Challenges in Utilising Key Leader Engagement in Civil-Military Operations

To meet the demands of complex contemporary conflicts, civilian and military actors need to work together. Reaching the population and acquiring their support is often vital to mission success. Key Leader Engagement KLE is an important element of C2 that the commander can use to achieve this. KLE is not a new phenomenon. Military commanders and diplomats have been meeting with important local officials for decades in different countries and mission areas. However, the nature of contemporary conflicts and the need for collaborative C2 have renewed the interest in this concept. This paper is based on a literature review and interviews with Swedish civilian and military personnel who have conducted KLE during international missions. The paper gives a description of what KLE is and how it can be used in civil-military operations. It identifies common challenges associated with these activities and discusses how they can be met. The paper shows that there are inadequately developed procedures for conducting KLE and that these need to be further developed to enhance commanders ability to perform C2 in complex operations. The paper argues that even though there are challenges, KLE is an important element of C2 in multinational operations. The presentation includes briefing charts.