What We Do
An ISG faculty member uses a creative graphic to break down principles of multi-agency and interagency collaboration.
FY22 What We Do Page

AT OUR CORE

Institutional capacity building (ICB) drives ISG. It is our fundamental mission, is the catalyst for our partnerships, and inspires our research. ISG’s efforts with U.S. colleagues and international partners are designed to enable and strengthen defense and security institutions, build capabilities, and support shared security interests. These efforts include policies, procedures and systems that enable partners to govern, manage, operate, maintain, and sustain defense and security capabilities. ISG’s mission efforts are divided into four primary tasks:

ADVISING INSTITUTIONS TO BUILD CAPACITY
Our long-term advising efforts enable partners to govern, manage, operate, maintain, and sustain defense capacity and capabilities. ISG's experienced teams work with specific partner institutions to cultivate security governance, defense management, operational planning, resources management, defense logistics, human capital and professional military education and many other critical tasks. Powered by detailed scoping and custom project design, ISG integrates innovative assessment, monitoring, and evaluation practices into each capacity building effort.
Two women in front of a whiteboard. The one on the right is pointing at posted notes on the board.
EDUCATING INDIVIDUALS TO BUILD CAPABILITY
ISG designs and delivers short-format education and professional development courses that accelerate participant understanding of complex security and defense issues. Delivered in the US or abroad, our offerings bring applied learning practices into bilateral or multilateral classroom environments. Participants are encouraged to engage in open, peer-to-peer learning and form lasting international and interagency networks.
TWO MEN POSING IN FRONT OF BLUE SCREEN WITH ISG LOGO. ONE MAN IS HOLDING A CERTIFICATE WHILE THEY SHAKE HANDS
ADVANCING THE FIELD AND PRACTICE OF ICB
As the ICB Center of Excellence, ISG is charged with pushing the field and practice of ICB forward. We contribute to research and development in emergent domains within the field and remain a key resource for ICB-related information; including best practices, common challenges, and lessons learned. ISG also serves as a space where ICB methodology is discussed, refined, and strengthened.
An ISG faculty member discusses original research at an academic conference.
ENHANCING ICB IN SECURITY COOPERATION
ISG seeks to deepen understanding of ICB throughout the security cooperation community. This includes orienting and integrating existing capacity building efforts, offering opportunities to coordinate and collaborate, providing helpful tools and resources, and growing future ICB military and civilian leaders. To meet these objectives, ISG reports to the Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) and works closely with other security cooperation education and training bodies.
A female instructor talking to a participant

OUR STRUCTURE

The ISG team is comprised of a civilian faculty and staff of over 90 personnel. ISG personnel are augmented by a contract support team, a robust group of adjunct faculty, and team of subject matter experts drawn from the military, government, industry, academia, and non-government organizations. ISG is organized into four primary focus areas. Cross-pollination across these four focus areas enables us to be agile and responsive to individual partner and project-specific needs.
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Global
Institutional Advising
  • Africa
  • Europe
  • Indo-Pacific
  • Middle East & Central Asia
  • Western Hemisphere
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Governance &
Management Education​
  • Security Governance
  • Civil-Military Relations
  • Strategy, Policy & Planning
  • Resource Management
  • Defense Acquisition
  • Logistics
  • Human Capital
  • Professional Education
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Capability Education
& Development​
  • Cyber Capability
  • Maritime Security
  • Peacekeeping & Exercises
  • Emergency Management & Resilience 
  • Conflict, Terrorism, & Protection
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ICB Knowledge &
Practice Development​
  • Doctrine & Methodology
  • Assessment & Integration
  • Research & Development
  • Outreach & Communications
  • Security Cooperation Education Integration
  • Communities of Practice and Interest

Our Activities

ISG is dedicated to advancing national security and foreign policy objectives by building partner institutional capabilities. ISG carries out this mission – here at ISG headquarters in Monterey, CA and around the globe – through resident, mobile, and virtual education activities as well as through resident and non-resident enduring advising engagements.

FY18
25 Resident Courses
82 Mobile/Hybrid Education Teams
225 Non-Resident Advising Activities
96 Resident Advisors ​ (Global MoDA)
FY19
26 Resident Courses
114 Mobile/Hybrid Education Teams
304 Non-Resident Advising Activities
93 Resident Advisors (Global MoDA)
FY20
9 Resident Courses
8 Mobile/Hybrid Education Teams
114 Non-Resident Advising Activities
101 Virtual Advising Activities
3 Hybrid Activities
102 Resident Advisors (Global MoDA)
FY22
4 Resident Courses
7 Mobile/Hybrid Education Teams
16 Virtual Education Teams
82 Non-Resident Advising Activities
171 Virtual Advising Activities
3 Hybrid Activities
65 ICB Resident Advisors (MoDA)