Reconnecting the academic community to British defence and security policy: the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review

Lead Research Organisation: King's College London
Department Name: Defence Studies

Abstract

British defence and security policy is at a major turning point. After more than a decade of constant operational commitments the armed forces are scheduled to withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014 whilst at the same time the Ministry of Defence (MoD) implements the defence cuts outlined in the 2010 SDSR, move the remaining 15,000 service personnel from Germany and transform the way it does its business by seeing through over 45 transformation programmes. Many within the Mod and outside doubt it can succeed and outside and planning within the MoD for the 2015 mandated SDSR has already commenced.
At the same time the academic community has largely disengaged from this area of study. Those that remain are largely focused on policy analysis and disconnected from the wider theoretical debates within academia. Moreover, their demographic profile suggests that the long-term academic engagement in this area is unsustainable.
This seminar series therefore offers a unique opportunity to reconnect the study of UK defence and security policy with wider debates in security studies and British politics, and to incorporate policy-makers and military practitioners into this dialogue. It plans to stimulate more considered and better informed decisions by government; nurture a new generation of academics in this field of study; and to improve the knowledge of those who hold the practitioner's to account. The planned seven seminars will include individuals from all these constituencies to debate issues related to 'Britain's place in the world', the 'Changing character of conflict and intervention', the 'Armed Forces and Society', 'Nuclear weapons', 'Conventional Forces, 'Defence Reform', and 'Reflections on the SDSR'.
There will be a series of outputs. For the academic community these will include a series of publications, drawing in a new generation of scholars into this field of study and engagement with the policy community. For the practitioner community this will include drawing upon a wider range of academic expertise, 'Read Teaming' parts of the 2015 SDSR and the provision of a new network of interested parties. For the wider community it will help provide a forum and written materials for those who hold the practitioner to account (parliament, wider government and the media) as well drawing in a range of interested parties such as defence industry, allies and partners, the trade unions, local and regional interest groups and so forth.

Planned Impact

Practitioner community.
For this community, comprising policy-makers, officials and the armed forces, the series will have several benefits:
1. It will facilitate dialogue and exchange with academic defence and security experts on areas of mutual concern. It is noteworthy that a number of recent defence policy debates began first in the academic arena and were then subsequently addressed by policy-makers e.g. strategic vacuum, military covenant, officer numbers etc.
2. It will provide a forum to test some of their emerging ideas under the Chatham House Rule and thus have the benefit of a "Red Team" exercise from individuals who are likely to be less conformal than those who usually provide this cohort.
3. It will give then access beyond their traditional RUSI/policy analysis nexus and thus have access to a much broader range of opinions and advice.
4. They will also have access to the outputs identified in the Pathways to Impact.
5. They will have recourse to a new network of interested parties who they can subsequently call upon and engage with.
6. It will facilitate inter-departmental co-operation and discussion outside the usual Whitehall circles by engaging a varied range of defence and security communities, including academics, advocacy groups and industry.

Those that hold the practitioner community to account
For this community, whose composition includes Members of Parliament, Public Accounts, Public Administration, Defence, National Security Strategy and Foreign Affairs Select Committees, National Audit Office, defence section of the Treasury and the media, the seminar series will have several benefits:
1. It will offer them the opportunity to informally engage with the policy-makers outside the more formal settings of parliament and the select committee hearings
2. It will establish the likely areas of contention within the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review and thus help guide the various Select Committees to the areas which they most need to focus their attention.
3. It will provide a body of empirical evidence for them to use and an academic community they can consult with.
4. For the media the seminar series will help identify a wider range of potential commentators.
5. They will also have access to the outputs identified in the Pathways to Impact.

Influencing Community
For this community, whose composition includes allies, international organisations such as NATO and the EU, defence industry, trade unions and local and regional constituency interests, the seminar series offers several benefits:
1. It will allow members of this community to contribute to the body of knowledge available to policy-makers. Examples here might include local and regional implications of particular policy options.
2. It will facilitate this community engaging with the media.
3. They will also have access to the outputs identified in the Pathways to Impact.
4. It will informally offer them the opportunity to engage with policy-makers outside the formal settings of parliament and the select committee hearings.
5. It will offer them the opportunity to informally express any of their concerns and the highlight potential implications of particular policy options.
 
Description having engaged widely with academics and practitioners the following points have become apparent:

1. The academic community that researches British defence and security policy is small and diminishing. In each workshop we have sought to bring in new and younger academics.

2. The think-tank community is declining with few having any real expertise in this area and none have started any of the debates within British defence and security policy.

3. The depth of knowledge of the practitioner community is diminishing with few having any details historical understanding of trends in British defence and security policy.

4. The formalisation of the defence and security review process has not unpicked the 'groundhog day' cycle first identified by Cornish and Dorman.
Exploitation Route The findings have direct relevance to policy makers.
Sectors Aerospace

Defence and Marine

 
Description Findings from this study contributed to three further pieces of work: 1. A comparative piece was produced for the French Ministry of Defence in support of their defence review: • 'France and the United Kingdom: a comparative analysis of their respective white papers', in Vers une Nouvells Strategie Europeenne de Securite, edited by Général de division (2S) Maurice De Langloi, IRSEM Paper no.25, 2015, http://www.defense.gouv.fr/base-de-medias/documents-telechargeables/irsem/pdf-publications/pdf-labo/labo-2015/laboratoire-n-25-2015. 2. A series off reports was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence to provide background for the 2015 Strategic Defence and Security Review. 3. An independent report was produced for the King's Policy Institute which contributed to the prosperity agenda element of the 2015 SDSR. 4. A study on British Defence Policy for IFRI by Andrew Dorman has been commissioned for submission 1 May 2017. 5. Andrew Dorman has been appointed to the Vice Chief of the Defence Staff's Force Exploration Task Force 6. Dorman AM; Uttley MRH; Wilkinson B; 'A Benefit, not a Burden: The Security, Economic and Strategic Value of Britain's Defence Industry', co-authored with Matthew Uttley & Benedict Wilkinson, King's Policy Institute Paper, April 2015. This was directly referred to in the Single Source Regulation Office's report 'Perspectives on non-competitive defence spending - September 2016' https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/552870/Perspectives_on_non-competitive_defence_spending_12_September_20161.pdf and we provided one of the academic pieces in the report. 7. Oral Evidence, House of Commons Defence Committee, 'Flexible Response? An SDSR Checklist of Potential Threats,' HC.493, 21 November 2015, http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/defence-committee/an-sdsr-checklist-of-potential-threats/oral/23304.html 8. Written Evidence (with Matthew RH Uttley & Benedict Wilkinson), House of Commons Defence Committee, 'Shifting the Goalposts? Defence expenditure and the 2% Pledge,' HC.494, 20 April 2015, http://data.parliament.uk/WrittenEvidence/CommitteeEvidence.svc/EvidenceDocument/Defence/Defence%20expenditure%20and%20the%202%20pledge/written/24358.html
First Year Of Impact 2015
Sector Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Government, Democracy and Justice,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Security and Diplomacy
Impact Types Policy & public services

 
Description Background briefing papers to Ministry of Defence
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
Impact Paper classified
 
Description Submission to House of Commons Defence Committee
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Citation in other policy documents
URL http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/defence-committee/a...
 
Description 'When Ambiguity met Austerity: National Security Making in the 21st Century' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Presentation hosted by Cabinet Office with representation from across Whitehall. Talk sparked questions and discussion with follow on meetings.

N number of individuals requested subsequent meetings
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014
 
Description SDSR2015: Risks and Opportunities' 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Talk sparked questions and discussion afterwards

Informed key members of next generation of Royal navy/Royal Marine leadership
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014