Both State and DOD recognize the need to improve stability and reconstruction capabilities of the United States, and the importance of coordinating military activities with those of other U.S. government agencies and international partners. Following the problems with reconstruction efforts in Iraq in the Fall of 2003, State noted that the U.S. government had no standing civilian capacity to plan, implement, or manage stabilization and reconstruction operations and had relied on ad hoc processes for planning and executing these efforts. State recommended that a new office be established to provide a centralized and permanent structure for planning and coordinating the civilian response to stabilization and reconstruction operations. In August 2004, the Secretary of State announced the creation of the Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization (S/CRS) to coordinate U.S. efforts to prepare, plan, and resource responses to complex emergencies, failing and failed states, and post conflict environments. Such efforts could involve establishing security, building basic public services, and economic development. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2005 granted statutory authorization for S/CRS within the Office of the Secretary of State. In November 2005, DOD issued DOD Directive 3000.05, Military Support for Stability, Security, Transition, and Reconstruction (SSTR) Operations, which established the Department’s policy for stability operations. In its directive, DOD recognizes that stability operations is a core U.S. military mission, but that many stability operations are best performed by indigenous, foreign, or U.S. civilian professionals and that DOD’s participation may be in a supporting role. However, it also states that U.S. military forces shall be prepared to perform all tasks necessary to establish or maintain order when civilians cannot do so. In December 2005, President Bush issued NSPD-44 to promote the security of the United States through improved coordination, planning, and implementation of stabilization and reconstruction assistance. NSPD-44 assigned the Secretary of State the responsibility to coordinate and lead U.S. government efforts to plan for, prepare and conduct stabilization and reconstruction operations in countries and regions at risk of, in, or in transition from conflict or civil strife. The Secretary, in turn, delegated implementation of the directive to S/CRS. NSPD-44 identifies roles, responsibilities, and coordination requirements of U.S. government agencies that would likely participate in stabilization and reconstruction operations. It also requires that State lead the development of civilian response capability, including the capacity to ensure that the United States can respond quickly and effectively to overseas crises. Finally, NSPD-44 established the NSC Policy Coordination Committee for Reconstruction and Stabilization Operations to manage the development, implementation, and coordination of stabilization and reconstruction national security policies. S/CRS has led an interagency effort to develop a framework for planning and coordinating stabilization and reconstruction operations. The NSC has adopted two of three elements of the framework—the Interagency Management System (IMS) and procedures for initiating the framework’s use. One element—a guide for planning stabilization and reconstruction operations—has not been completed. As of October 2007, the framework has not been fully applied to any operation. In addition, NSPD-44, the Foreign Affairs Manual, and the framework provide unclear and inconsistent guidance on roles and responsibilities for S/CRS and other State bureaus and offices; the lack of a common definition for stability and reconstruction operations may pose an obstacle to interagency collaboration; and some partners have shown limited support for the framework and S/CRS. S/CRS is leading an NSC interagency group of 16 agencies to create a framework for developing specific stabilization and reconstruction plans under NSPD-44. The framework is intended to guide the development of U.S. planning for stabilization and reconstruction operations by facilitating coordination across federal agencies and aligning interagency efforts at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels. Key elements of the framework include an IMS, a guide for planning specific stabilization and reconstruction operations, and procedures for initiating governmentwide planning. The IMS, the first element of the framework, was created to manage high- priority and highly complex crises and operations. In March 2007, the NSC approved the IMS, which would guide coordination between Washington, D.C. policymakers, Chiefs of Mission, and civilian and military planners. If used, IMS would include three new interagency groups for responding to specific crises: a Country Reconstruction and Stabilization Group, an Integration Planning Cell, and an Advance Civilian Team. The Country Reconstruction and Stabilization Group would be responsible for developing U.S. government policies that integrate civilian and military plans and for mobilizing civilian responses to stabilization and reconstruction operations. The Integration Planning Cell would integrate U.S. civilian agencies’ plans with military operations. The Advance Civilian Team would be deployed to U.S. embassies to set up, coordinate, and conduct field operations and provide expertise on implementing civilian operations to the Chief of Mission and military field commanders. These teams would be supported by Field Advance Civilian Teams to assist reconstruction efforts at the local level. The second element of the framework, which the NSC approved in March 2007, establishes procedures for initiating the use of the framework for planning a U.S. response to an actual crisis or in longer-term scenario- based planning. Factors that may trigger the use of the framework include the potential for military action, actual or imminent state failure, the potential for regional instability, displacement of large numbers of people, and grave human rights violations. The use of the framework for planning crisis responses may be initiated by the NSC or by a direct request from the Secretary of State or the Secretary of Defense. The NSC, Chiefs of Mission, and Regional Assistant Secretaries of State may request the framework’s initiation for longer-term scenario planning for crises that may occur within 2 to 3 years. The third element, the planning guide, has not been approved by the NSC because State is rewriting the draft planning guide to address interagency concerns. Although NSC approval of the draft planning guide is not required, S/CRS officials stated that NSC approval would lend authority to the framework and strengthen its standing among interagency partners. The draft planning guide divides planning for stabilization and reconstruction operations into three levels: policy formulation, strategy development, and implementation planning. The guide states that the goals and objectives at each level should be achievable, be linked to planned activities, and include well-defined measures for determining progress. As of October 2007, the administration had not fully applied the framework to any stabilization and reconstruction operation. While IMS was approved by the NSC, the administration has not yet applied it to a current or potential crisis. The administration also applied earlier versions of one component of the framework—the planning guide—for efforts in Haiti, Sudan, and Kosovo. According to State officials, the administration has been using NSPD-1 processes to manage and plan U.S. operations in Iraq and Afghanistan in the absence of an approved framework. In completing the framework, State must resolve three key problems. First, NSPD-44, the Foreign Affairs Manual, and the framework provide unclear and inconsistent guidance on the roles and responsibilities of S/CRS and State’s bureaus and offices, resulting in confusion and disputes about who should lead policy development and control resources for stabilization and reconstruction operations. The Foreign Affairs Manual does not define S/CRS’s roles and responsibilities, but it does define responsibilities for State’s regional bureaus and Chiefs of Mission. Each regional bureau is responsible for providing direction, coordination, and supervision of U.S. activities in countries within the region, while each Chief of Mission has authority over all U.S. government staff and activities in the country. However, according to S/CRS’s initial interpretation of NSPD-44, it was responsible for leading, planning, and coordinating stabilization and reconstruction operations. Staff from one of State’s regional bureaus said that S/CRS had enlarged its role in a way that conflicted with the Regional Assistant Secretary’s responsibility for leading an operation and coordinating with interagency partners. More recently, according to S/CRS officials, S/CRS has taken a more facilitative role in implementing NSPD-44. Second, the lack of a common definition for stability and reconstruction operations may pose an obstacle to effective interagency collaboration under the framework. The framework does not define what constitutes stabilization or reconstruction operations, including what specific missions and activities would be involved. In addition, the framework does not explain how these operations differ from other types of military and civilian operations, such as counterinsurgency, counterterrorism, and development assistance. As a result, it is not clear when, where, or how the administration would apply the framework. In our October 2005 report, we found that collaborative efforts require agency staff to define and articulate a common outcome or purpose. Prior GAO work shows that the lack of a clear definition can pose an obstacle to improved planning and coordination of stabilization and reconstruction operations. Third, some interagency partners and State staff expressed concern over the framework’s importance and utility. For example, some interagency partners and staffs from various State offices said that senior officials did not communicate strong support for S/CRS or the expectation that State and interagency partners should use the framework. S/CRS has not been given key roles for operations that emerged after its creation, such as the ongoing efforts in Lebanon and Somalia, which several officials and experts stated are the types of operations S/CRS was created to address. In addition, USAID staff noted that some aspects of the planning framework were unrealistic, ineffective, and redundant because interagency teams had already devised planning processes for ongoing operations in accordance with NSPD-1. Further, some interagency partners believe the planning process, as outlined in the draft planning guide, is too cumbersome and time consuming for the results it produces.