Stabilization and Reconstruction Staffing - RAND Corporation

36 Stabilization and Reconstruction Staffing: Developing U.S. Civilian PersonnelExperience Level. Similar to professional and technical-area qualifications,experience level is critical to making proper recommendationsto senior policymakers and performing staff functions withoutmuch oversight—critical in fast-moving, fluid situations encounteredin SSTR operations. Again, based on the authors’ observations, therewere many inexperienced people either in senior positions or acting asadvisors on key topics to senior policymakers at the CPA in Baghdad.While dedicated and capable, they simply did not have the experienceto understand the situations they faced or the skill to make thingshappen. Additionally, in many cultures (such as those in the MiddleEast), age, seniority, and gender indicate gravitas and importance.Young, inexperienced people in senior jobs are not taken seriously or,worse, are perceived as showing a lack of seriousness on the part of theUnited States. While cultural sensitivities need not dictate U.S. staffingprocedures, the staffing choices have consequences that policymakersneed to consider.Area Expertise. Not everyone on a SSTR staff needs to be anexpert in the area of the world in which the SSTR operation is takingplace, but those in key positions should be, or should be advised bypeople with these skills. Without area experts, it is difficult to safelyand successfully operate, and to make the kind of decisions needed forsuccess. The ability to work well with the indigenous leadership is, insome cases, fleeting and can deteriorate quickly if things are not carriedout well from the start. Having area expertise in key advisory, policymaking,and operational billets is essential.However, not all staff members need to be area experts. Requiringarea experts for too many billets reduces the population of peoplewho can fill them, thus creating potential recruiting problems for thefirst and subsequent rotations. 6 Furthermore, for a country such asthe United States, which has global-security and humanitarian interests,the number of area experts required to fill all areas of interest6 In a well-planned operation, personnel identified for deployment on subsequent rotationsmay have time to train sufficiently to develop a reasonable level of expertise (e.g., cultural andhistorical studies, familiarizing themselves with relevant issues). Those on a first or secondrotation would almost surely not have time to develop language skills from scratch, unlessenrolled in an immersion program.