Executive Program on Defense Decision-Making Completed - Defense Security Cooperation University

The Institute for Security Governance (ISG) wrapped up a ten-day, senior leader seminar on Defense Decision-Making last week. Conducted in Monterey at ISG Headquarters, 22 senior, interagency leaders from fifteen partner nations participated in the course. The seminar centered on empowering personnel with knowledge and increased skills to be more effective decision-makers and act as change agents to enhance and enable their defense and security institutions to address evolving national security challenges.

This iteration of the course represented a new format and revision of the course approach and topic areas. Key decision-makers worked around a scenario across the ten-day iteration of the course, incorporating new information and key decision-points, and making decisions for a table-top engagement across the course. With daily coffee conversations and “hot takes” throughout the course, participants were asked and actively provided feedback and input into areas where they wanted to dive deeper or appreciated additional information. Course feedback identified that participants had strengthened their understanding of the topic area, were better oriented to implement changes and build institutional capacity through the strategic alignment of planning, resourcing, coordination and communications, to apply the principles of informed-decision making as a means to address emerging national security threats, and employ specific skillsets necessary to enhance their effectiveness as senior or emerging leaders.

The next iteration of the Executive Program in Defense Decision-Making is scheduled for delivery in Monterey, CA from 6-17 April 2020. For more information or for interest in participating, please consult ISG at isginfo@nps.edu.