Keeping the Inter-Agency Peace? a Comparative Study of Swedish, German, and British Whole-Of-Government Approaches in Afghanistan
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Keeping the Inter-Agency Peace? A Comparative Study of Swedish, German, and British Whole-of-Government Approaches in Afghanistan by Maya Dafinova A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in International Affairs Carleton University Ottawa, Ontario © 2018, Maya Dafinova ii Abstract This study seeks to improve understanding of whole-of-government (WOG) approaches, as applied by nations that contribute civilian personnel and military forces to multinational peace operations. How do national WOG models vary, at country capitals and in the mission area? Why do WOG approaches vary – in time, as well as within and across countries? Focusing on the ISAF mission, this study develops a measuring tool for levels of civil-military coordination, and compares the experiences of Sweden, Germany, and the United Kingdom in Afghanistan, between 2001 and 2014. It then tests theories of bureaucratic politics, strategic culture, and principal-agent models to tease out the reasons for variation across the three case studies. The results indicate that the structure of the political institutions in each country was a key determinant of WOG coherence. The German and Swedish coalition governments required excessive collective bargaining over all aspects of the Afghanistan engagement. This resulted in low to medium-level WOG models. By contrast, in the British single party majority system, WOG advances hinged upon the priorities of a single individual - the incumbent Prime Minister. Despite bureaucratic resistance, focusing events and negotiations over side issues allowed for progress in civil-military coherence. In the mission area, the degree of control headquarters exercised over deployed staff affected cooperation dynamics. On average, Swedish and German civilian ministries granted personnel less discretion to engage with the military than British departments. Finally, cultural factors indirectly shaped WOG narratives in each country. iii Acknowledgements I extend my sincere gratitude to all the women and men who shared their thoughts and experiences with me as part of this research. This dissertation would not have been completed without the steadfast and relentless support of my academic advisor, Dr. Stephen Saideman, and Patricia Lacroix, Ph.D. Administrator at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. The text is dedicated to our three children, Rumyana, Bistra and Damyan, who all came into this world at various stages of the writing process. To Ruslan I just want to say, you were right - we won. iv Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iii Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iv List of Abbreviations ....................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................... xi List of Appendices ............................................................................................................ xii The Whole-of-Government Approach in Multinational Peace Operations ........................ 1 Definition, Origins and Rationale for Studying Whole-of-Government Approaches 6 Measuring and Comparing Whole-of-Government Approaches ...................................... 20 Research Design........................................................................................................ 27 Research Questions and Scope of the Study ......................................................... 27 Methodology and Empirical Design ......................................................................... 30 Dimensions and Indicators of a Whole-of-Government Approach ...................... 31 Measuring Levels of Coherence ........................................................................... 35 Explaining Variation in Whole-of-Government Approaches ................................... 44 Bureaucratic Politics Theory ................................................................................. 45 Strategic Culture Theory ....................................................................................... 48 Principal-Agent Theory ........................................................................................ 50 Case Selection ........................................................................................................... 57 Data Collection Techniques ...................................................................................... 61 Written Data Sources ............................................................................................ 61 v Oral Data Sources ................................................................................................. 62 Synergies and Separation of Powers: Swedish Whole-of-Government in Stockholm ..... 65 Sweden in Peace Operations ..................................................................................... 66 Sweden in Afghanistan, 2002-2014 .......................................................................... 70 Strategic and Operational Setup of the Swedish Engagement .............................. 71 The Makings of the Swedish Whole-Of-Government Approach ......................... 74 Whole-of-Government Policy ................................................................................... 83 Whole-of-Government Institutions and Inter-Ministerial Cooperation .................... 92 Integration of Financial Resources ........................................................................... 96 Joint Pre-Deployment Training............................................................................... 101 The Birth and Demise of Swedish Synergies ......................................................... 105 Deploying Together, Working Apart: Sweden in Afghanistan ...................................... 110 The Swedish PRT Model ........................................................................................ 110 Civil-Military Cooperation within the PRT ............................................................ 116 Fund Pooling and Joint Project Management ......................................................... 126 Divided Responsibilities: Swedish Whole-of-Government in the Field................. 130 Networked Security: the German Whole-of-Government Approach in Berlin .............. 136 Germany in Peace Operations ................................................................................. 137 Germany in Afghanistan, 2003-2014 ...................................................................... 141 Strategic and Operational Setup of the German Engagement ............................ 141 The Makings of German Networked Security .................................................... 143 Whole-of-Government Policy ................................................................................. 153 Whole-of-Government Institutions and Inter-Ministerial Cooperation .................. 159 vi Integration of Financial Resources ......................................................................... 163 Joint Pre-Deployment Training............................................................................... 170 Networked Security in Berlin: Progress within Limits ........................................... 174 German Whole-of-Government Action in Afghanistan ................................................. 180 The German PRT Model ......................................................................................... 181 Civil-Military Cooperation within the PRT ............................................................ 185 Fund Pooling and Joint Project Management ......................................................... 195 CIMIC is not Santa Claus: the Bundeswehr and the BMZ ................................. 195 Civilian Means for Political Ends: the Bundeswehr and AA ............................. 200 First Steps in Fund Pooling: The Provincial Development Fund ....................... 202 The Stabilization Fund ........................................................................................ 207 Networked Security in the Field: Learning on the Go ............................................ 210 Politics, Prime Ministers, and Joined-Up Action: British Whole-of-Government in London…................. .................................................................................................. 217 British Peace Operations and the Joined-Up Approach .......................................... 218 Strategic and Operational Setup of the British Engagement .............................. 220 The Makings of the British Whole-of-Government Approach ........................... 221 Whole-of-Government Policy ................................................................................. 232 Joint Institutions and Inter-Ministerial Cooperation ............................................... 239 Integration of Financial Resources ......................................................................... 248 Joint Pre-Deployment Training..............................................................................