Chief of Mission Authority as a Model for National Security Integration

Authors

Christopher J. Lamb, Center for Strategic Research, Institute for National Strategic Studies, National Defense University
Edward Marks, George Mason University

Files

Description

The inability of the President of the United States to delegate executive authority for integrating the efforts of departments and agencies on priority missions is a major shortcoming in the way the national security system of the U.S. Government functions. Statutorily assigned missions combined with organizational cultures create “stovepipes” that militate against integrated operations. This obstacle to “unity of effort” has received great attention since 9/11 but continues to adversely affect government operations in an era of increasingly multidisciplinary challenges, from counterproliferation to counterinsurgency in Afghanistan. Presidents have tried various approaches to solving the problem: National Security Council committees, “lead agencies,” and “czars,” but none have proven effective.

Document Type

Book

Publication Date

12-2010

Publisher

National Defense University Press

City

Washington, DC

Recommended Citation

Lamb, Christopher J. and Marks, Edward, "Chief of Mission Authority as a Model for National Security Integration" (2010). INSS Strategic Perspectives. 41.
https://digitalcommons.ndu.edu/inss-strategic-perspectives/41