II. Fundamentals
2.1. NATO CIMIC
Civil-military cooperation. At the military-strategic, operational and tactical level, the Alliance ensures the efficient synchronization between the instruments of power by applying a comprehensive approach in which CIMIC plays a key role in synchronizing military and non-military activities by establishing liaison with relevant non-military actors and integrating the civil factors into the military understanding. CIMIC is defined as: “A military joint function that integrates the understanding of the civil factors of the operating environment, and that enables, facilitates and conducts civil-military interaction to support the accomplishment of missions and military strategic objectives in peacetime, crisis and conflict.”[1] CIMIC is an integral part of all NATO core tasks. Its principles and core activities apply to all campaign themes, types of operations, vigilance activities, and command levels.
Understanding of the operating environment. The operating environment is the context of a mission and includes all the elements, conditions, circumstances, and influences that affect a commander’s decision making. The operating environment can be seen as a global set of complex, dynamic and interrelated networks comprising political, military, economic, social, infrastructure and information (PMESII) systems, each exerting pressure and influence on the others. Understanding the nature and interaction of these systems as part of mission analysis - providing a comprehensive understanding of the operating environment - helps commanders to define their engagement space[2] and affects how they plan and conduct joint actions within this space. CIMIC contributes to a comprehensive understanding of the operating environment (CUOE )by identifying, assessing, and analysing civil factors.
Behaviour-centric approach and Comprehensive Approach
Introduction. The key tenets (principles) of NATO doctrine are: behaviour-centric approach; manoeuvrist approach; the comprehensive approach; and mission command, which together guide commanders’ thinking. CIMIC is fundamental in applying the comprehensive approach and the behaviour-centric approach.
These two approaches are defined as follows:
Behaviour-centric approach[3]. The behaviour-centric approach recognises that people, with their behaviour and attitudes are central for achieving the end state.For this reason, the behaviour-centric approach focuses on changing people’s attitudes and behaviour. It categorizes people and groups within audiences into:
1) Actors, who perform actions affecting the end state,
2) Stakeholders, who can affect or are affected by the attainment of the end state, and,
The public, which is aware of activities which may affect the end state.
All audiences have attitudes ranging from friendly through supportive, neutral, unsupportive to hostile. In addition, actors can be categorized as Alliance, partner, neutral, rival, adversary and enemy (see Fig. 1.1).
Figure 2.1 - Audiences in the operating environment[4]
For CIMIC, it is crucial to analyse the behaviour and attitude of non-military audiences (actors, stakeholders, and public) and to assess their potential to affect (positively and negatively) their own (military) capabilities, actions, effects, and objectives. CIMIC identifies relevant non-military actors and stakeholders and assesses how far they can be motivated to integrate or synchronize their capabilities, capacities and resources with own military operations and activities. Vice versa, it has to be assessed if military capabilities can contribute to the objectives of non-military actors relevant to the comprehensive approach. CIMIC aims to develop or maintain non-military actors' supportive attitudes towards NATO, ideally creating partnerships.
Comprehensive approach. NATO’s member nations' instruments of power include military, diplomacy, information and economic. A comprehensive approach combines all available political, military and civilian capabilities, in a concerted effort to attain the desired end state. The military instrument, upon tasking, will work towards the end state by pursuing military strategic objectives. However, the military instrument of power (MIoP) alone cannot achieve the end state. The comprehensive approach strives to optimize the synchronization of political, military and civilian capabilities.[5]
NATO CIMIC principles
Applying a comprehensive approach requires commanders, their headquarters, and forces to understand the motivations, culture, and principles of friendly, neutral, adverse, and potentially hostile non-military actors. In order to promote unity of purpose, they have to invest in building trust and relationships with friendly and neutral non-military actors based on cultural awareness, seeking common goals, and being transparent, open and consistent in their communication.
Leading principles for CIMIC are:
Sovereignty of HNs. Sovereignty is the right of a government to have complete control over its area. Foreign forces in NATO HNs must adhere to local guidelines and directions given by (local) government and military institutions. For example, before planning a staging area for a unit, the local government institutions should be consulted and asked for permission, usually through military-to-military liaison.
Civil primacy for non-military tasks. Civil primacy means that the civil government or civil services are first responsible for non-military tasks. For example, when a public road is unusable for military use, it is the responsibility of the authorities to do something about it. In case of a lack of road maintenance capability, the military might facilitate, support or completely make the road usable for military means after consultation with civil authorities.
Understanding of non-military actors and respecting their autonomy in decision-making. Especially knowing about their objectives and strategies as a part of accomplishing the mission is crucial. This understanding should include the objectives structures and mindset of both informal and formal actors.
Clear distinction between the role and function of military actors and non-military actors, especially those operating under humanitarian principles.
To prevent non-military actors from becoming targets, it is important to ensure a clear distinction between military and non-military actors. IOs and NGOs working under humanitarian principles, which are explained in the chapter relevant actors.
Proactive interaction with all relevant non-military actors, activities and operations active in the AOR is key to identifying capabilities contributing to the accomplishment of the mission. Commanders in particular must maintain continuous and effective communication with their correspondent non-military counterparts at local, regional, national and international levels.
Interaction based upon mutual respect, knowledge of respective roles, trust and transparency. Institutional understanding, credibility and reliability are key.
Levels of interaction with non-military actors
Relationships between military and non-military actors are formed and influenced by the autonomy of each actor and cannot be compared to military command and control authority; therefore, different levels of interaction apply. There is no common agreement on these terms; non-military actors may use them interchangeably or with different meanings. However, these descriptions are provided as a baseline for common understanding. Levels of interaction range from integration to coexistence:
Figure 2.1.1 – Level of Interaction
Integration can be described as the process of operating together to achieve a unified end state. Integration represents the maximum level of interaction between two actors, which implies working to plan and execute mutual actions within a common engagement space. For example, civil and military authorities form an integrated staff to plan and synchronize military and non-military activities to plan a military operation and mitigate the impact on civil society.
Cooperation is the process of acting together for mutual benefit. It involves working in harmony, side by side and implies an association between actors. Cooperation is a concept of interaction in which planning and activities are carried out jointly and/or in support of each other. Cooperation with other actors does not mean giving up authority and autonomy or becoming subordinated to the direction of others. For example, where Civil Defence staff personnel and Military Staff plan to work together through a form of liaison arrangements and plan a military operation and the evacuation of civilians together in one (or two simultaneous) planning processes so the activities.
Coordination is the process of bringing together different elements of a complex activity or organisation into an efficient relationship. Defined relationships may foster harmony and reduce friction among the participants. Coordination activities include exchanging information, agreeing on joint policies and actions, and harmonizing individual activities. An example of coordination is the UN Cluster Approach, in which stakeholders on different humanitarian topics come together to coordinate.
De-confliction is the process of avoiding undesirable interference among actors, especially where they perform the same function or occupy the same physical space. This could be done through liaison exchange or setting up meetings when an interfering actor is identified during the planning process. For example, a deconfliction with a non-military actor when freedom of movement is hindered through rerouting internally displaced person (IDP) movements.
Consultation seeks the opinion or advice of other actors, which may include the exchange of information and discussion.
Coexistence is the state or condition of existing at the same time or place. Two or more actors may be aware of each other’s presence but will not directly interact because there is no need to.
[1] NATO Agreed, 2022-08-04
[2] Engagement space: the part of the operating environment where actions and activities are planned and conducted (NATO Agreed, 2022-03-02).
[3] See Allied Joint Publication (AJP)-01(F) Allied Joint Doctrine 4.4 for more detail.
[4] See Allied Joint Publication (AJP)-01(F), Allied Joint Doctrine, Chapter 4.
[5] See Allied Joint Publication (AJP)-01(F) Allied Joint Doctrine 4.22- 4.24 for more detail.