E-Course Catalog - Institute for Security Governance

Civil-Military Relations and Security Governance addresses all aspects of the relationship between elected civilians and security institutions (armed forces, police forces, and intelligence agencies) in a democratic context. CMR offers courses, seminars, and workshops that address a variety of potential challenges and avenues for success in institutionalizing effective and functioning civil-military relations.

For Combating Terrorism (CbT), ISG conducts courses and engagements in support of the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Combating Terrorism Irregular Warfare Fellowship Program (CTIWFP)/ Regional Defense Fellowship Program (RDFP). CbT delivers a holistic approach to investigating the most effective government responses to terrorism. CbT-led activities invite participants to collaboratively identify solutions to questions like: What can governments do to contain or defeat terrorism without sacrificing the values that bind societies together? Can terrorist attacks be prevented and how should governments respond to attacks that cannot be prevented? How can countries think through the challenges of terrorism at the strategic level?

In the Conflict Prevention & Recovery (CPR) functional area, ISG delivers interactive courses on the complex issues of conflict management and conflict recovery. CPR courses place emphasis on internal violent conflict but include transnational threats and international issues affecting national security. By design, courses survey the root causes and triggers of conflict, pathways out of conflict, conflict prevention approaches, and recovery from numerous conflict-related situations, such as displaced persons, on-going extremism, and ex-combatants. Multi-sectoral teaching teams comprised of ISG faculty, subject matter experts, and field level specialists lead these practitioner-oriented courses. CPR courses help governments manage conflict and its difficult consequences.

Designed to build partner capacity and capability, ISG cyber courses explore policies and practices that can be adapted to maintain an advantage over actors who seek to exploit, disrupt, or damage the networks and systems upon which our societies and militaries depend. This functional area highlights the importance of effective cyber defense for economic growth and innovation, examines barriers to effective policy and practice development, and considers methods for response that represent a comprehensive approach for cyber defense. ISG cyber courses prepare decision makers to more effectively analyze, design, and implement policies and practices for safeguarding national cyberspace. These courses are delivered in partnership with the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School and other leading defense and civilian educational entities.

The Emergency Management and Resilience (EM&R) functional area designs and delivers comprehensive, whole-of-government courses and engagements for all-hazards emergency preparedness, resilience, and response. Courses and engagements aim to enhance civil-military cooperation, build national resilience and capacity in emergency preparedness, and apply a comprehensive approach to emergency management that includes civilian government, military, and civil sector stakeholders; as well as the receipt and management of international disaster assistance. These national-level leader and planner-oriented courses are led by teaching teams comprised of ISG faculty, multi-disciplinary subject matter experts, and field practitioners.

International Defense Acquisition Resource Management (IDARM) activities are designed to strengthen defense acquisition processes and decision-making, and help nations understand and adopt modern business practices. IDARM offers a wide range of defense acquisition, logistics, and contract management courses. Courses can cover a combination of interrelated subjects, with the goal of offering defense leaders the opportunity to explore strategic issues which must be addressed in order to improve their nation’s defense acquisition processes and business practices. Course offerings are developed in conjunction with faculty and specialized subject matter experts and tailored to the specific government organizational structures, national acquisition statutes and regulations, and defense acquisition objectives of the partner nation.

The Logistics Capacity Building (LCB) functional area works with participants to increase the professionalization of their logistics forces to better sustain defense and security force capabilities. LCB activities are designed to support participants’ efforts to better assess their logistics requirements and implement the lessons learned within the unique context of their nation. Emphasis is placed on the necessity to integrate other institutional capabilities such as strategy, policy, and plans, human resource management, and resource management. Learning methodologies include case study presentations, lectures, small group exercises/activities, and structured discussions.

Maritime Security (MARSEC) courses provide participants with the tools required to prevent and respond to a myriad of maritime security threats and challenges. MARSEC courses introduce and explore strategic and operational level, best practices, and innovative solutions to address common challenges. Examples include: understanding transnational maritime threats; integrating civil, military, and law enforcement agencies with maritime security responsibilities; and leveraging regional and other international governmental and non-governmental resources. Our approach includes expert-led lectures; case studies, risk assessment, maritime governance, strategy development and Tabletop (TTX) classroom exercises, a visit to a local U.S. Coast Guard station, and emphasis on interagency and multi-national solutions.

The Peacekeeping functional area helps build sustainable and indigenous peacekeeping training capacities in U.S. partner countries so they can better contribute to United Nations (UN) and other regional peacekeeping operations. ISG PK particularly concentrates on the establishment and strengthening of partner countries training capacity and staff infrastructure. These activities pertain to both military troops and formed police units. In addition, these events help to enhance coordination and collaboration between the U.S. and other contributor countries’ assistance efforts, to include providing support to deploying units (e.g. technical assistance and pre-deployment training).