for Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction (SSTR) Operations (Directive 3000.5)
US Department of Defense
Mananagement of Interagency Efforts Concerning Reconstruction and Stabilization (Directive NSPD-44)
The White House
NGO Documents
The ICRC and Civil-Military Cooperation in Situations of Armed Conflict
Jean-Daniel Tauxe
Security on the Cheap: PRTs in Afghanistan
Larry Thompson and Michelle Brown
Provincial Reconstruction Teams and Humanitarian–Military Relations in Afghanistan
Save the Children UK
Independent Analysis
A Holistic Approach to the War on Terror?
Michael Aaronson
Counter Terrorism Seminar (November, 2005)
Civil-Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence
Gender and Civil-Military Relations: Moving Towards Inclusion?
Civil-Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence
NATO Provincial Reconstruction Teams: ISAF PRT operations in Afghanistan and the implications and consequences for civil-military relations
Civil-Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence
Partners Apart: Managing Civil-Military Co-operation in Humanitarian Interventions
Catriona Gourlay
PRTs in Afghanistan: Successful but not Sufficient
Peter Viggo Jakobsen
NATO Comprehensive Civil-Military Interaction
Paul LaRose-Edwards
NATO as a Trusted Partner in Civil-Military Interaction
Paul LaRose-Edwards
Civil-Military Cooperation in Multinational and Interagency Operations
Kristin M Haugevik and Benjamin de Carvalho
The Evolution of Canadian Civil-Military Cooperation
Graham M Longhurst
Stabilization and Reconstruction in Afghanistan: Are PRTs a Model or a Muddle?
Michael J McNerney
Civil-Military Cooperation in Peace Operations: The Case of Kosovo
Thomas R Mockaitis
How Should NATO Handle Stabilisation Operations and Reconstruction Efforts?
C Richard Nelson
The U.S. Experience with Provincial Reconstruction Teams in Afghanistan
Robert M Perito
Civil-Military Cooperation: A New Tool for Peacekeepers
Sean Pollick
Aid During Conflict: Interaction Between Military and Civilian Assistance
RAND Corporation
The Beginner’s Guide to Nation-Building
RAND Corporation
Civil-Military Relations in Afghanistan: The Provincial Reconstruction Team Debate
Mark Sedrai
Coalition Stability Operations Project: A Working Paper
US Center for Research and Education on Strategy and Technology
Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Afghanistan: Filling the Gaps in Peacebuilding
Yuji Uesugi
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