INSTITUTIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING

Institutional Capacity Building (ICB) is a primary element of Security Cooperation (SC). ICB supports allies and partner nations in developing the institutions and processes to generate and sustain forces and capabilities, effectively employ security sector governance, and oversee the activities of their security forces.

ICB encompasses SC activities that support partner efforts to establish or improve enduring policies and processes to plan, develop, resource, acquire, staff, employ, and sustain capabilities of benefit to respond to common challenges. ICB encompasses all SC activities that support allies and partners or appropriate regional organization efforts to improve security sector governance and management, enabling effective and responsible achievement of shared security objectives.


The purpose of ICB is

To advise and train personnel of foreign ministries of defense (or ministries with security force oversight) of foreign countries or regional organizations with security missions for the purpose of:

 

  1. Enhancing civilian oversight of foreign security forces;

  2. Establishing responsible defense governance and internal controls to build effective, transparent, and accountable defense institutions;

  3. Assessing organizational weaknesses and establishing a roadmap for addressing shortfalls;

  4. Enhancing ministerial, general or joint staff, or service level core management competencies; and

  5. For such other purposes as the Secretary considers appropriate, consistent with the authority.
     

The Department may assign civilian Department of Defense (DoD) employees and members of the armed forces as advisors to the noted organizations to:

  1. Provide institutional, ministerial-level advice, and other training to personnel of the ministry or regional organization to which assigned in support of stabilization or post-conflict activities; or

  2. Assist such ministry or regional organization in building core institutional capacity, competencies, and capabilities to manage defense-related processes.


Country teams work through Regional Combatant Commands (CCMDs) to nominate proposals to Office of the Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Joint Staff for approval; DSCA provides program management and execution through Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) elements and other Implementing Agencies.

Under 10 U.S.C. § 384, the DSCU is responsible for managing and providing ICB services executed by the Department of Defense. DSCA/DSCU organizations that execute ICB include:

 

ICB is authorized by Title 10 U.S.C., Ch. 16, § 332, as amended by Sec. 1241 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (P.L.114-328).  It is funded by annual appropriation, with DIILS and ISG being funded by Defense Wide Operations and Maintenance and Title 22 funding, and MoDA program being funded by the Defense Wide Operations and Maintenance and Overseas Contingency Operations Fund.