UNITED KINGDOMCULTURE & LANGUAGE IN DEFENCE

Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Personnel & Training)

MOD London – Strategic Headquarters

Christine Adamson, MOD Culture & Language Policy Desk Officer

Member of The Chartered Institute of Linguists

Language Training – Challenges

£ £ £ £ £

Language Training – Challenges

MOD budget deficit

Adverse financial climate

Unpalatable choices

No stones unturned

Re-validating the requirement for C&L capability

“The ability to communicate effectively is a pre-requisite for the successful application of

military and diplomatic influence.” Defence Language Capability Policy (DLCP)

Re-validating the requirement

Re-validating the requirement

“Culture & Language should support current & contingent

operations in support of UK foreign policy in a timely and

responsive manner” 2010 Study ‘The Future of Defence C&L Capability

Emerging C&L Governance

MODSenior Responsible Owner

for C&L

Training Requirements & Assurance (DOLSU)

Training Delivery(DefAc/DSL)

Force Generation Linguists & Cultural

Advisors (DCSU)

ArmyJoint Forces CommandUnifying Joint User

Other Government Departments

Academic & Commercial Partners

Challenges & Opportunities

Need to develop a new delivery model to deliver the

requirement with reduced financial resource

Implementation by the end of Financial Year 2013/14

C&L Training – Future Delivery Project

PROJECT AIM

“To develop and implement a coherent and cost-effective delivery

model in order to meet Defence and Security Culture & Language

training and education requirements.”

“Language training includes per se a degree of cultural training.

All personnel engaged in Defence Missions overseas and with

allies will require a degree of training for cross-cultural working,

although not all posts will require foreign language skills. Cultural

education and training may, therefore, be delivered independently

of language training.” DLCP

Cross Government initiatives

Language skills in Diplomatic Excellence initiative

Foreign & Commonwealth Office lead

MOD, DfID, HMRC, UKBA, Metropolitan Police all engaged

E-Learning

Face to Face training

Blended learning

CULTURAL CAPABILITY The Defence Cultural Specialist Unit (DCSU)

DCSU

Established in April 2010

Mission – to improve Cultural Capablity across Defence

Main effort – support to Operation HERRICK (Afghanistan)

To date, 34 linguistically & culturally trained Cultural Advisors

(CULADS) generated by DCSU have deployed to Helmand

Province to help shape operations at Brigade and Battlegroup

level

Collect, Plan, Advise, Influence

Cultural Advisors

Understanding of the local population and local nuances of an area

Cultural knowledge

Ability & tools to develop their understanding

Linguistic skills

Primary role that focuses on the people

1 2 3 4

CULAD Training Model

32 24 3

DCSU DSL DCSU Def Ac

40 weeks

15 Months

DCSU integrated course

1 - Induction2 - Language Training (40 weeks DSL course then integrated to mitigate skills fade)3 - Military combat and staff skills 4 - Culture Training delivered by Cranfield University

“Our wider regional engagement is critical to the UK’s influence in a part of the world which is essential to the UK’s own security and prosperity. To have someone on my team who understands the culture and speaks the language has been absolutely invaluable.”

COS COMUKTG

DCSU Broadening Scope

2011 the first maritime CULAD, an Officer of the Royal Navy

Reserve, deployed with the COMUK Task Group’s Flag Ship,

HMS ALBION, to the Middle East & Persian Gulf

Maritime CULAD contribution

Advise Commander and his staff

Low level cultural briefs to ship’s company – particularly prior

to “Runs-ashore”

Receiving & hosting VIP and military from the host country

Key leadership engagement

Cultural Capability - Key Challenges

Meeting Op HERRICK requirements through Transition

Reinforcing the training and force generation pipeline

Refocusing to meet contingency

Meeting the wider Defence requirement for cultural capability;

Defence Diplomacy, training tasks, working with allies

Developing relevant, robust and coherent training at all levels

Address career implications, recognition and reward