61 Sodobni vojaški izzivi, junij 2019 – 21/št. 2 Contemporary Military Challenges, June 2019 – 21/No. 2 STRATEŠKE KOMUNIKACIJE KOT PRILOŽNOST VODITELJEV NATA IN DRŽAV ČLANIC NATA Nina Raduha STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY Povzetek Ključne besede Abstract DOI:10.33179/BSV.99.SVI.11.CMC.21.2.3 62 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges Nina Raduha and opportunity leaders at every level have in conducting, leading, implementing 1 1 Key words Introduction 63 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY environment, and give strategic communications the opportunity to become a crucial the strategic communications concept’s processes and capabilities in responding understand what they and their personal actions communicate and will communicate 64 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges include any debate on the terminological challenges with the plural or singular in numerous documents, books and articles, the author’s personal participant a more applied section, where author’s assumptions and conclusions will be 1 NATO STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CONCEPT 1.1 What is NATO StratCom? and engaging with the intended audiences, key leaders, and the general population, Nina Raduha 65 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 2 , Credibility and trust are vital attributes and must be protected, StratCom is a mindset and is all about understanding and engaging audiences to 3 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 66 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges Figure 1: The StratCom Umbrella Source: Author’s own design and view on StratCom Nina Raduha 67 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 1.2 General descriptions of StratCom functional areas that serve as the basic points to the intent that StratCom will become a discipline which will encompass all Public Diplomacy Public Affairs and Military Public Affairs STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 68 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges military aims and objectives to audiences in order to enhance awareness and Information Operations activities at the operational and tactical levels, in accordance with the Commander’s Psychological Operations Nina Raduha 69 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges act which aims to compel the target audiences to act according to our will, without Civil-military interaction and civil-military cooperation Key leader, civil-military, target audience engagements military chaplain engages with a local religious leader, a mine expert engages the STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 70 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 2 LEADERSHIP PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN STRATCOM responsibilities at all levels7 with regard to their involvement in the StratCom (or similar title), who has coordination and integration authority, in accordance with the Commander’s intent, to issue appropriate direction and guidance in order to ensure the integration From the author’s viewpoint the leader’s main role in StratCom can be divided into communication engagements, direct communication, social media engagement, Nina Raduha 71 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 2.1 Understanding and implementing StratCom in the organization to coherently articulate its narratives, themes, and messages to external and internal used and applied nationwide in accordance with national limitations and its special ideas, suggest smart changes, use a comprehensive approach and coordinate all StratCom, both internally within the command and externally as an important part STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 72 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 10, process, resources and capabilities in their 2.2 From commander vision, intent to narrative 11 lead the narrative in such a way that mission command and vision come into play and 12 integrate and implement appropriately according to their circumstances in order to 11 Nina Raduha 73 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 2.3 StratCom at the heart of all levels of military policy, planning and execution inclusive (civil and military) planning and action created through established collaboration and transparency in those involved in military planning, with the STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 74 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges described StratCom as his most responsive manoeuvre Commanders must involve StratCom (with clear intent, directions and guidance) 13 13 Figure 2: StratCom enhancing and orchestrating joint Source: Author’s own design actions13 from the beginning of the planning of every operation Nina Raduha 75 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 2.4 Leaders must be active in conducting StratCom activities the commander’s intent, vision and narrative by integrating words and deeds, with Key leader engagement engagements, when needed and planned to involve the commander, can help to communicate to the wider public the topics which need social media engagement 17 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 76 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges Examples of StratCom used by NATO and NATO nation’s leaders in practice which - - - Nina Raduha 77 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges have the main role in StratCom20 Understanding and implementing StratCom Providing the vision and objectives StratCom in operational planning Conducting StratCom by leaders NATO Sec- retary Ge- neral Implemented Strat- Com at highest level of Public Di- plomacy Division/ StratCom Strategic direction and guidance given by the StratCom Framework, the TRJE18 Information Envi- ronment Assessment (IEA) Handbook, and the Inte- grated Communications Plan for Exercise Trident Juncture 2018. Five StratCom objectives: 1. Generate recognition and support from Allied audiences that NATO is capable, united, and re- ady to protect its Allies. 2. For Russia: the Alliance will protect its citizens and territory in order to contribute to deterrence and risk reduction. 3. Demonstrate to Norway that NATO is fundamen- tal to their defence. 4. Finnish and Swedish au- diences recognize bene- fits of joint training. 5: Demonstrate to all au- diences the transparent and defensive nature of NATO in the interest of peace and stability. StratCom as part of NATO’s Opera- tional Planning Pro- cess – Compre- hensive Operati- ons Planning Addressing dif- ferent audien- ces, key leader engagement, press conferences, participating in high ranking soci- al activities, social media engage- ment. TRJE18 Comman- der In the exercise environment the StratCom structu- re was formed as the NATO Media Information Centre (working in exercise and in real life). In Joint Headquarters in Naples, StratCom was implemented according to NATO policy MC0628. With OASIS21 Integrated Com- munications Plan on TRJE18 Internal Com- munications, conducting media activities, key lea- der engagement, cooperation with host nations, co- ordination of all military activities in line with the StratCom narrati- ve and guidance Table 1: Leaders’ support of the StratCom concept, processes and activities in TRJE18 Source: Author analysis from: PO(2018)0116; PDD(2018)0111; https:// twitter.com/ jensstoltenberg, https://twitter. com/forsvaret_ no/; https:// jfcnaples.nato. int/exercises/ trident- juncture-18; Wojciech, 2018; https://forsvaret. no/en/exercise- and-operations/ exercises/nato- exercise-2018. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 78 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges Understanding and implementing StratCom Providing the vision and objectives StratCom in operational planning Conducting StratCom by leaders Tactical le- aders and “strategic corporal” If needed, but at this level the lea- ders’ understanding of the StratCom concept and the incorporation of it into their OPOR- DERS is enough. Soldiers card, media cards, clear and transparent key messages, awareness of in- formation environment. Include Strat- Com top-down guidance at appropriate level of military deci- sion-making in accordance with unit purpose and task. Use of Social media leaders/ in- fluencers, tactical engagement with civil environment, care for nature, CIMIC projects, local leaders en- gagement. Use of air power to show strength and capabilities, coordinating mili- tary activities with words. Norwegi- an Minister of Defence and Armed Forces Chief of Defence They have deve- loped national StratCom. At the defence level they have Ministry of Defence's com- munication unit and the Chief of Defence's spoke- sperson NATO came to Norway to Exercise, in the largest exercise since the Cold War, to ensure our nation’s sovereignty and the safety of our population. According to Forsvarets medi- esenter they ca- rry out planning through long term planning, within which they build situ- ational aware- ness, define clear goals, develop narrative and key messages etc. according to the analysis of environment and NATO guidance. All levels of go- vernmental and military leaders were fully active in TRJE18. Even His Majesty Prince Harald came to the exercise to show support and spread the mes- sages. CIMIC, enviro- nmental projects, engagement with leaders and local population, ad- dressing different target audiences. 22, the political and the military side, took StratCom as an organizational opportunity Nina Raduha 79 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges Contingent commander gave the author the same experience in a the easiest task, since every action you do wrong can have a strategic impact on the , a were able to normalize the local attitude towards Slovenian soldiers and they were Conclusion – StratCom is a leadership tool and opportunity demanding and complex concept which must be understood, commander led, and nd STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 80 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges opportunity and tool to answer the challenges in the contemporary word, but it understand its complexity, multidimensionality, interdisciplinarity and its role in the Figure 3: StratCom is whole- organization approach led by the commander26 Source: Author’s own design and idea Nina Raduha 81 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges leadership intent and guidance that results in narrative building and is considered in STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY 82 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 1. 3. 11. 13. Bibliography Nina Raduha 83 Sodobni vojaški izzivi/Contemporary Military Challenges 31. 33. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS AS A NATO AND NATO NATIONS’ LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY