The Department of Defense conducts an assortment of building partner capacity (BPC) efforts. The needs and existing capabilities of various nations differ, however, as will results. Planning for each BPC effort carefully, assessing progress while the effort is in progress, and assessing results are all important to ensure that it meets U.S. goals and partner expectations. This report presents a framework intended to aid all these steps.

A Building Partner Capacity Assessment Framework

Tracking Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes, Disrupters, and Workarounds

Christopher Paul, Brian J. Gordon, Jennifer D. P. Moroney, Lisa Saum-Manning, Beth Grill, Colin P. Clarke, Heather Peterson

ResearchPublished Aug 21, 2015

Cover: A Building Partner Capacity Assessment Framework
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For both diplomatic and national security reasons, security cooperation continues to be important for the United States. The Department of Defense conducts an assortment of programs aimed at building the capacity of partner nations, and training is an important element of these efforts. The needs and existing capabilities of various nations differ, however, as will results. Planning for each building partner capacity (BPC) effort carefully, assessing progress while the effort is in progress, and assessing results are all important to ensure that it meets U.S. goals and partner expectations. This report presents a framework intended to aid all these steps. Before execution, the framework can help determine and plan for what might go wrong with the intended BPC effort. During BPC execution, the framework can help monitor progress to discover whether everything is going according to plan and, if not, what is wrong and what can be done about it. Finally, the framework can help determine whether the BPC has achieved its objectives and, if not, why and what can be done about it in the future.

Key Takeaway

The Framework Can Be Applied to Building Partner Capacity Efforts

  • This framework can help with assessment of plans, or efforts in progress, and of completed efforts both for accountability and as learning examples for future such efforts.

Recommendation

  • Those responsible for planning or conducting BPC efforts should conduct assessment, using this framework to the extent that it proves useful in their specific effort.

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Paul, Christopher, Brian J. Gordon, Jennifer D. P. Moroney, Lisa Saum-Manning, Beth Grill, Colin P. Clarke, and Heather Peterson, A Building Partner Capacity Assessment Framework: Tracking Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes, Disrupters, and Workarounds. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2015. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR935.html.
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This research was sponsored jointly by the Joint Staff J5, the Office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy conducted within the International Security and Defense Policy Center of the RAND National Defense Research Institute, a federally funded research and development center sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified Combatant Commands, the Navy, the Marine Corps, the defense agencies, and the defense Intelligence Community.

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