Joint Mission Analysis Cells

Joint Mission Analysis Cells

Introduction

During its peacekeeping missions in the region, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) establishes Joint Mission Analysis Cells staffed with civilian and military analysts. These units collect, process and disseminate information for the mission. 

Government sources

Images from Operation Astute, Images Gallery, Operation Astute, Department of Defence, 26 February 2007,

“A team from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) is conducting an initial scoping visit to Timor Leste. The purpose of the visit is to determine the feasibility of establishing an Operational Analysis Team as part of the Joint Task Force 631, Operation Astute.

“If established, this Team will be able to provide a unique problem solving tool for commanders in the field. This will include a comprehensive trend, logistic, and lessons learnt analysis capability, and thereby enhancing the decision making process of deployed commanders.”

Force for Good? Sixty years of Australian Peacekeeping, Lieutenant General Ken Gillespie, Australian Defence Report, 13 September 2007

“Joint Mission Analysis Cells are now regularly established in Peace Keeping missions. These cells are staffed with civilian and military analysts who provide centralised direction, collection, processing and dissemination of information for the mission. The role of the Analysis Cell is to provide the expertise to handle information, conduct and present analysis, build databases, and provide advice at a level that will ensure that decisions are made with awareness of all available and relevant factors. The analysis cell is the focal point for the fusion of information from all sources. It undertakes in-depth current and longer term analysis of issues affecting the mission and draws on information that is available from open sources as well as that gathered by all elements of the mission.

“The strategic intent of the Analysis Cell is to harness information from multiple sources and services in order to provide the mission leadership with the ability to deter and defeat threats posed by armed groups and other spoilers within the area of operations. However, for it to work, it is essential that all parties within the mission are willing to cooperate and share information for the common good of the mission. Therefore, it is important that communication and liaison are established from the beginning to engender good working relations between all the components of a peace mission. The same principle applies for the liaison with external agencies such as Non Government Organisations and with other intelligence bodies in the region. The ADF and the wider Defence organisation expend a lot of effort in ensuring that the intelligence architecture for multi-national missions if sound and that each element of the force has the information it needs to survive and succeed. We do however, have some way to go in changing our own cultures to do more intelligence sharing with non-military participants, such as NGO’s. We’re working on this.”

See also