National Security Planning Research Articles

High-Level Isolation: A Landscape Analysis of Global Capabilities and Opportunities to Advance the Field.

High-level isolation units (HLIUs) have been established by countries to provide safe and optimal medical care for patients with high-consequence infectious diseases. We aimed to identify global high-level isolation capabilities and determine gaps and priorities of global HLIUs, using a multiple method approach that included a systematic review of published and gray literature and a review of Joint External Evaluations and Global Health Security Index reports from 112 countries. A follow-up electronic survey was distributed to identified HLIUs. The landscape analysis found 44 previously designated/self-described HLIUs in 19 countries. An additional 33 countries had potential HLIUs; however, there were not enough details on capabilities to determine if they fit the HLIU definition. An electronic survey was distributed to 36 HLIUs to validate landscape analysis findings and to understand challenges, best practices, and priorities for increased networking with a global HLIU cohort; 31 (86%) HLIUs responded. Responses revealed an additional 30 confirmed HLIUs that were not identified in the landscape analysis. To our knowledge, this was the first mapping and the largest ever survey of global HLIUs. Survey findings identified major gaps in visibility of HLIUs: while our landscape analysis initially identified 44 units, the survey unveiled an additional 30 HLIUs that had not been previously identified or confirmed. The lack of formalized regional or global coordinating organizations exacerbates these visibility gaps. The unique characteristics and capabilities of these facilities, coupled with the likelihood these units serve as core components of national health security plans, provides an opportunity for increased connection and networking to advance the field of high-level isolation and address identified gaps in coordination, build an evidence base for HLIU approaches, and inform HLIU definitions and key components.

Accepting responsibility? Institutions and the security implications of climate change

Who has responsibility for addressing the security implications of climate change? States and the United Nations justify their existence on the promise of providing security. Yet, although the national and international security implications of climate change are increasingly acknowledged, incorporation of climate change in national security planning or institutional arrangements is far from universal, while debates in the UN Security Council about its role in addressing climate change have been characterized by contestation. This article examines key debates about the responsibilities these institutions have for providing security in the face of the threats posed by climate change, examining the extent to which these institutions accept responsibility for providing security in these contexts. Drawing on Toni Erskine’s notion of institutional moral agency, the article examines a 2017 inquiry into the national security implications of climate change in Australia, and the September 2021 UN Security Council debate on the international security implications of climate change. These two case studies explicitly focus on the question of institutional responsibility – of the Australian Government and the UN Security Council respectively – for addressing the threat of climate change. In both cases these institutions stop short of accepting responsibility for providing security in the face of climate change, with limited policy responses or institutionalization as the result. With the security implications of climate change increasingly apparent, and increasingly recognized by these (and other) actors, the failure to accept responsibility raises potentially significant questions about the legitimacy of these institutions themselves.

Optimizing Multi-Agency Cooperation in Kenya’s National Security Planning and Response

Optimizing Multi-Agency Cooperation in Kenya’s National Security Planning and Response

Re-imagining the virus

ABSTRACT This article tracks new conceptualizations of viruses both as a scientific object of study and a cultural object of fear and fascination. After World War II, the scientific study of viruses took on greater significance. The discovery of viral DNA and RNA revolutionized the understanding of microbial and human evolution. Technological innovations (electron microscopy, x-ray crystallography) and improvements in vaccine development gave scientists greater confidence in managing diseases such as polio and influenza. But in the 1980s, the emergence of HIV-AIDS, a deadly new virus that provoked intense stigma and discrimination, undercut that confidence. Scientific understandings of HIV led to more evolutionary, ecological views of disease origins; widely disseminated through the news and entertainment industries, those views inspired a newer, darker era of viral imaginaries. The identity of viruses as objects of scientific study, national security planning and popular culture have become difficult to disentangle as a result.

Optimization of Secure Coding Practices in SDLC as Part of Cybersecurity Framework

Cybersecurity is a global goal that is central to national security planning in many countries. One of the most active research fields is design of practices for the development of so-called highly secure software as a kind of protection and reduction of the risks from cyber threats. The use of a secure software product in a real environment enables the reduction of the vulnerability of the system as a whole. It would be logical to find the most optimal solution for the integration of secure coding in the classic SDLC (software development life cycle). This paper aims to suggest practices and tips that should be followed for secure coding, in order to avoid cost and time overruns because of untimely identification of security issues. It presents the implementation of secure coding practices in software development, and showcases several real-world scenarios from different phases of the SDLC, as well as mitigation strategies. The paper covers techniques for SQL injection mitigation, authentication management for staging environments, and access control verification using JSON Web Tokens.

National Security and Climate Change: The Attention It Deserves?

In the past year, climate change and national security have received significant attention from policymakers in the United States and the international community. Despite high-level meetings and statements on the topic, however, climate change is not yet fully mainstreamed into policymakers’ national-security agendas, particularly in areas related to geopolitical competition and governance. Better integration of climate-related predictive capabilities into national-security planning and the development of an interdisciplinary, scientifically literate national-security workforce are needed to address this gap.

INSTITUTIONAL AND ECONOMIC MECHANISMS OF STATE REGULATION OF THE DEFENSE FUNCTION OF THE UKRAINE AEROSPACE COMPLEX

The article systematizes the principles and methods of institutional transformations of the national economy of Ukraine related to the regulation of defense function, which are set out in the Air Code of Ukraine, Laws of Ukraine "On National Security of Ukraine", "On Space Activities", Concepts of the "State target program of reform and development of the defense-industrial complex for the period up to 2020" and the "National target scientific and technical space program of Ukraine for 2021-2025". The main priorities for the implementation of the defense function are: sustainable development of the national economy; integration into the European political, economic, security, legal space. The powers in the field of realization of the defense function of the state regulatory bodies of the aerospace complex are systematized: the Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine, the State Aviation Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the State Space Agency of Ukraine, the Ministry of Strategic Industries. Proposals have been developed to coordinate their activities by creating a single information system with the definition of access rights of certain structures in peacetime, special periods, as well as in wartime. Institutional and economic mechanisms of state regulation of the defense function of the aerospace complex of Ukraine are generalized: defense planning; national security planning; public-private partnership; attraction of international advisory, financial, logistical assistance; targeted scientific and technical programs; state defense order. The tangible and intangible forms of the product have been formalized, thanks to which the defense function of the aerospace complex is realized. The directions of improvement of institutional and economic mechanisms of state regulation of the defense function of the aerospace complex of Ukraine are substantiated: ensuring diversification and competitiveness of products; implementation of the import substitution program; large-scale reengineering of technologies, business processes and organization of production in the industrial segment; modernization of final defense products; increasing the capacity of repair and restoration enterprises, development of cluster networks.

A Comparative Analysis of Information and Artificial Intelligence Toward National Security

Information is inevitable when it comes to national security. The information revolution seems to hold the massive potential to strengthen national security against current and upcoming threats and cyber-attacks. However, advancements in information accessibility possess innumerable complications for retaining stable national security. One of the preeminent information sources is social media which certainly raises information manipulation factors and destabilizes national security. To accomplish better national security plans, information technology can help countries to identify potential threats, share information securely, and protect mechanisms in them. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the smart areas that robustly facilitates secure information handling to avoid threats and cyber-attacks. It intelligently scrutinizes information available to the public through social media and assists in refraining negative effects on national security. This research article widely focuses on four main analytical milestones; 1) Information available to the public 2) Information affecting national security 3) Risks of cyber-attacks 4) AI as paramount to national security for accomplishing competent information role. Our principal objective is to demystify information accessibilities perspectives for readers to understand the fundamentals of information accessibility and inaccessibility corresponding to national security. To support and manifest our milestones and objectives, a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) is methodologically adapted to draw suitable conclusions and develop a farsighted frame of reference. This paper concludes with AI tool based categorization and domain-specific analysis with area-based limitations to highlight current needs. Above all, this article is a thought-provoking kick-start for many naive social media users that usually avoid information-bearing elements and are victimized by cyber-attacks followed by national security compromises.

Building resilience through integrated health systems strengthening: policy and planning analysis

Health system strengthening towards universal health coverage and health security are key objectives promoted by health policy actors. However, bringing together these agendas has presented challenges. Health investments are often reactive and siloed e.g. emergency and humanitarian response programmes. There has been disinvestment in public health and primary health care (PHC), and limited linkages with allied sectors (e.g. environmental and animal health). There is a need to better understand policies that promote integration and enable effective response to threats such as COVID-19 in tandem with maintaining routine health system functions (e.g. PHC and essential individual and population health services). We conducted document analysis of national health sector, security and public health policies and plans and drew on perspectives of key stakeholders to investigate integration using a health systems resilience framework. We examined the extent and manner in which policies are integrated to enable national and subnational systems to prepare for, prevent and adapt to shocks while maintaining routine and essential functions. While we identified a recognition of the need for better integration to promote health security within health systems strengthening efforts and vice versa including strengthening governance, accountability and capacity for stewardship within national and local health and allied authorities, evidence of such an approach was limited. National laws to support IHR (2005) implementation were often outdated and insufficient to produce the policy environment for multi-sectoral working. In 2020, only 47% of national COVID-19 plans from 106 countries considered the maintenance of non-COVID-19 essential health services - a key component of health systems resilience. Policies which strengthen PHC services and preventative interventions can be cost-effective and efficient whilst bridging pandemic response and other essential functions of the health system.Key messages COVID-19 is an opportunity to promote and sustain greater integration and inter- and multisectoral engagement.Everyone can play a role to foster an integrated approach focussing on preventative, cost-effective health services to ensure health systems resilience.

Clustering of the economy in a comprehensive system of the international economic security: organizational economic mechanism

In a globalized world, international economic security has become the key to world order stability. Improving the resilience and competitiveness of the economy is one of the priorities for countries around the world. Furthermore, each country must ensure such a level of its national economic security that will guarantee its safe economic functioning. Clustering the economy can help countries to achieve this. Thanks to the cluster approach, it becomes possible to produce a competitive product and sell it on the world market, which will ensure the effective and rapid development of the international economy. Clustering of the economy can affect on the provision of international economic security and become its main component. Therefore, cluster formations become a productive self-sufficient element in a comprehensive system of international economic security. Empirical and theoretical methods show that there is a relationship between international economic security and clustering of the economy, which is very important in creating the conditions for the security of individual states. The article proposes to consider the clustering of the economy as the main component of a comprehensive system of international economic security. The integrated system of international economic security is presented in the form of a complex, interconnected, structured algorithm, the components of which are institutions which aimed at guaranteeing security, strategies of national security programs and plans, legal and information support and clustering of the economy. Besides, clusters can be seen as a link between politics, economics and economic security. Clustering of the economy is directly related to economic security. Clusters cover new industries, innovations, long-term cooperation. They act as catalysts for change in the country’s economy. Clusters are related to the political and economic strategies of states. The result of the authors of the strategy of international economic security and the Methodology for assessing the effectiveness of the cluster is a proposal to consider the clustering of the economy an important component of international economic security and an important component of economic policy. Clusters in the world economic system are able to ensure economic stability in times of crisis, give great economic effect and achieve joint economic success.

Use of the SWOT Analysis in the Field of National Security Planning

The authors propose to improve the methodology of operational and service activities planning based on the methodology of defense planning within the national security system on the basis of opportunities. The capability-based planning will allow for better planning of operational and service activities of the border agency and will ensure active cooperation between Ukraine and NATO in order to achieve the criteria necessary for full membership in the Alliance. A defense survey is conducted to assess the state and readiness of the defense forces to perform tasks related to the defense of Ukraine, the state of their personnel, financial, logistical and other types of support in the current and projected conditions of the security environment. The survey of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine was conducted using an analytical method, namely the analysis of strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT-analysis), which allows substantiating the main directions of the Development Strategy of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine and increasing the level of operational and service activities planning within the system of national security. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine is a component of the security and defense sector and the new conditions the border agency operates in arise the issue on improving the methodology of planning its operational and service activities. Doi: 10.28991/esj-2021-01280 Full Text: PDF

How Many Wells? Exploring the Scope of Shale Gas Production for Achieving Gas Self-Sufficiency in Poland

Poland has been estimated to possess large volumes of technically recoverable shale gas resources, which has raised national hopes for increasing energy security and building export capacity. In this paper, we aim to examine political claims and hopes that Poland could achieve natural gas self-sufficiency and even become a gas exporter by harnessing domestic shale potential. We do so by relying on well-by-well production experience from the Barnett Shale in the USA to explore what scope of shale gas extraction, in terms of the number of wells, would likely be required to achieve such national expectations. With average well productivity equal to the Barnett Shale, at least 420 wells per year would be necessary to meet the domestic demand of 20 Bcm in 2030. Adding Poland’s potential export capacity of five Bcm of gas per year would necessitate at least 540 wells per year. Such a significant amount of drilling and hydraulic fracturing would require reconsideration and verification of national energy security plans and expectations surrounding shale gas production. A more informed public debate on technical aspects of extraction would be required, as extensive fracking operations could potentially have implications in terms of environmental risks and local land-use conflicts.

ENHANCING SCIENTIFIC SUPPORT FOR NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY MAKING: INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE

The article examines evolution of scholarly approaches towards the phenomenon of the “national security.” By the early 21st century this notion found its way in the official strategic documents of a wide range of states. The authors examine the Russian and international record of analysis in the field of national security, and assess the adequacy of existing views on this subject taking in the account emerging threats, risks and challenges, as well as the tasks of sustainable development of a country in the social, economic, political, information, spiritual and other areas. They start by presenting the early conceptualizations of this term in the debates of American experts in the 1950s and the 1960s. An important innovation of that period was disentanglement of the national security from purely territorial and military threat, by preparing for other types of contingencies. The article additionally examines the struggle between two alternative approaches towards protecting the national security in the United States: the one founded on unilateral domination and the other prioritizing collective actions. It demonstrates that the one important result of the Western debates was the emergence of a new field of study defined by policy relevant studies, which produce useful, original, and verifiable inferences, which are then injected in decision-making process. In order to promote a similar institutionalized expertise, the article suggests seceding the study of the national security in a separate discipline. This step will enable to further promote the training of specialists not only in the field of national security and strategic planning, but also political scientists and future specialists for the public service. The need for this is obviously related to the tasks of improving the quality of policy making and strategic planning in the Russian Federation, the implementation of national projects in an extremely complex international environment.

Da juventude ao jovem: novos horizontes para uma política de prevenção da violência

A violência atinge o jovem de maneira desproporcional no Brasil, especialmente o jovem negro. 53,3% dos homicídios no país em 2018 ocorreram entre jovens de 15 a 29 anos. A sobrerrepresentação dessa população se mantém ao longo dos anos. Apesar dos inúmeros diagnósticos que revelam esse panorama, as diferentes políticas de segurança pública não foram capazes de reverter esse quadro. Esse artigo analisa a perspectiva da prevenção da violência nos diferentes planos nacionais de segurança pública e no plano Juventude Viva, plano instituído pela Secretaria-Geral da Presidência da República em 2012, e argumenta que, apesar das ações direcionadas ao público jovem, o déficit de implementação e descontinuidade dos planos impede a reversão do cenário no curto prazo. O artigo defende a mudança no paradigma na elaboração dos diagnósticos da violência, apontando para a necessidade de uma abordagem individualizada voltada à implementação de políticas públicas mais assertivas e focalizadas. A experiência do Observatório de Prevenção da Violência da cidade de Caruaru é apresentada como modelo desse tipo de diagnóstico.

PROBLEMS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY STRATEGY OF UKRAINE

The article explores the development of methodological principles in the field of strategic planning and management and the development of planning documents in the field of national security, taking into account the peculiarities of the current stage of global development, the variability of the security environment.
 The purpose of this article is to identify problematic issues in the field of national security planning in Ukraine and ways to improve the process of development and implementation of the National Security Strategy, taking into account the best world practices. The research is based on the analysis of publications by domestic and foreign researchers in the field of strategic planning, appropriate legal acts of Ukraine, as well as the author's experience gained from her involving in development of draft strategic documents of the state.
 This article is focusing on solving the following scientific and practical problems: identification of the main trends in the development of methodological framework of strategic planning in the field of national security; identification of problems in the field of strategic planning in the field of national security of Ukraine; identification of scientifically substantiated ways to improve the process of strategic planning in the field of national security in Ukraine, taking into account the best international practices.
 The main research methods are empirical (in particular, observations, descriptions, comparisons) and general scientific (primarily, analysis, synthesis, generalization, explanation, historical and logical methods, etc.).
 The main results of the study are, in particular, the following:
 It is determined that in accordance to the best world practices the development of national security strategies take into account the principles of national resilience and the wide expert involvement in the process of preparation of such a document is recommended. The growing role of strategic management and the need to ensure national resilience characterize current trends in the development of methodological framework of strategic planning in the field of national security.
 It is emphasized that the very fact that the state has a national security strategy based on the scientific ground is not a guarantee of achieving certain goals and results in practice. Therefore, the process of implementation of such a document should be under constant control by the public authorities.
 The new cycle of planning has been starting after the adoption in 2020 of the new National Security Strategy of Ukraine. The analysis conducted by the author revealed a number of problematic issues, the solution of which requires, in particular, the amendment to the Law of Ukraine "On National Security of Ukraine" in terms of strategic planning. The fundamental differences and innovations of the current National Security Strategy of Ukraine in comparison with its previous editions are determined.
 It is emphasized that lessons from the experience of implementing strategic planning documents in the field of national security should be learned in Ukraine. It is determined that the low level of implementation of previous national security strategies of Ukraine was caused by the declarative nature of some of their norms, lack and formality of control over the implementation of such documents, lack of reporting procedures, indicators and criteria for evaluating the results, including for their compliance with certain objectives.
 The lack of attention to the analysis of the security situation in appropriate field, risk assessment, forecasting, threat identification and vulnerability detection are identified as some of the most significant problems during the preparation of strategic planning documents in the field of national security.
 Based on the results of the study, recommendations for the state authorities of Ukraine were prepared.

The connections between crisis and war preparedness in Sweden

Contemporary liberal and democratic states have ‘securitized’ a growing number of issues by advancing the notion of societal security. This is coupled with a proactive stance and the conception of building societal resilience in order to withstand future crises and disturbances. The preemptive logic of contemporary security and crisis management calls for a new type of resilient neoliberal subject who is willing to accept uncertainty and shoulder greater individual responsibility for her own security. This article offers a genealogical analysis of this development in Sweden since the end of the Cold War, highlighting the role now assigned to citizens within social and national security planning. I argue that seeking a return to a more traditional notion of ‘total defence’ blurs the previously important war/peace and crisis/security distinctions. While war preparedness in previous eras was an exceptional aspect of human life and citizenship, the conceptions of security now evolving bind together societal and national security such that civil and war preparedness are merged into an ever-present dimension of everyday existence. The analysis also reveals that the responsibilization of individuals introduces a moral dimension into security and generates new forms of citizen–citizen relations. These extricate the sovereign powers of the state and the liberalist social contract between the state and its citizens.

India’s National Security Coordination and Policymaking

The National Security Council (NSC) has become the most important institution on national security coordination, planning and policymaking in India, particularly since 2014. However, the government has been criticised for not institutionalising its national security architecture as many changes in the NSC system are seen as personality centric. Vinay Kaura assesses the key characteristics and functioning of the evolving NSC coupled with the role and influence of individuals and institutions. He contends that a decline in prime ministerial trust or interest, which seems unlikely until 2024, could moderate the NSC’s role in policymaking on national security. ◼

KEY ASPECTS AND ANALYSIS OF EUROPEAN DEFENSE PLANNING PROCESSES

Strategic planning - its theoretical and methodological principles - serve as the basis for national security planning, including, of course, military activities. It is important to note the limited accuracy in the field of strategical assessment and planning. For example in a period of 30-40 years the paradigms inevitably change, evolve or emerge in new implemented policies that directly or indirectly affect the economy, science, technology and in particular the processes in the armed forces. Keywords: European processes, defense, analysis, strategic planning.

Питання мобілізаційного планування національної економіки України. Зміст, принципи та підходи до його організації в сучасних умовах

Іноземний досвід і вже накопичений досвід України показують, що в обороноздатності держави мобілізаційній складовій має приділятися дедалі більша увага. Одним з найважливіших елементів мобілізації в державі є переведення економіки від виробництва мирного часу на виробництво продукції у воєнний час. Збалансована система мобілізації дає можливість у відносно короткий час розпочати виробництво озброєння та військової техніки, а також їх ремонт для задоволення потреб, пов’язаних з розгортанням Збройних Сил, інших військових формувань до штатів воєнного часу та наявності воєнних втрат. Мобілізація є складовою обороноздатності держави і має в першу чергу відповідати оперативним потребам Збройних Сил та економічним можливостям держави.Результатом мобілізаційної підготовки економіки в умовах миру є такий її стан, коли підготовлені та зосереджені необхідні запаси матеріально-технічних та сировинних ресурсів, необхідних для проведення мобілізації та функціонування держави в умовах особливого періоду, коли кожний елемент (учасник) системи має певні завдання, чітко розуміє, що він має робити, коли і як.Ступінь задоволення потреб оборони залежить від чіткого планування державою заходів з мобілізації. Місце та роль мобілізаційного планування визначається його присутністю у системі планування у сферах національної безпеки України. В підсумку діяльності з мобілізаційного планування з’являються мобілізаційні плани, програми мобілізаційної підготовки, оперативно-мобілізаційні документи щодо переведення центральних та місцевих органів виконавчої влади, інших державних органів у вищі ступені готовності, плани-графіки переведення органів державної влади, органів місцевого самоврядування на режим роботи в умовах особливого періоду й інші документи, які безпосередньо пов’язані з організацією роботи органів управління в умовах особливого періоду.Нагальним питанням в системі мобілізаційного планування національної економіки України є запровадження програмно-цільового методу планування, інтегрованого в систему планування у сфері національної безпеки і оборони та оборонного планування.

The Contemporary Presidency“It Went Off the Rails”: Trump’s Presidential Transition and the National Security System

Transitions to the presidency matter, especially concerning national security. What transpired for Donald J. Trump pales in comparison to the relatively smooth transition between the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. As one source later noted, the Trump transition “went off the rails” after the election. This was especially so in the case of national security planning, which historically has not been affected as much by problematic presidential transitions. This article will explore what transpired during Trump’s transition to the presidency and its impact on the national security system.