Civil Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence

From Culture to Advanced Cultural Competence

At CCOE the significance of culture to the military and to operations plays a prominent role, both within Concepts, Interoperability and Capabilities (CIC) as well as in Training and Education (T&E). CCOE, following academic anthropological models, likes to divide culture into five dimensions:

• Physical (land, water, environment)
• Economical (scarcity of resources)
• Social (class/gender/age)
• Political (division of power)
• Symbolical (beliefs/history)

As these five dimensions obviously are far too broad to be treated in full within the limited time and resources at CCOE’s disposal, we like to concentrate on certain aspects of these five dimensions with regard to their military relevance and in order to get them into an operational format, usable for deployed forces either in Headquarters or in the field. What we strive to achieve is to come to Advanced Cultural Competence (ACC) Advanced: because CCOE carefully selects certain aspects of culture and advance them over others. Cultural: At CCOE we believe that operations are both kinetic and non-kinetic and therefore operations are won not just by technology but certainly as much by:

• Creating alliances
• Reading intentions
• Building trust
• Converting opinions
• Manage perceptions
• Understanding people
• Understanding culture

Competence: to indicate that the level is advancing from awareness (low) via understanding (middle) to competence (high). Through Advanced Cultural Competence, CCOE aims for the level of operating competently within the Comprehensive Approach.

CCOE's Advanced Cultural Competence Model

ACC Docking Element

The support of societies in their movement from conflict to peace is a very demanding and complex challenge for anybody committing to it. As civil entities might have a head-start when compared to military entities, it is nevertheless absolutely necessary that military forces are able, willing and keen to participate.
These societies in focus demand for more attention and focus than the normal stereotypical situation analysis of military personnel. This stereotypical military situation analysis is not taking all the factors in consideration which need to be part of the equations.
To facilitate this holistic view for the military the CCOE designed the Advanced Cultural Competence Model (ACC). It incorporates all relevant sectors of any society, as well as all influence factors to this society, which the military forces need to understand and imply in their planning to lend the support needed.
ACC structures the society itself into five segments. These are the

1. Physical dimension: Here one has to think of land, mountains, potable water, rivers, the environment but also the mineral resources.
2. Economic dimension: produce, trade, ways of dealing with scarcity, but also aspects as entrepreneurial confidence and black market
3. Social dimension: the way any society defines and organizes its relationships: young vs. old; have vs. have-nots; male vs. female
4. Political dimension how a society has divided its power and organized its leadership.
5. Identity dimension with joint beliefs and history that helped to shape the identity of a culture/society

Each single one of these dimensions plays a vital part in the interaction of any society, sets its’ fundamental axioms as well depicts borders or development opportunities. Any frictions in these areas will create unrest ranging from irritation to aggression.
The CCOE aims for making this model transparent as well as understood. Resulting from that it is part of our program to publish easy guidelines for each single segment, if not covered in other publications or doctrines. The start has been made with “Gender makes sense”, covering parts of all five dimensions mentioned above. The publication you hold in your hands now explains the influence of one more aspect on all parts of societies rounding up the picture. In future ACC will be furthermore completed with publications on other issues.
Fostering and promoting understanding and apprehension of ACC will be assured by making understood the importance of most prominent influence-issues in each segment.

1. Ecosystems influence in the physical dimension
2. Entrepreneurial influence in the economical dimension
3. Gender influence in the social dimension
4. Good governance and Rule of Law influence in the political dimension
5. Cultural heritage Protection influence in the identity dimension.

Taking these crucial topics into a close look will enable military personnel to decipher easily the problems at hand. This is the prerequisite for holistic analysis of the situation in the area. Starting from here Alliance Forces will be able to decide on the right measures for most beneficial solving of problems. It is also the key to identify areas of common interest with civil partners in order to achieve cohesive solutions of an enduring character.
ACC is the gate to these conditions, thus, amongst others, enabling military forces to reach the desired end state, in close partnership with civil entities also committed to the efforts in the area of operation.

For further details on several of these aspects, please click on the relevant topic under ‘CCOE Scope’.

Participation

If you or your organisation would be interested in participating in the overall dialogue (sending a representative or providing inputs through other means) you are cordially invited to do so by approaching CCOE through the POC on the right.