PADM 5450 – International Public and NGO Management
Professor John Mathiason
Results-Based Management Analysis:
North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
DEFENSE EDUCATION ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM (DEEP)
Bauyrzhan Aigarinov
11/10/2018
Table of Contents
I. Introduction……………………………………………………….………………………….4
II. Program Background…………………………………………………………………………5
III. Analysis & LogFrame…………………..…………………………………………………….6
IV. Conclusion & Recommendation……..…………………………………………………….10
V. Bibliography……………………………………………..………………………………….11
ACRONYMS
NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organization
DEEP: Defense Education Enhancement Program
PFP: Partnership for Peace Program
KAZ NDU: Kazakhstan National Defense University
KAZCENT: Kazakhstan Educational Center
PME: Professional Military Education
NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer
MOD: Ministry of Defense
RBM: Result Based Management
Introduction
This report will provide a results-based management analysis of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Defense Education Enhancement Program (DEEP) which is an initiative to provide practical support to countries to develop and reform their professional military education institutions. DEEP aimed to familiarize NATO partners with Western teaching methodology and military education delivery/design/implementation and to develop interoperability with the U.S. Armed Forces. Based on the priority areas identified by the host institution, DEEP provides a framework for coordinating expert teams that assist in building capacity. The following Reference Curricula serve as a guide for these efforts: Defense Institution Building Professional Military Education for Officers Professional Military Education for Non-Commissioned Officers Cyber Security. The main focus of the program is on creating capacity through defense education with three pillars: a) Peer-to-peer Mentoring; b) Curriculum Development (What to Teach); and c) Faculty Development (How to Teach). Currently DEEP program is actively collaborating with fourteen countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Georgia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mauritania, Macedonia, Moldova, Serbia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The program is on hold in Iraq because of the security situation. Also, the program has been successfully completed in Mongolia and Croatia. DEEP is funded by NATO civil budget and relies on voluntary contributions from partners and allies.
Throughout this report, DEEP program’s mission and goals will be examined and its approach will be analyzed. DEEP did not have a logical framework for this report. Therefore, its framework was created based on available information.
PROGRAM BACKGROUND
NATO was created by the United States in 1949 to provide security for member countries from Soviet aggression. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 the United States and NATO had to figure out how to deal with new independent countries who used to be a part of military alliance with former Soviet Union. Since Russia’s nuclear capability was still a threat for the US, former Soviet countries particularly those who were close to Russian boarders were unable for military cooperation with NATO. In 1994 the launch of NATO’s Partnership for Peace Program (PFP) partially solved the issue and opened the door for cooperation. As a result, in 2007 after several agreements which led to reforms in NATO, the Defense Education Enhancement Program was launched by NATO and PFP.
According to DEEP program rules, in order to become a participant of DEEP the first step must be taken from individual countries in the form of a request. Once the request is received DEEP assessment team visits a host country and identifies the scope of potential program. On the bases of the assessment DEEP creates an action plan with a three-year duration. After the approval of the action plan and its financial aspects from the partner country, DEEP experts begin their assistance in development of defense education institutions.
Kazakhstan was the first country where DEEP program has been initiated. It is one of DEEP’s most effective partner nation efforts. The Office of the Secretary of Defense and NATO provided support for the enhancement of the curriculum of the National Defense University (KAZ NDU – war college, staff college, PhD program), and the Peace- keeping Training and Education Centre, known as KAZCENT. Specific support was provided to KAZCENT for development of two courses on peacekeeping. DEEP for the KAZ NDU has made significant progress in all desired faculty and major curriculum development areas over time.
ANALYSIS
DEEP programs generally measure progress through monitoring partner nation advancements such as: a) creation of a new, modern academic institution within its professional military education system; b) inclusion of modern subject matter in existing course curricula; c) adoption of modern teaching methodologies by Professional Military Education (PME) faculties, and d) adoption of Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) education programs. DEEP program components are directly related to NATO/U.S. strategic goals for relations with partner countries through NATO and partners' partnership cooperation programs (Individual Partnership Action Plans, Annual National Programs, and Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programs). DEEP objectives are identified, measured and amended through written requests of partner Ministry of Defense (MOD) to NATO, and progress is captured in the assessment of these programs. Output metrics focus on the number and quality of events while outcome metrics look to see whether partners adopted modern PME standards and other related outcomes.
Overall Objective
The overall objective of DEEP program states: “Support defense education institutions (war college, staff college, military academy, NCO) for faculty development (how to teach) and curriculum development (what to teach) and tailor materials to meet individual Partner defense education requirements”.
According to Result Based Management (RBM) strategy, overall objectives must specify an observable end-state and be in measurable terms. DEEP’s objective above, however, neither has measurable terms nor an observable end-state. Admittedly, it is difficult foresee a definite end-state because when the program is being implemented it is highly-likely that experts from host countries begin to contribute to DEEP’s work which makes it difficult to reach an end-state. Kazakhstan is a compelling example of this. DEEP program has been successfully working there since 2007. Additionally, the overall objective also lacks a time frame. As mentioned previously, DEEP creates a-three-year-duration action plan, therefore a time frame for the overall objective will be three years. Considering the comments above, the overall objective is suggested to revise to: “By the end of a three-year period, to have modern faculty and curriculum in defense education institutions reflective of Western and NATO standards, and to have tailored materials into effective use in accordance with host nation’s defense education requirements”.
Specific Objective 1
The first specific objective for DEEP program is as follows: “Assist in the development of curricula to meet the specific needs of member nations”.
Stated in this way, the objective fails to mention several key factors on the basis of which it could be evaluated, such as a time frame and a measurable term. Therefore, the specific objective would have been much more convincing if it explicitly stated that “By the end of a three-year period, to have modern academic institutions and curricula which meet the specific needs of member nations”.
Outputs, Outcomes and Performance Indicators for Specific Objective 1
Output Outcome Performance Indicator
Adoption of modern PME academic structures and degree requirements by partner countries that result in modern academic institutions.
-Creation of new academic institutions and/or separation of functions (pre- commissioning schools, war college, staff college)
-Number of new degree programs created
-Number of types of new degree programs created
-Number of new academic institutions
-Number of separated courses undergoing accreditation/validation
Partner country inclusion of modern subject matter into course curricula, to include development of entirely new courses.
-Courses or programs of host nation institutions that apply DEE Reference Curriculum or NCO Reference Curriculum -Number of courses or programs of host nation institutions that apply DEEP Reference Curriculum or NCO Reference Curriculum
Adoption and development of non-commissioned officer (NCO) education
-New NCO academic education/ training institutions with lessons or courses reflective of DEEP curriculum development events -Number of new NCO academic education/training institutions and lessons or courses reflective of DEEP curriculum development events
Specific Objective 2
The second specific objective of DEEP program is as follows: “To promote learner-centered education by teaching methods that match best practices in use in Euro- Atlantic defense education and training institutions”.
This specific objective, however, provides little credible support for the overall objective in several critical respects and raises several skeptical questions such as where is a time frame? And where is a target group? In order to make it more specific, it is suggested to revise to: “By the end of a three-year period, to increase the adoption of learner-centric practices in host countries’ institutions by using best practices from Euro- Atlantic defense education and training institutions”.
Outputs, Outcomes and Performance Indicators for Specific Objective 2
Output Outcome Performance Indicator
Courses and programs reflective of NATO standards Courses and programs are in use in Defense Education Institutions -Number of programs and courses
Functioning learner-centric approaches to teaching
-Courses or programs of instruction that apply Bloom’s taxonomy, as evidenced by syllabi teaching objectives as well as occurrences of host nation NCO PME institution adoption of western teaching methodologies -Countries who are part of NCO reference curriculum efforts -Number of courses or programs
Participation of host nation educators in PFP Consortium programs -Having host nation educators (military or civilian) who provide expert services within DEEP -Number of educators
-Number of Workshops
Specific Objective 3
Finally, the third specific objective of DEEP program states: “To put Western-based military and security experts into constant contact with hosting nations”.
The above statement does not provide any clear correlation between two crucial aspects which specific objectives must contain. Firstly, it is not in measurable terms. Secondly, it does not have established a time frame. Thus, the third specific objective is suggested to revise to: “By the end of a three-year period, to have effective collaboration between Western-based military experts and hosting nations”
Outputs, Outcomes and Performance Indicators for Specific Objective 3
Output Outcome Performance Indicator
High-level support for DEEP from host nation authorities Occurrences when higher level authorities (Minister, Chief of Defense, etc.) request or approve host nation participation in DEEP.
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Contribution to Alliance goals
– Meets criteria for intellectual interoperability set by NATO. -Contributes to engaging relationships with NATO partners -Reflects NATO interoperability goals
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