Great Success, Excellent host and outstanding achievements Annual Discipline Conference (ADC) 2016
The NATO CIMIC/CMI Annual Discipline Conference (ADC) 2016 took place in Vienna, Austria 17-19 May 2016.
The audience existed of more than 50 representatives from the NATO Command Structure, multinational Headquarters, CCOE Sponsoring Nations, NATO Nations and Partner Nations.
The conference informed on the global programming process related to CIMIC Education, Individual and Collective Training. The ADC also provided a forum for the participants to address and discuss CIMIC & CMI topics. And finally it was (and is) the place to coordinate CIMIC instructor and Subject Matter Expert (SME) support to (NATO) CIMIC Courses and Exercises within the community. In doing so it shaped the Instructor Support Plan for 2017.
The conference highlighted that the CIMIC & CMI Education & Training Community of Interest supports each other with instructors for the CIMIC & CMI individual training. For 2017 the support of 97 instructors for 44 training opportunities was coordinated. That covers 91 % of the requests.
That’s a huge success!
The outcome of the conference can be defined in three key sentences;
- The CCOE priorities for CIMIC/CMI T&E have been reinforced according to the emerging challenges and evolving structures: responding to hybrid threats and addressing Very High Joint Task Force (VJTF) concept.
- The competence-based approach will be developed across the spectrum of training solutions.
- CIMIC should be the Subject Matter Expert (SME) of the grey zone – recognizing all of the factors linked to operational awareness.
Addressing the key CIMIC & CMI topics, the forum agreed on a prioritization of training objectives. In this order, NATO CIMIC & CMI training for 2017 should focus on;
- Protection of Civilians, the Comprehensive Approach
- Stability and Reconstruction
- Hybrid threats
- Security Force Assistance
- SOF operation (CA focused)
Picture: Break out Session I at the Annual Discipline Conference in vienna / Source: CCOE/ Dube
There were fruitful and active conversations next to the informing character of the conference. Two break-out sessions gave room for discussions on different topics, session I with the Topic “CIMIC Training Requirement Analysis (TRA) review and priorities for CIMIC Training & Education” and the focus of session II was on “CMI – summary and way forward”.
Two high-profile discussion rounds with a view to the present and into the future.
The CIMIC Centre of Excellence expresses its gratitude to Austria. The offer to conduct the conference, the choice of the location and the support throughout the event were outstanding contributions to the successful outcome. We also like to thank all the participants for the multiple inputs and huge commitments to CIMIC training opportunities. This true community effort demonstrates the importance and livelihood of the discipline of CIMIC & CMI.
Closing with the words of the NATO CIMIC Department Head; “Now we are able to set the right priorities for future NATO CIMIC training.”
Article is written by CCOE/ PAO office / Sven Dube (GER)
