Michael J. McNerney

Senior International/Defense Researcher; International Portfolio Lead; Affiliate Faculty, Pardee RAND Graduate School

Washington Office

Education

M.A. in international relations, University of Maryland; B.A. in government and German, University of Notre Dame

One Page Bio

Media Resources

This researcher is available for interviews.

To arrange an interview, contact the RAND Office of Media Relations at (310) 451-6913, or email media@rand.org.

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Overview

Michael McNerney (he/him) is a senior international/defense researcher at the RAND Corporation, international portfolio lead for the RAND National Security Research Division, and an affiliate facultymember at the Pardee RAND Graduate School. His research focuses on national security strategy development and planning, civil-military coordination, international security sector reform, decisionmaking in conflict, and international relations.

Until April 2011, McNerney was principal director for plans in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. He and his staff supported the Secretary of Defense in providing strategic guidance on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and interagency plans, force management, and overseas basing. He was a civil servant in the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) for 17 years and a member of the Senior Executive Service.

Earlier assignments included policy support for security cooperation programs worldwide, U.S. military operations in Afghanistan, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, international environmental issues, nuclear arms control, and defense budgeting. He spent the 2004–05 academic year on the faculty of the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies.

McNerney has presented on various national security issues to several U.S. cabinet secretaries, White House staff, members of Congress, four-star military commanders, over a dozen foreign cabinet ministers, NATO’s North Atlantic Council, and hundreds of government officials in over 35 countries.

Prior to working in OSD, McNerney worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory. He received his M.A. in international relations from the University of Maryland and B.A. in government and German from the University of Notre Dame.

Research Focus

Languages

German

Recent Media Appearances

Interviews: Government Matters

Commentary

Military Strategy

The Will to Fight in the Age of Social Media
Social media messaging has played a decisive role in strengthening Ukraine's will to fight—arguably the single most important factor in war—against Russia.
Mar 22, 2022
Stars and Stripes
United States Department of Defense

Trying to Forestall the Next Civilian Casualty Horror
After civilians are injured or killed, the U.S. Defense Department isn't doing enough to learn from its own failures. The Pentagon needs to devote resources and senior leader attention to an issue that has historically lacked both. Civilian protection should become the singular priority for a critical mass of people across the organization.
Feb 3, 2022
Foreign Policy
Reforming Security Assistance: Why the State Department Can't Lead from Behind
The reforms in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act are driving the Department of Defense to improve security cooperation planning. Similar reforms for the State Department could help leaders there more effectively communicate the value of security assistance and maintain their traditional leadership role.
Sep 5, 2018
The Hill
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Armed Drone Myth 3: Global Proliferation Demands Blanket Restrictions on Sales
More than 70 countries have acquired drones of different classes and for different purposes. However, the number of countries actually developing
Feb 19, 2015
The RAND Blog
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Armed Drone Myth 2: It's Counterproductive to Develop International Norms
The challenge in establishing international norms for armed drones will be to define rules that preserve the rights of countries to use them in legitimate ways against legitimate threats (senior al Qaeda or Islamic State terrorists) while constraining illegitimate uses (political dissidents).
Feb 18, 2015
The RAND Blog
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Armed Drone Myth 1: They Will Transform How War Is Waged Globally
Long-range military drones are fundamentally misunderstood. Their champions wrongly contend they are revolutionizing warfare, while critics fear their spread would greatly increase the threat that China, terrorists, and others pose.
Feb 17, 2015
The RAND Blog

Publications

Report
Understanding Civilian Harm in Raqqa and Its Implications for Future Conflicts
In this report, RAND researchers study the causes of civilian harm in the 2017 battle for Raqqa, Syria, and provide insights into how the U.S. Department of Defense can reduce civilian harm in future operations.
Mar 31, 2022
Multimedia
Press Briefing on U.S. Department of Defense Civilian Casualty Policies and Procedures
Researchers from the RAND Corporation brief the press on an independent RAND assessment of U.S. Department of Defense standards, processes, procedures, and policies relating to civilian casualties resulting from U.S. military operations.
Mar 8, 2022
Report
U.S. Department of Defense Civilian Casualty Policies and Procedures: An Independent Assessment
In this report, researchers from the RAND Corporation and CNA conduct an independent assessment of U.S. Department of Defense standards, processes, procedures, and policies relating to civilian casualties resulting from U.S. military operations.
Jan 27, 2022
Research Brief
Will to Fight: Returning to the Human Fundamentals of War
This brief argues for the importance of improving our understanding of what influences will to fight, and it describes two models for doing so: one for analyzing a military unit's will to fight, and one for analyzing a nation's will to fight.
Sep 13, 2019
Report
National Will to Fight: Why Some States Keep Fighting and Others Don't
In this report, RAND researchers propose an exploratory model of 15 variables that shape a national government's decision to continue or end military and other operations during a conflict (i.e., national will to fight).
Sep 20, 2018
Report
Will to Fight: Analyzing, Modeling, and Simulating the Will to Fight of Military Units
This report defines and describes will to fight and provides a model of unit will to fight that can be applied to ground combat units of any scale. It also provides a theoretical basis for adding will to fight to military war gaming.
Sep 20, 2018
Report
Building Security in Africa: An Evaluation of U.S. Security Sector Assistance in Africa from the Cold War to the Present
A RAND Corporation study used statistical models to evaluate the impact that U.S.-provided SSA has had on political violence in Africa -- in particular, the incidence of civil wars and insurgencies, terrorist attacks, and state repression.
Sep 13, 2018
Research Brief
Reforming Security Sector Assistance for Africa
U.S. security-sector assistance has a mixed record in Africa. RAND experts offer recommendations to promote the success of such assistance in Africa. The recommendations focus on strategies, programs, and their assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.
Sep 13, 2018
Report
Assessing, Monitoring, and Evaluating Army Security Cooperation: A Framework for Implementation
To help the Army increase the effectiveness of its security cooperation activities, this report examines when Army security cooperation can have the greatest impact, and how the Army should assess, monitor, and evaluate security cooperation.
Jul 24, 2018
Report
Follow the Money: Promoting Greater Transparency in Department of Defense Security Cooperation Reporting
This report analyzes the obstacles that the Department of Defense (DoD) faces in tracking security cooperation spending and provides recommendations for streamlining DoD's reporting process to meet new requirements for transparency.
Sep 19, 2017
Report
Assessing the Value of Regionally Aligned Forces in Army Security Cooperation: An Overview
This report highlights recent RAND Arroyo Center research on the value of the Army's regionally aligned forces to U.S. security cooperation activities, particularly those conducted in Africa.
May 10, 2017
Report
Improving Implementation of the Department of Defense Leahy Law
The Leahy laws prohibit U.S. assistance to foreign security forces that have committed gross violations of human rights. This report analyzes the vetting process that helps the Department of Defense implement these laws and recommends improvements.
Feb 17, 2017
Report
Cross-Cutting Challenges and their Implications for the Mediterranean region
This publication is part of a series of four RAND Perspectives (PE) each focusing on different challenges in the Mediterranean region. The focus of this PE is on cross-cutting challenges and their implications for regional stability and security.
Jan 26, 2017
Report
Developing an Assessment, Monitoring, and Evaluation Framework for U.S. Department of Defense Security Cooperation
This report explores the creation of a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) system for security cooperation assessment, monitoring, and evaluation (AME) by analyzing existing AME practices inside and outside DoD and proposing an implementation framework.
Oct 6, 2016
Report
Clarifying the Rules for Targeted Killing: An Analytical Framework for Policies Involving Long-Range Armed Drones
This report outlines a framework for policymakers to use in defining policies for targeted killing using long-range armed drones that would balance protection of civilians and human rights with military flexibility in counterterrorism operations.
Sep 8, 2016
Report
SMART Security Cooperation Objectives: Improving DoD Planning and Guidance
Evaluates the U.S. Department of Defense's effectiveness in developing SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and results-oriented, and time-bound) security cooperation objectives that facilitate assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.
May 5, 2016
Testimony
Department of Defense and Security Cooperation: Improving Prioritization, Authorities, and Evaluations
Testimony presented before the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities on March 9, 2016.
Mar 9, 2016
Report
From Patchwork to Framework: A Review of Title 10 Authorities for Security Cooperation
This report develops a framework and options to streamline the patchwork of authorities in Public Law and Title 10 of the U.S. Code that the Department of Defense employs in the planning and execution of security cooperation with foreign partners.
Mar 2, 2016
Report
Defense Institution Building in Africa: An Assessment
This report assesses U.S. efforts in defense institution building in Africa and suggests possible improvements to planning and execution.
Jan 4, 2016
Report
Improving DoD Support to FEMA's All-Hazards Plans
Reviews and analyzes how the U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Emergency Management Agency work together to plan and execute disaster response activities, and recommends areas for improvement.
Nov 30, 2015
Report
Air National Guard Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Domestic Missions: Opportunities and Challenges
This report is intended to help guide discussion of the utility of Air National Guard remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) in domestic missions, and it explores the policy and operational constraints that Air National Guard RPAs face.
Jun 22, 2015
Report
NATO Needs a Comprehensive Strategy for Russia
This perspective describes two possible strategies -- (1) punishment and disengagement and (2) resilience and engagement -- for how the North Atlantic Treaty Organization can approach Russia in light of Moscow's continuing intervention in Ukraine.
Mar 25, 2015
Research Brief
A New Approach to Security and Justice Sector Assistance: An Enhanced Partnership Planning Model
RAND researchers examined ways to reshape security and justice sector assistance programs, and designed a new approach -- an Enhanced Partnership Planning Model that can be tailored to partner-nation needs and particular U.S. strategic interests.
May 14, 2014
Report
New Security and Justice Sector Partnership Models: Implications of the Arab Uprisings
RAND researchers analyzed partnership models that could help implement recent policy guidance to strengthen security sector assistance and promote reform in the Middle East and North Africa.
May 14, 2014
Report
Evaluating the Impact of the Department of Defense Regional Centers for Security Studies
The five U.S. Department of Defense Regional Centers for Security Studies have been helping partner nations build strategic capacity for almost 20 years. This study analyzes the centers' impact and the ways in which they assess their programs.
Apr 23, 2014
Report
Armed and Dangerous? UAVs and U.S. Security
RAND researchers examined whether armed drones are transformative weapons, how dangerous their proliferation will be, and whether U.S. use of these weapons can shape a broader set of international norms that discourage their misuse by others.
Apr 7, 2014
Report
Assessing Security Cooperation as a Preventive Tool
Based on an analysis of security cooperation (SC) data and state fragility scores for 107 countries in 1991-2008, the report describes the correlation between provision of SC by the United States and a reduction in partner state fragility.
Mar 20, 2014
Report
Ending the U.S. War in Iraq: The Final Transition, Operational Maneuver, and Disestablishment of United States Forces-Iraq
This book looks at the planning and execution of the U.S. military's exit from Iraq and the transition of responsibilities to the Iraqi government, U.S. embassy, Office of Security Cooperation, USCENTCOM, and other U.S. departments and agencies.
Nov 5, 2013
Research Brief
Smooth Transitions? Lessons Learned from Transferring U.S. Military Responsibilities to Civilian Authorities in Iraq
This brief outlines policy and planning lessons that have been encapsulated in a study of the U.S. military's transition out of Iraq at the end of 2011 and the handover of property and responsibilities to Embassy Baghdad and the government of Iraq.
Nov 5, 2013
Report
Overseas Basing of U.S. Military Forces: An Assessment of Relative Costs and Strategic Benefits
Assesses the advisability of changing the overseas basing presence of U.S. forces based on strategic benefits, risks, and costs. Characterizes how this presence contributes to assurance, deterrence, responsiveness, and security cooperation goals.
Apr 29, 2013
Research Brief
U.S. Overseas Military Posture: Relative Costs and Strategic Benefits
In an environment of fiscal constraints and shifting strategic needs, policymakers should carefully weigh the strategic capability effects, relative costs, and risks associated with potential changes to U.S. overseas military posture.
Apr 29, 2013
Report
A Strategy-Based Framework for Accommodating Reductions in the Defense Budget
RAND analysts posit that federal budget deficit pressure may result in further Defense Department reductions, and suggest starting from a strategy basis in determining cuts, prioritizing challenges, and identifying where to accept more risk.
Oct 29, 2012
Report
U.S. Overseas Military Presence: What Are the Strategic Choices?
The authors outline the critical choices policymakers need to address to define future U.S. global military presence, with the choice based on different strategic perspectives on how overseas military presence serves U.S. global security interests.
Sep 11, 2012