The Goldwater-Nichols Department of Defense Reorganization Act of 1986 addressed a huge problem that plagued our armed forces: the demonstrated inability of the military services to work effectively a joint team in conducting military operations. Beyond Goldwater-Nichols (BG-N) is a four-phased effort to explore the next era of defense reform. Its primary goal is to develop an integrated set of practical and actionable recommended reforms for organizing both the U.S. military and national security apparatus to meet 21st century challenges. As part of its outreach to build the case for necessary reforms, the BG-N study team serves as an honest broker among the various stakeholders, including between and among the Defense Department (DoD), the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, the White House, and the Congress. In support of the project, the BG-N study team regularly convenes a wide and diverse body of deeply experienced military, defense, homeland security, and other officials to seek their judgment on a wide range of pressing issues.
Currently, work is continuing on Phase 4 of the project, which consists of the following studies:
I. 21st Century Defense Priorities (Principal Invesitgator: Clark Murdock) – Developing an approach to facilitate a strategic dialogue among senior decision-makers on 21st century defense priorities that results in front-end guidance to the QDR
II. DoD Governance (Principal Investigator: Kathleen Hicks) III. DoD and the Nuclear Mission (Principal Investigator: Clark Murdock) – Defining the nature of the mission and developing the means for sustaining the U.S. as a nuclear power
Report released in March 2008: Murdock, Clark. The Department of Defense and the Nuclear Mission in the 21st Century. Washington: CSIS, 2008.
IV. Generating Unity of Effort During Catastrophic Disasters (Principal Investigators: Christine Wormuth) – Developing recommendations for government on all levels on how to better prepare for and achieve more unity effort in responding to catastrophes
For more information on Phases 1 through 3 of the Beyond Goldwater-Nichols project, please refer to the "Program Highlights" section on the right-hand side of this page.
Project Scholars:
Clark Murdock, Senior Adviser, International Security Program
Christine Wormuth, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
Kathleen Hicks, Senior Fellow, International Security Program
Anne A. Witkowsky, Senior Fellow, Homeland Security Program
Samuel Brannen, Fellow, International Security Program
Project Staff:
John Burgeson, Research Assistant, International Security Program
Eric Ridge, Research Assistant, International Security Program
Jeremy White, Research Assistant, International Security Program
Past Publications:
Murdock, Clark A., Michèle A. Flournoy, Christopher A. Williams, Kurt M. Campbell, Michal A. Coss, Adam N. Marks, and Richard W. Weitz. Beyond Goldwater Nichols Phase I Report: Defense Reform for a New Strategic Era. Washington: CSIS, 2004.
Murdock, Clark A. and Michèle A. Flournoy. Beyond Goldwater Nichols Phase II Report: Defense Reform for a New Strategic Era. Washington: CSIS, 2005.
Scruggs, David. Beyond Goldwater Nichols: An Annotated Brief: Department of Defense Acquisition And Planning, Programming, Budgeting, And Execution System Reform. Washington: CSIS, 2006.
Wormuth, Christine. Beyond Goldwater Nichols Phase III: The Future of the National Guard and Reserves. Washington: CSIS, 2006. |
