Integrated Civilian-Military Action Group Established at

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 003195 DEPT FOR SCA/A, SCA/FO, S/CRS, EUR/RPM STATE PASS TO AID FOR ASIA/SCAA OSD FOR WILKES NSC FOR WOOD AGRICULTURE FOR EATON CENTCOM FOR CG CSTC-A, CG CJTF-101 POLAD SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ETRD EFIN AF MOPS KDEM PINS KCRS SUBJECT: Integrated Civilian-Military Action Group Established at Embassy Kabul ¶1. (SBU) Summary. Embassy Kabul has established an Integrated Civilian-Military Action Group (ICMAG) to begin a rigorous, systematic effort to better align the respective actions of USG agencies across the civilian and military lines of operation. This decision builds on efforts over the last year to improve coordination between the Embassy, USAID and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (CJTF-82 and subsequently CJTF-101),as well as the S/CRS-facilitated integrated civilian-military planning effort throughout Regional Command-East (completed in October 2008). The ICMAG ultimately reports to the U.S. Ambassador and Commander U.S. Forces-Afghanistan, reporting through and taking direction from the Executive Working Group (EWG),a body comprised of senior decision-makers representing Embassy Kabul and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan. The EWG's mission is to unify USG efforts in Afghanistan through coordinated planning and execution. As the planning and action staff of the EWG, the ICMAG will support USG decision-makers to facilitate unity of effort and help translate national-level strategic guidance into operational guidance for implementation in the field. The ICMAG will focus initially on sustaining integrated planning in RC-East and building collaboration by all key USG organizations on three sub-national initiatives: Nangarhar Inc. (expanding economic opportunity and employment in Afghanistan's eastern region),comprehensive Focused District Development (synchronizing development and governance activities with training of Afghan police forces in high priority districts), and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan's (UNAMA) district mapping effort (working with the government of Afghanistan to identify district strategies for governance, development and security in critical areas). End summary. STAFFING AND OVERSIGHT -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The ICMAG is staffed by representatives of the Department of State, USAID, and U.S. Forces-Afghanistan with full support and reach-back to their agencies. The ICMAG works under the aegis of the DCM and the Military Advisor to the Ambassador and supports the decision-making of the Executive Working Group (EWG). The EWG is comprised of the DCM, USFOR-A Director Pol-Mil Affairs, USAID Mission Director, RC-East Deputy Commanding General-Support, CSTC-A Deputy Commanding General-Programs, and RC-South Deputy Commanding General-Stability. Its mission is to unify USG efforts in Afghanistan through coordinated planning and execution under overall guidance of the U.S. Ambassador and Commander U.S. Forces-Afghanistan (CDRUSFOR-A). The EWG is empowered by the participating organizations to engage in USG coordinated planning and execution, provide guidance that synchronizes civilian and military efforts, convene interagency groups as appropriate, monitor and assess implementation and impact of integrated efforts, inform strategic documents, and recommend course changes to achieve USG goals in support of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (GIRoA) and stability in Afghanistan. The EWG may also raise issues for decision to Ambassador Wood and CDRUSFOR-A General McKiernan. MANDATE -------------- ¶3. (SBU) The ICMAG's mandate is to support the EWG's integration of civilian and military actions to improve unity of effort along four lines of operations - security, governance, development, and information. The ICMAG works with all key stakeholders to link strategy with geography, identifying critical areas where the USG can create transformative effects. It also coordinates with technical sector working groups - such as the Governance Policy Group, the Economic Policy Group, and the Special Committee on Rule of Law, among others - so that their strategies are linked and mutually reinforcing to achieve local effects. ¶4. (SBU) The ICMAG collects information from across the USG interagency on what is being achieved on the ground and conveys this information to the EWG in periodic, geographically focused assessment briefs. The assessments include recommendations for KABUL 00003195 002 OF 002 changes to plans and programs to respond to shifting dynamics and to seize windows of opportunity. The ICMAG shares information across participating organizations to inform the development of strategic planning and budget documents, such as the Mission Strategic Plan, USAID strategies and programs, military campaign plans and operations orders, and supplemental requests. The ICMAG also identifies friction points or diverging efforts and makes recommendations to the organizations and the EWG on ways to realign programs. RESPONSIBILITIES -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The EWG has established the ICMAG as the designated interagency body to execute the EWG's assessment, planning and coordination responsibilities: to lead the process to develop integrated USG national, regional, provincial and district support plans and facilitate regional updates based on these plans for EWG review; to review and evaluate USG national, regional and provincial plans across all lines of operation, identify gaps and shortcomings, recommend mechanisms to address gaps and raise issues to the EWG for decision; to call for and collect information from all U.S. Embassy agencies and USFOR-A to maintain a "common operating picture" for security, development, governance and information efforts; to inform strategic planning and budget development; to organize and facilitate working groups and sub-working groups as required; to inform and disseminate EWG guidance (including revised Integrated Guidance); and to develop and support use of shared regional assessment, monitoring and metrics templates for the EWG. FIRST STEPS AND COMPLEMENTARY EFFORTS -------------- ¶6. (SBU) The ICMAG was officially stood up on November 16, 2008. The ICMAG has started with a small core group representing each of the U.S. players involved in RC-East. As this effort moves forward, and demonstrates value-added through the translation of national-level strategic guidance into operational guidance for implementation in the field, it is anticipated that the ICMAG may grow, both in size and in geographic responsibility. The ICMAG's work will also complement the efforts of recent USG assessments for Afghanistan. Embassy Kabul expects the ICMAG to model and further develop best practices for civilian-military integration and joint action. ¶7. (SBU) The ICMAG is focusing initially on sustaining integrated U.S. planning in RC-East and supporting interagency problem-solving. The ICMAG has facilitated a collaborative process to inform the new campaign plan for RC-East and has developed a framework for implementing rule of law at each regional level. In November, the ICMAG led the launch of a new approach for Nangarhar Inc. with all key partners. The team is currently piloting collaboration in a critical ring road district to ensure that development, government and economic growth activities are fully synchronized with police training and security efforts. The ICMAG has also worked with UNAMA on its district mapping effort, ensuring that this process benefits from USG provincial planning and the intensive work of USG actors on the ground. The ICMAG will continue to work closely with ISAF, UNAMA, and GIRoA on this effort. WOOD