Professional Documents
Culture Documents
French Air Force General Jean-Paul Palomros takes a moment to reflect on his first six months and discuss Allied Command Transformations tenth anniversary, Connected Forces Initiative and the Transatlantic Link.
By Ms. Robin Michelle Barnett, NATO Allied Command Operations, Civil-Military Fusion Centre
However, ACT cannot, must not, rest on its laurels. We have to stay focused and move forward, keeping in mind that we are responsible to shape the way for future NATO military operations and to make our best to provide NATO forces with the most suitable capabilities.
ity. Everything will rely on what we produce at the end of the day. We must produce both the highest quality and the most affordable solutions. Transparency is the second value. We cannot work alone. This is why we must interact in real-time with the nations, stakeholders, NATO Headquarters, or external partners (academia, NGOs2, think tanks) as they have a vision. We can then build on that vision, connect the people, connect the intellect and try to make the best assessment for the future. Transparency leads to credibility. If we are transparent enough then the nations understand what we do, why we do it and how we use their resources. Third is accountability. We must be accountable for what we do. The nations resource us, therefore, we have to identify affordable solutions and prove that we use our budget as best as possible. We must hold ourselves accountable in finance but also on human resources. The nations provide enormous human investment in terms of people and expertise. Responsibility is the fourth core value. As commander of ACT, I must assume my responsibility and every member of ACT must do the same. Each day we work for the future and future generations. Let us be confident in our work ethic that we can pass projects and vision to the future in the most responsible manner. It is our responsibility and commitment to provide the nations with the highest quality projects.
2 The Transformer
I am particularly keen on responsibility at the working level to empower the people. Empowerment enables creativity; this is what I call the magic circle.
more than a buzz word if we are not careful. What is needed to keep E-learning relevant? It is more than technology; it is the expertise behind technology. We must utilise the best teachers and trainers. For example, an instructor leading a course on Afghanistan must have first-hand experiences within the Afghan environment; the experts must put their subjects in operational context. So again, human expertise on human behaviour must be part of the equation. Secondly, we must have quality references. We will aim to align our training with higher level standards such as the Bologna process. This process is a good framework for certification in terms of quality: quality of instruction and quality of teaching. We must strive for the best so that we may experience the best results.
Each day we work for the future and future generations. Let us be confident in our work ethic that we can pass projects and vision to the future in the most responsible manner.
Q Some of the most prestigious universities offer Elearning. Does ACT envision E-Learning as a way of the future? A This is a holistic process. We cannot ask the best from our men and women if we do not provide them with the best training and education. NATO is a preeminent provider of online education in the world. Presently, every staff member reporting to Afghanistan completes online courses according to their respective position. If applied to ACT or other commands, online training could save time and money and improve the effectiveness of the incoming and deploying staff members. E-learning is a wonderful tool but we must remain disciplined; it could be no
CIED: Countering Improvised Explosive Devices NGO: Non-Governmental Organisation ISAF: International Security Assistance Force COE: Centre of Excellence
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