I liked this article, and it is a concept that all of the companies need to really wrap their heads around in today’s times. It is all about crisis communication, and it sounds like Mr. Levick is the guy to talk to about doing this kind of thing. What is cool is that he has plenty of contractor history to learn from and he is also reaching out to individuals in the industry like Doug to get a feel for what’s what.
This article also goes well with the interview Mr. Levick did with Doug Brooks, so I recommend watching that if you can.
Now something I would like to hear from the author is how he would have dealt with the Nisour Square incident differently than how BW and State dealt with it back then? Most of all, how would his firm handle the crisis management for such an incident if it happened again in the near future? He briefly touched on this contractor army that DoS plans on using in Iraq, but I would have liked to hear some details on how a true crisis management expert would handle the complexities of this industry’s incidents that tend to get so much attention. We need all the help we can get, because no easy solutions have materialized and companies are still getting sucked into crisis that not only embarrasses them, but embarrasses their clients as well. These incidents also negatively impact the war effort, and it is certainly important for companies to not cause that kind of harm.
As to an example of current crisis communication, DynCorp actually sent me a company release about the auto accident in Kabul. But because of the speed of information spread in Kabul and online, and how the negative aspects of the news spread, I just don’t know how you can stop the impact of such a thing? Or maybe DynCorp did all they could and this was the way to do it? They certainly responded quickly online to those of us trying to cover this stuff, and at least attempted to fill any information gaps that biased media or even the enemy was trying to fill with their own versions of the story. I wonder how he would rate DynCorp’s crisis management and communications, both in Kabul and online? How would you guys rate it? Interesting stuff. –Matt
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Stability Operations Industry: Opportunity and Risk
Richard Levick
August 18, 2010
For one not uncontroversial sector of the defense industry, President Obama’s recent reaffirmation of a timetable for Iraqi troop withdrawal means new business opportunity, accompanied by heightened scrutiny — and predictably severe penalties for failure to comply with professionally, as well as politically, dictated operational standards.
The industry in question is called “stability operations,” a broad term that denotes activities by private contractors to support military, peacekeeping missions and disaster relief. To ensure safe and secure environments outside the United States, their multifarious deliverables include protecting vital infrastructure, training indigenous military and non-military forces, responding to emergencies, body-guarding key personnel, overseeing project logistics, assuring medical provisions, demining hazard zones — and so forth.
During the Iraq War, unwanted attention fell on a few such companies amid allegations of fraud and abuse. Now that the West’s role in the war is largely ending, and the role of the industry in Iraq will grow apace, those past mishaps are going to have a strong continuing influence on public perception. Fairly or not, the bigger the future role of the contractors, the more mistrust they can expect to engender.