Scholars interested in complex operations research and teaching are invited to submit short proposals to participate in the Consortium for Complex Operations Case Studies Series. If selected, participants will receive travel funding for their research and will be invited to a case teaching and writing workshop in Monterey, California.

Project objectives:
This project provides an opportunity to promote research for civilian and military education on complex operations, to develop work that is relevant to civilian and military practitioners in the field, and to strengthen relationships among civilian universities, research and policy institutions, lessons-learned centers and military schools.

Who should apply:

• Scholars researching complex operations relevant topics.
• Instructors in need of quality case study material for classroom learning.
• Supervisors and graduate students with thesis projects that merit a wide audience.
• Civilian and military practitioners in peace, relief and stability operations with experience to share.

What is involved:

• Applications for participation – including workshop and research travel support – are due by October 21, 2008; first round of notifications by October 31.
• Professional development workshop in Monterey, California, December 16-18 to build skills:
• Teaching with case studies
• Writing case studies to meet peer-review standards for publication
• Delivery of case study draft for review by April 1, 2009

How to apply:
To apply for participation and travel funding please return the short form at the following link: [click here]

About the Complex Operations Case Series

The Consortium for Complex Operations (CCO) launched in 2008 as an interagency initiative by the US Department of Defense with support from the State Department and Agency for International Development.  The CCO emphasizes the importance of a whole of government approach to complex operations – including stability operations, counterinsurgency and irregular warfare. The CCO provides a forum for a community of practice and plays a number of roles in the production and distribution of learning about complex operations, including supporting the compilations of lessons and practices.

The Naval Postgraduate School and the US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute are working together to build research and education tools for the peace and stability community. The US Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute key issues for researchers in 2008 emphasized the need for integrative scholarship and approaches, among government agencies and across disciplines including political science, economics, sociology, law, strategic studies and peace research. The United States Institute of Peace in “Sharing the Space,” a study on education and training commissioned by the CCO, emphasized similar themes, including the need to include host-country interests, to develop case studies and lessons, and to build incentives to grow the field.  The establishment of a CCO case study series will meet these objectives, embracing the insights of these studies and the collaborative spirit that produced them. 

The method of case-based instruction in business schools and across the social sciences is well established. Case narratives provide a systematic approach to the study of a subject and to do so with a rich appreciation for context. Teaching cases – whether decision-forcing, problem-solving or a role-playing – are very effective when they require students to actively participate and to confront ambiguity.

We will be working with the well-respected Georgetown Institute for the Study of Diplomacy.  Accepted cases published by Georgetown undergo peer review and copy-editing and distribution. A typical GUISD case is 7,000-10,000 words and is accompanied by a teacher’s guide to the learning objectives and activities.  For examples, and resources on the case method, see the Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy website http://www.guisd.org. In particular, see the guide to writing a case for peer-reviewed publication: http://ecase.georgetown.edu/write.cfm 

In a potential follow-on to this project, participants interested in scholarly projects around specific complex operations themes may develop comparative analyses. Comparison of cases is an important tool for analyzing complex causal relationships. This can be particularly useful with respect to the various components of path dependency, for example, in identification of current path constraints. Complex operations environments differ, yet the categories of many activities are similar.  These provide an excellent basis for comparative analysis.  To illustrate, the Department of State’s typology of essential task matrix of stabilization and reconstruction – governance, justice, security, economics and social – has become a widely utilized construct. Challenges persist across sectors and missions – strategic communication, metrics, interagency integration, information sharing and planning. These topics are all excellent candidates for a project to conduct comparative analysis that would draw upon some of the research that informed the case study narratives.

Questions?
Contact Dr. Karen Guttieri, Naval Postgraduate School - 831-869-5275 - guttieri@nps.edu

Useful References
Georgetown University Institute for the Study of Diplomacy. Publications website http://www.guisd.org/ <http://www.guisd.org/>  

Gundersen, Jon et al., "Sharing the Space: A Study on Education and Training for Complex Operations." Washington, DC: US Institute of Peace and Consortium for Complex Operations, 2008.

U.S. Army Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute 2008 Topic List. Available online at https://members.ccoportal.org/pksoi-topic-list
U.S. Department of State Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization. "Essential Task Matrix, 2005.”
 
U.S. Department of Defense. “Military Support for Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction (SSTR) Operations. Directive Number 3000.05.” November 28, 2005. 

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