Defence Forces Review 2010

Defence Forces Review 2010ConclusionA number of common threads emerge from the themes explored in this article, namelyboundaries, planning, finance, human resources and communication.Coordination between the military and relief partners, particularly NGOs, is often uneven anduncertain. NGOs can be difficult partners, especially for the military. There is a wide gap inorganisational culture, and NGOs are inhibited by their concern for neutrality and impartiality.Attempts to try to bridge, what are perceived to be cultural and operational disconnects, mayvery well dilute the consolidated product and service that an inter-agency effort delivers.A further theme explored is an incremental approach to planning, based on transparencybetween agencies and a continuous cross-fertilisation process of examining best practice andextending existing networks. NGOs also do not plan well, making cooperation before a crisisdifficult. There is an evident lack of mutual familiarity, and NGOs are often reluctant to shareinformation with the military.The mobilisation of finance has become a contentious issue. Donors prefer to fund emergencyactivities and are often reluctant to cover core costs necessary to strengthen organisationalcapacity and capability. As a result, the humanitarian organisation may be incapable ofeffective delivery of aid in a timely manner due to limiting factors in the distribution process.Earmarking funds specifically for the affected population can also lead to a lack of parts andservice support for the trucks and planes required to move material aid and lack of funding forun-allocatable costs such as headquarters expenses. By receiving funding to prepare and trainfor disasters the military can focus on physical and manpower resources, i.e. training, but thisis inherently lacking for humanitarian organisations.People remain the most critical asset both in the field and at headquarter level. Well thoughtout strategies for recruitment, retention and career planning therefore must be consideredpriority by humanitarian agencies, particularly towards their senior logistical managers. Lastly,communication and information sharing in this age of impressive technological sophisticationis absolutely vital for real-time activity to be responded to by real-time solutions.The barriers to better civil military coordination are numerous but not insurmountable.Indeed, during major operations, strongly motivated people in both camps usually find waysto surmount these barriers, but valuable time is lost inventing and reinventing these solutions.Relationships have improved in recent years, but considerable progress is necessary beforeboth sides can realise the advantages of improved cooperation.62