Gauging Provincial Reconstruction Team Effectiveness

PRTs: How Do We Know if They Work? Stability, Security, Transition and Reconstruction (SSTR) programs have become central to the US and NATO efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and will continue to play a key role in any operational plan effort during the stability operations or the transfer to civil authority phase. Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) are the near unanimous governmental tool of choice for implementing SSTR efforts, yet there is no quantitative way to determine if PRTs are achieving the desired effects or progressing towards the desired objectives. Research has revealed little or no work done towards formalizing effectiveness measures in spite of official direction to accomplish the same. A 2007 General Accountability Office report found the "DOD has taken several steps to improve planning for stability operations, but faces challenges in developing capabilities and measures of effectiveness" and "DOD has made limited progress in developing measures of effectiveness because of weaknesses in DOD's guidance." Undoubtedly, there exists a significant need for MoEs with little being done to address the problem. One could presume the lack of effort stems from personnel being too busy conducting operations to address what is perceived as a secondary tasking.