Thomas-Durell Young Examines the Challenges of Defining and Executing Capabilities-Based Planning Systems in New Article - Defense Security Cooperation University

Thomas-Durell Young, Senior Lecturer in European civil-military relations with the Education and Professional Practice (EPP) Division of the Institute for Security Governance (ISG), recently published an article in The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis on the complexities of capabilities-based planning systems.

In the article, "Capabilities-Based 'Confusion': Why Capabilities-Based Planning Systems Struggle," Young claims that a lack of clarity regarding whether capabilities-planning is threat- or defense-oriented inevitably leads to interpretation and implementation issues. Young also discusses the difficulties of determining how priorities are identified across different nations, fulfilling the institutional requirements needed to provide planning services, accurately measuring the success of capabilities-based planning programs, and funding all facets of many different planning capabilities.

Young acknowledges the benefit of capabilities analysis, but argues that without a common definition or methodology, capabilities-based planning systems are ultimately just another political process.

The views expressed are those solely of the author and do not reflect the policy or views of the Institute for Security Governance, the Naval Postgraduate School, Department of the Navy, or the Department of Defense.