tions . While experience suggests that unity of effort with all entities within a complex operational environment will be difficult if not impossible to achieve , a clear idea of what fit-for-purpose looks like in the service of objective conditions can help to elicit areas of common purpose around which at worst , efforts by differing groups will not trip over one another .
Further , potential problems arising from shortterm goals can be mitigated by ensuring planning and operations are based on thorough , early and ongoing analysis such that tests can be made to determine whether each of those tactical steps aids or hinders progress towards that objective . Security is not an objective in and of itself — it is a goal , to be sure , but it would better be described as a condition within which other goals can better be achieved . Analysis should involve as many stakeholders as possible and prioritize local viewpoints and perspectives .
Adding to the difficulty , alignment of short term and long term goals can also be disrupted by divergence of timelines , goals and perspectives among donor operational units , as well as between donors and host structures . The military generally operates on short planning schedules , and can be moved in midstream due to fluid conditions and dynamics in the field , whether or not that movement is detrimental to an individual project . USAID assumes much longer planning schedules , but is still beholden to a maximum 18-month funding cycle , which is too short to gain the necessary traction . International Non-Governmental Organizations ( IOs ) assume still longer timeframes and will tend to remain in place through shifts in onthe-ground dynamics , however , IO operations are still
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