Tactical Conflict Assessment Framework
USAID is training military and civilian personnel being deployed to theaters such as Afghanistan and Iraq in identifying the underlying causes of instability and conflict in their areas of operation, devising programs to diminish the roots of instability and conflict, and measuring the effectiveness of the programming.
 In response to a request by the Department of Defense - and building on work done by the Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation (CMM) and the Office of Military Affairs (OMA) - USAID created the Tactical Conflict Assessment Framework (TCAF). The TCAF is a standardized diagnostic tool designed for use by both military and civilian personnel. It is employed to gather information from local inhabitants to identify the causes of instability or conflict in tactical areas of operation. This information helps identify, prioritize, monitor, evaluate, and adjust civil-military programming targeted at diminishing the causes of instability or conflict. The TCAF has four major components:
- Identifying Causes of Instability / Conflict
- The Local Context
- Gathering Information
- Designing Effective Programming
The TCAF training also includes a detailed case study based on a real situation in a West African area in which trainees are tasked with identifying the causes of instability in the country and designing effective programs to mitigate them.
The TCAF was initially tested in June 2006 as part of a Field Training Exercise at Fort Bragg, NC before being brought to the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk, LA. USAID trainers accompanied the 4th Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Division to Afghanistan to field test the TCAF.
The TCAF is a key element of a comprehensive approach to designing programs in unstable environments. Once the diagnostic assessment is completed, trainees are given illustrative project examples and cultural awareness orientation. This information is integrated into a synchronized civil-military campaign plan. OMA is completing a detailed programming handbook with guidance for field teams (principally Provincial Reconstruction Teams) on activity design with the goal of improving their ability to address the causes of conflict more directly and increase program effectiveness.
Wherever possible, USAID seeks to raise awareness of development and conflict mitigation issues before military and civilian personnel are sent into hostile areas. Civilian staff-many of whom have never served alongside the military-are given training in situational awareness and introduced to military procedures and principles.
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