DNG Critical Deployment Training

Critical Deployment Training | © 2014 de novo group inc.

Real Conflict Experience Real Conflict Insight

Critical Deployment Training Powered by de novo group

Critical Deployment Training was born of necessity. Today’s global conflict landscape

presents new forms of challenge to international commercial and government operations. Navigating these threats and opportunities requires real experience and real

insight into the nature of modern conflict dynamics, combatant groups, and their motivations.

de novo group offers a spectrum of services to prepare leaders and personnel of

commercial and government entities to understand, navigate, and survive the challenges posed by today’s conflict-affected environments.

de novo group’s team of experts is a truly unique collective that includes conflict

experts, successful negotiators, former ambassadors, former military commanders, and experts in extractive industry regulations and risk.


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CRITICAL DEPLOYMENT TRAINING OVERVIEW de novo group [DNG] tailors training modules to suit the objectives of clients, the needs of their personnel, and the requirements of specific deployments. With expertise and knowledge gained from decades of fieldwork and study, DNG can assist clients to prepare to deploy to field missions throughout the world. The DNG catalogue of services consists of six fundamental elements:

1) Understanding local government and sub-national governance 2) Developing cross cultural competency 3) Conflict prevention and management 4) Humanitarian and disaster relief 5) Inter-agency operations 6) Self-care.

We combine know-how with know-why. Our training programs are three to ten days in duration, and consist of practical, hands-on exercises, and classroom training. de novo group will make sample training-modules available to clients upon request. Formal inquiries must include completion of a short questionnaire to ensure the training materials sent align with client needs.

For more on de novo group and our outstanding roster of associates, please visit:

www.dnginternational.com Washington (571) 215 5293 | Calgary (403) 461 6499


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CRITICAL DEPLOYMENT TRAINING AND SUPPORT

1. Understanding the political context 2. Cross-cultural training 3. Conflict prevention and management 4. Humanitarian and disaster relief 5. Inter-agency operations 6. Self-care

Understanding the political context (adapted to specific deployment areas) • Many missions have failed because of an inability to understand local political

actors, and the limitations imposed by historical experience, or to see the particular ways in which specific political risks and potentialities offer opportunities to affect positive change. For those working at the sub-national level, it is important to understand how international, national, sub-national and local political influences affect the flow of events on the ground.

Understanding the political context: between risk and opportunity • All interventions, whether military or humanitarian, take place in political contexts

that must be understood to produce desirable outcomes. Conflict results from dysfunction at some level of social interaction, and can lead to destructive, debilitating outcomes. At the national level, conflict tends to degrade key government institutions. At the local level, particularly in developing nations, political relationships are often less formal and may be defined by feudal, clan or personal loyalties that seem to defy all attempts to develop a workable institution. Politics and culture are intimately linked, and while there is value in considering them separately, it is useful to approach them in tandem to better delineate key vectors of intervention. Politics is often described as being about the exercise of power, but it is also about consent. It is essential to understand how consent is defined within the domain of politics, and to evaluate its functional relationship with power.

• A key start point is to map out existing power relationships at national, sub-national

and local levels, including the development of personality profiles and identification of lines of communication among the various players within and between each level.

• It is crucial to understand the prevailing political culture in each context and to

attempt to grasp how this affects political behavior. Describing the existing standards of political and moral behavior will allow intervention forces to anticipate problems and to direct support to those national leaders who seem most likely to provide stability and order because they operate within the bounds of community values.


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• Political behavior in a given context is usually determined by common conceptions of justice. Some political contexts are oriented around core notions of honor while others are bound by more material concerns.

• DNG associates will develop an understanding of these and other relevant issues

through a series of lectures/discussions and exercises built around particular cases and adapted to the specific context of deployment.


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Understanding the political context: workshop modules Objective The aim of this learning activity is to develop a capacity to identify political dysfunctions in target environments and to understand the political importance and relevance of particular technical interventions. Modules: 1) Mapping (international, national, sub-national and local)

a. Identifying existing political relationships. b. Identifying key figures and personalities. c. Identifying key external factors and influences. d. Identifying power brokers and influential groups. e. Identifying salient cultural influences on political processes. f. Identifying vectors of political consent.

2) Developing descriptions of a political process

a. Analysis of maps. b. Analysis of historical incidents. c. Analysis of present functions/dysfunctions. d. Analysis of intervener capacities.

3) Developing strategies appropriate to different levels of intervention

a. Identifying risks and defining relevant operational rules. b. Identifying possibilities and developing appropriate strategies. c. Developing appropriate plans. d. Developing coordination approaches.

4) Integrating theory and practice

a. Group role-play exercises. b. Monitoring, evaluating and coaching. c. Analysis and feedback.


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1. Understanding local government and sub-national governance 2. Cross-cultural training 3. Conflict prevention and management 4. Humanitarian and disaster relief 5. Inter-agency operations 6. Self-care

Cross cultural training Culture may be defined as “the total of the inherited ideas, beliefs, values and knowledge which constitute the shared bases of social action.” Some experts have maintained that the ability to understand another culture comes at the point where one is able to translate its poetry, to understand its metaphors and to interpret its moral standards sympathetically. This requires the ability to grasp the relative importance attached by a culture to actions, signals and events – to interpret symbols used in the culture. A core requirement is to consider the historical experience of the culture, and to the extent possible, to read the world through the “other’s” eyes. Given the current dominance of Western culture, due largely to mass entertainment and web-based communication, it is often difficult for westerners to develop the kind of empathy needed to read other cultures successfully. To do so requires careful observation and imagination. Rather than trying to achieve objectivity, cross-cultural training aims at helping learners see the relationship between their own culture and the culture of the deployment area. Cross-cultural training: Reading the symbols of other cultures

• The purpose of developing a capacity for cross-cultural sensitivity is to enable practitioners to avoid either giving offence or misreading important messages. To some extent, this is merely a matter of learning what to look for and what particular taboos should be observed (and respected) within a particular deployment area. While it would be difficult to reach a high level of proficiency at this skill set without years of guided experience, all of us have learned how to deal with challenges resulting from our own histories of living within complex and changing environments and thus all of us have at least some capacity to rise to this challenge.

• Analysis of key cultural markers within the deployment area will help practitioners

to recognize and discriminate between messages contained in the speech and actions of another culture. These can usually be found in anthropological reviews as well as through careful reading of media reports or literature. A host culture’s interpretation of history is a good guide to understanding how it might interpret current events.


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• Cross-cultural communication requires an understanding of the ways in which our

own culture is interpreted by another culture. This often can be found in literature or films produced within the other culture.

• Interpretation and analysis of past incidents should assist the practitioner to

develop enhanced capacity to anticipate and understand reactions to his/her actions or pronouncements.

Cross-cultural training: workshop modules Objective The aim of this training is to enable the practitioner to recognize key attributes of cultural behavior within the deployment area and to avoid making mistakes with adverse political or social consequences. Modules: 1) Learning to listen and observe

a) Considering and interpreting historical narratives. b) Mapping cultural beliefs and their roots. c) Listening to local narratives. d) Considering cultural differences. e) Recognizing salient norms of behavior.

2) Learning to speak and act with discretion

a) Rehearsing cross-cultural interactions. b) Avoiding social gaffes, interpreting signals. c) Developing cultural sensitivity. d) Considering potential strategies from a cross cultural perspective.

3) Recognizing and addressing cross-cultural communications issues

a) Role play: Emotional contagion, emotional flooding and reciprocation as cultural considerations.

b) Manage attribution error through identifying common experiences, beliefs and values.

c) The individualism – collectivism spectrum: where do you fit in? d) Negotiation in cross-cultural situations: When a nod doesn’t mean yes. e) Home Office/Headquarters and the field: executive, engineer and operator

cultures in the workplace. 4) Power perceptions: inequality, saving face, deindividuation and motivation versus

manipulation.


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1. Understanding local government and sub-national governance 2. Cross-cultural training 3. Conflict prevention and management 4. Humanitarian and disaster relief 5. Inter-agency operations 6. Self-care

Conflict prevention and management: Your competitive advantage • Conflict and dispute resolution are vital components of any agency’s strategy for

success in the field. Cooperative ventures and globalization increasingly require organizations to be aligned for common objectives. The need for an organization to work with other agencies within complex and potentially unsafe conditions demands a thorough understanding of diverse perspectives and how other cultures, agencies and groups perceive and react to conflict situations.

• Specific areas of concern in high risk environments include conflict over deeply held

values, cultural traditions, and situations where decision-making based on ethical judgments is the norm. In new and stressful environments, even small misunderstandings or mishandled communications may profoundly and negatively affect interactions.

• Areas in which exceptional core conflict management and resolution skills add to an

agency's competitive advantage include creating an environment for collaborative decision making, and promoting innovative thinking, enhanced learning and increased trust. These are all vital components of effective operability in high-risk environments.

• Additional and often overlooked areas in which improved conflict management skills

add to an effective organization include reductions in employee "burnout," reduced time and resources wasted on inter-personal and group conflict issues and improved analysis of the differences between personal and practical/fundamental conflict matters.

• de novo group associates will present these topics at three levels: conceptual

understanding, self-assessment and practical application. Workshop duration and content are tailored to suit the specific demands of an agency's mission and area of deployment.


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Conflict prevention and management: workshop modules Objective Participants will acquire a deeper understanding of conflict, its causes, and an awareness of self-in-conflict. In workshops varying in length from three or five days, participants will examine and practice conflict management techniques, and gain a broader understanding of how to deal with and resolve conflicts in different contexts. Modules: 1) Defining conflict

a) Definitions of conflict. b) Emergence of conflict. c) Interpersonal. d) Inter- and Intra- organizational. e) Systems.

2) Conflict areas

a) Power. b) Culture. c) Values and ethics. d) Structure. e) Social media.

3) Defusing conflict

a) Inter-personal skills. b) Situational awareness. c) Understanding perspective. d) Formal versus informal methods of resolution.

4) Integrating theory into practice

a) One-on-one work. b) Small groups. c) Analysis and feedback.


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1. Understanding local government and sub-national governance 2. Cross-cultural training 3. Conflict prevention and management 4. Humanitarian and disaster relief 5. Inter-agency operation 6. Self-care

Humanitarian and disaster relief • Humanitarian assistance missions are coordinated efforts that provide aid and

assistance in conflict and post-conflict areas, as well as in areas of post-natural disasters. These missions are designed to save lives, alleviate suffering, provide life saving resources and protect human dignity during a crisis.

• Humanitarian assistance should be autonomous from the political, economic, military

or other objectives that any actor may hold with regard to areas where humanitarian action is being implemented.

• These services are delivered via direct assistance (face-to-face distribution of goods

and services), indirect assistance (a step removed from the population, such as transporting relief goods or relief personnel), and infrastructure support (road repair, medical facilities, power generation, etc.) that can facilitate relief operations.

• Humanitarian organizations include the Red Cross, World Food Program, World

Health Organization, Doctors Without Borders, etc. Some are Non Governmental Organizations and some are International Organizations or humanitarian organizations depending on their mandate and funding.

• In the aid and humanitarian community, civil-military coordination refers to

negotiations, agreements, and information sharing between civilian aid and humanitarian organizations and the military.


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Humanitarian and disaster relief: workshop modules Objective Participants will develop an understanding of the challenges, limits and constraints of humanitarian interventions along with an enhanced appreciation of the need for political involvement in those situations that demand more than purely technical measures. Participants will also learn to identify potential areas of strategic collaboration and an appreciation of the differences in organizational cultures and behaviors that present challenges. Ultimately, participants should learn strategies and methods to analyze complex and cluttered fields of intervention and ways to achieve successful outcomes effective negotiating approaches. Modules: 1) Legitimizing differences

a) Techniques to develop acknowledgement and understanding of the legitimacy of alternate perspectives/ways of operating.

b) Organizational structure and culture: perspectives on funding, mandates, media and politics.

2) Understanding military culture

a) Task first, trust later, or trust first, task later? Assessing working relationships. b) High context vs. low context cultures. c) In-group knowledge and assumptions.

3) Building mutual understanding

a) Conversations around alternate perspectives on values/ethics based issues. b) Defining success, methods and time frames: groundwork for successful

engagement. 4) Constructive engagement

a) Engaging with alternate perspectives: Cooperation, coordination, collaboration or compliance?

b) Negotiation: resources, influence and information.

5) Situational awareness a) Operating in a 21st century security environment. b) Understanding the scope of actors in the environment. c) Strategic thinking in complex humanitarian emergency environments. d) Home Office-Field relationships.


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1. Understanding local government and sub-national governance 2. Cross cultural training 3. Conflict prevention and management 4. Humanitarian and disaster relief 5. Inter-agency operations 6. Self-care

Interagency Strategic Mission: • Primary platform for implementing de novo training and programs in order to support

the legitimacy and authority of host nation governance at the local, district and provincial levels.

• Instruction includes fostering relationships with governments, international

organizations as well as local and international NGOs operating in the country. • dng provides a platform to organizations enabling them to identify grievances and

issues allowing them to identify solutions using an interagency platform. • Instruction provides the nexus for unity of effort between all agencies involved,

thereby reducing duplication of effort. • Work closely with local leaders and elected officials in order to:

• Develop capacity in governance, services, and security; • Promote transparency and accountability; and • Help officials implement a national development strategy.

• Support and advance capacity building of the government to deliver governance and

services to the local population and thereby promote stability.


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Inter-agency Operations: workshop modules Objective: Interagency operations help merge coordinated efforts between military and civilian operations, which involve many organizations. Military, non-governmental organizations, international organizations as well as the local civilian government all work together to increase stability and increase coordination between all agencies involved, all while providing assistance to life sustaining needs of the civilian population and promote expertise in civil sector functions. Getting this right is critical to overall Mission success and requires a number of important capacities and skills. Modules: 1) Working with organizations supporting different priorities

a) Government: Administration, education and health. b) Public facilities: Communications, transport and utilities. c) Economics: Economic development, food and agriculture. d) Special functions: Cultural relations, emergency operations and information.

2) Interagency skill sets

a) Interpersonal skills. b) Conceptual skills. c) Technical skills. d) Analytical skills.

3) Operational assessment

a) Political landscape. b) Military operations. c) Economic conditions. d) Security issues. e) Local infrastructure. f) Information.

4) Interagency operations

a) Mapping actor capacities, methods and objectives. b) Detect problem areas and develop ideas. c) Coordinate interagency working groups. d) Planning and project implementation. e) Evaluating results and measures of effectiveness.


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CRITICAL DEPLOYMENT TRAINING AND SUPPORT PRE-DEPLOYMENT TRAINING AND SUPPORT

1. Understanding local government and sub-national governance 2. Cross cultural training 3. Conflict prevention and management 4. Humanitarian and disaster relief 5. Inter-agency operations 6. Self-care

Self-care

• Deployment can be traumatic for a number of reasons. For some, the actions they may be required to carry out will leave them feeling inadequate or guilty. For others, the sheer physical strain may be enough to overwhelm their resistance to emotional and medical shocks. The list of factors that will make particular deployments difficult can be very long. However, experience has shown that the risk of burning out or suffering some form of PTSD can be reduced by good preparation that addresses a number of issues loosely grouped under the heading of “self-care.” It is incumbent on all who deploy to do their utmost to keep fit to serve and to ensure that they re-deploy home ready to face the difficulties of re-adapting to life away from the front lines.

• Preparation for deployment should include an attempt to anticipate the kinds of

challenges one will face in the field and to consider ways to mitigate risks of short and long-term negative effects. This entails imagining, discussing and rehearsing possible scenarios that will stress individual participants.

• Some experiences endured during deployment do not become problems until one

goes home. Pre-deployment preparation should include imagining, discussing and rehearsing some of the key challenges that must be faced at home.

• Many challenges can be managed through peer networks or mentorship, both

while in-theatre and after returning home. Strategies to establish and maintain these networks need to be considered, evaluated and established.


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Self-care workshop Modules Objective: The aim here is to anticipate operational stress challenges and develop strategies to address these challenges. Ideally, participants should deploy with increased confidence in their ability to withstand operational stress both during and after their deployment. Modules: 1) Operational stress analysis

a) Identifying stressors. b) Identifying strengths and weaknesses. c) Identifying sources of mitigation/remediation.

2) Preparing defensive strategies for operational stress

a) Managing expectations (self and others). b) Dealing with emotional and physical stress. c) Developing personal strategies.

3) Practical exercises

a) Incident based role-play. b) Post-incident analysis. c) Feedback and discussion.

For more on de novo group and our outstanding roster of experts, please visit:

www.dnginternational.com

DNG Critical Deployment Training

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