Mandatory training to create new national security culture
by Ernie Davitt, National Affairs Editor, ASM
The Federal Government is making landmark changes to the way it responds to national security threats and hazards, including terrorism, with an emphasis on mandatory higher-degree professional training for operators and policymakers, and greater connectivity between agencies.
The Government believes that creating a new national security culture is a necessary response to today’s highly inter-connected, mobile and technology-dependent world which has blurred the classical distinctions between foreign and domestic, state and non-state security threats.
The latest thinking of the intelligence community, the bureaucracy and the current government can be seen in one of the last major speeches by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, only weeks before his mid-year departure.
The speech, which included input from key national security agencies, made the point that today’s interdependent communications and information (CI) systems, fed by ever-faster and cheaper technology, were increasing community and government vulnerability to disruption.
Addressing an audience of national security specialists from government, academia and the private sector at the opening of the National Security College at the Australian National University in Canberra, Mr Rudd said the college would strengthen the ability of national security leaders to analyse Australia’s strategic environment and the dynamics of change within it, and to recognise and respond to threats.
Mr Rudd said specialist training of Australia’s defence forces as well as the diplomatic and intelligence communities should constantly improve in order to keep them among the best in the world.
“I am talking about a further set of skills that should become an essential prerequisite for the future leaders of our national security community,” he said.
“To be blunt, it will be essential for all future candidates to the Senior Executive Service or equivalent positions across our national security community to graduate from an additional specialist national security course here at this college before advancing to future leadership positions.”
This move makes sense in today’s increasingly complex national security environment where government agencies have to work harder to stay a step ahead of terrorists and other hazards. It will also help improve working relationships between the specialist military, intelligence and law enforcement communities and help maintain high levels of professionalism across the board.
In a recent speech to the National Security College, Federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland echoed many of the points raised by Mr Rudd about the growing complexity of national security issues.
“Australia’s security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies have developed considerable expertise in their capability and cooperative systems to protect our security. However, the more knowledge that is acquired of national security risks, the more it is appreciated that the community itself plays a crucial role in developing an ability to withstand threats of all types and magnitudes,” Mr McClelland said.
The Attorney-General said the College had an important contribution to make on the question of engaging the community in the fight against extremism and across other national security issues. The Government looked forward to working with the college, he said, to further enhance both government and community capability to make Australia as safe and secure as it could possibly be in a rapidly changing and complex national security environment.
The Rudd speech referred to the release earlier this year of the Counter-Terrorism White Paper, the first since 2004, and the first to bring together the domestic and international elements of the Government’s policy approach.
“This involves multiple government agencies and all levels of Federal, state and local government,” he said.
“Domestically we are improving our intelligence and analysis, strengthening our protective measures, and building resilience.
“As part of an integrated effort we are establishing a Counter-Terrorism Control Centre to ensure a seamless flow of information for action across government.
“Internationally we are working with close friends and partners, such as Indonesia, to strengthen intelligence and law enforcement collaboration and create an international environment that is hostile to terrorism. These are determined efforts to address the threat of terrorism.
“But as the White Paper makes clear, the threat is serious and enduring. The government can take measures to reduce the risk of a terrorist attack, but it cannot eliminate that risk.
“Another attack on Australia, our people or our interests could happen at any time. Our intelligence is good, and our intelligence, police and security professionals are doing a highly professional job.
“But the nature of the murky world of terrorists is that their aims and plans are hidden. Under these circumstances, there is no room for complacency.”
Mr Rudd said the Government had made considerable strides towards a more integrated, whole-of-government approach to national security, one that moved seamlessly from domestic to international, from traditional to non-traditional, and that was agile and responsive to today’s dynamic and fast-paced security environment.
The new position of National Security Adviser had developed and supported whole-of-government national security policy development and crisis response, and was now focussed on building a genuine national security community, Mr Rudd said.
“We cannot afford the stove-piping which has traditionally characterised our security agencies,” he said.
“The strands of national security effort - foreign and domestic, defence and diplomacy, policy and intelligence, federal and state - are now better coordinated. But more needs to be done.”
Mr Rudd said the Government had learnt through experience, in responding to disasters and conflicts in the region, that Australia was at its most effective when it was able to draw on all elements of national power, military and civilian.
“The Australian Defence Force, whilst indispensable and invaluable, cannot be the sum total of our effort,” he said.
“So we are creating a civilian response corps to enable the rapid deployment of Australian civilians into overseas disaster or conflict zones.
“An Office of the Australian Civilian Corps has been established within AusAID to implement the initiative, and create a register of Australians with valuable skill sets who can be deployed overseas at short notice to respond to crises.
“It should have an interim capability by mid 2010, and be fully operational in early 2011.”
Mr Rudd outlined the Federal Government’s vision for the new National Security College, saying it would become a central institution in shaping the future of national security policy and collaborative culture.
“It will prove to be one of the most significant and enduring foundation stones of our new, emerging national security community,” he said, “because from it will emerge the national security practitioners, and the culture of community and collaboration, essential if Australia is to meet the security challenges of the 21st century.
“The college will strengthen the ability of national security leaders to analyse Australia’s strategic environment and the dynamics of change within it, and to recognise and respond to threats.
“Its courses and other activities, such as the college’s outreach program, will help to build trusted networks of interaction between governments at all levels, businesses, academia and community organisations.
“We will include in the college participants from regional countries, building our links with national security practitioners in our neighbourhood. In this sense it is also a useful confidence and security building measure.”
A multi-disciplinary approach and whole-of-government research projects will help identify new and emerging security threats and effective countermeasures.
It will also help to:
- break down any remaining silos in the national security community;
- promote new ways of conceiving of security threats, and new ways of addressing
- them; and
- build up expertise across government and foster a new national security culture.
- Mr Rudd said Australia needed a national security community and culture with a common conceptual framework, a common language, rather than the different dialects which often unnecessarily separated defence, foreign policy, intelligence and the wider security community.
The National Security College is to receive Federal funding of up to $17.3 million over four years to help with its establishment.
In addition, a new building will be constructed for the college at the ANU with an opening deadline around the end of 2012.
Professor Michael L’Estrange, an experienced diplomat with wide-ranging public policy skills, is the first Executive Director of the college.
His most recent appointments include Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, High Commissioner to London, and Cabinet Secretary.
Professor L’Estrange is a Rhodes scholar and has a distinguished academic record. He has made a major contribution to public policy development, particularly in international policy and national security policy.
This article first appeared in ASM Sept/October 2010 issue.