Research – CMPO

Conceptual Model of Peace Operations
The Conceptual Model of Peace Operations (CMPO) has been under development since our inception and has benefited significantly from input by subject matter experts participating in POPP workshops over time. The current version, CMPO 5.0, was released on February 1, 2002.

POPP defines a peace operation as an intervention into a complex contingency for the purpose of maintaining or restoring peace. The contingency may be due to conflict and/or natural disaster. Within the domain of peace operations, there are four higher order functions—peacemaking, peacebuilding, peacekeeping, and peace support. It should be noted that earlier versions of the model contained wording that colored these functions with associations to individuals or entities. Experts and analysts in the field tend to view peace operations through military, political/governmental, and civil/humanitarian lenses. In fact, for most of its life, CMPO contained three higher order functions—peacemaking, peacebuilding, and peace support. In late 2001, though, the POPP team critically re-examined CMPO and in making these nuances explicit arrived at the current four. CMPO 5.0 is considered in the shape of a tetrahedron, with peace support forming the base and holding up the other three functions. Each function is assigned a number, with the number of decimals to the right indicating how deep into the model it may be found.

The CMPO has three distinct components—functions, tasks and organizations. Below is a narrative description of the functions in the CMPO as well as a table of the top three levels. Attached to the functions are various tasks. Tasks are described as functions that can be assigned to an organization at a time and place, and may be measurable. Therefore tasks are more operational, whereas the functions are descriptive. The final component—organizations—are listed by type, both military and civilian. In most cases the tasks are related to organizations that have the capability to perform the task.

Peacemaking

Peacemaking (3.1) is acting to identify, address, and transcend incompatibilities, and bring contending parties to agreement. There are eight sub-functions. Non-Adjudicatory Processes (3.1.1) include “Negotiation” (3.1.1.1), “Good Offices” (3.1.1.2), “Mediation” (3.1.1.3), and “Conciliation” (3.1.1.4). Adjudicatory Processes (3.1.2) contain both “Arbitration” (3.1.2.1) and “Adjudication” (3.1.2.2). Confidence Building Measures (3.1.3), Status (3.1.4), Verification (3.1.5), Rewards (3.1.6) and Identify Envoys and Special Representatives (3.1.8) have associated tasks, but no sub-functions. Finally, Sanctions (3.1.7) may be broken down into “Embargoes” (3.1.7.1), “Quarantine” (3.1.7.2), “Reduced Access to International Systems” (3.1.7.3) and “Address Warlords and Spoilers” (3.1.7.4).

Peacebuilding

Peacebuilding (3.2) is acting to create a structure of peaceful, equitable, and interdependent relations between people in, and among, societies. There are also eight sub-functions associated with this category. Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (3.2.1) may include the requirement to “Provide Food” (3.2.1.1), “Provide Water and Sanitation” (3.2.1.2), “Provide Medical Care” (3.2.1.3), “Provide Clothing” (3.2.1.4), “Provide Shelter” (3.2.1.5), “Provide Additional Assistance” (3.2.1.6), “Conduct Search and Rescue” (3.2.1.7), and “Provide Veterinarian Services” (3.2.1.8). Functions related to Refugee and Displaced Persons/At-Risk Population (3.2.2) are present—“Manage Refugees, Displaced Persons, and At-Risk Population” (3.2.2.1), “Return Refugees, Displaced Persons, and At-Risk Population” (3.2.2.2) and “Reintegrate Refugees, Displaced Persons, and At-Risk Population” (3.2.2.3). Human Rights (3.2.3) are covered—“Determine Status” (3.2.3.1), “Human Rights Education” (3.2.3.2), and “Human Rights Programs” (3.2.3.3). Self Governance (3.2.4) is decomposed into “Institution Building” (3.2.4.1), “Democratization” (3.2.4.2), “Election Support” (3.2.4.3), and “Transition from Conflict” (3.2.4.4). Economic Stability (3.2.5) addresses “Market Activities” “(3.2.5.1), “Employment” (3.2.5.2), and “Property Control” (3.2.5.3). Infrastructure (3.2.6) covers both “Physical Infrastructure” (3.2.6.1) and “Virtual Infrastructure” (3.2.6.2). Reintegration of Former Combatants (3.2.7) is decomposed into “Cantonment” (3.2.7.1) and “Timeline Development” (3.2.7.2). Furthermore, Environmental Protection (3.2.8) embraces the need to “Remediate” (3.2.8.1) and/or conduct “Environmental Protection Education” (3.2.8.3) and “Environmental Protection Programs” (3.2.8.4).

Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping is acting to control the security environment in, and around, the territorial space affected by contending parties’ incompatibilities. There are nine sub-functions. Observation (3.3.1) may consist of “Static Observation” (3.3.1.1) or “Mobile Observation” (3.3.1.2). Force (3.3.2) includes “Defensive Operations” (3.3.2.1), “Enforcement Operations” (3.3.2.2), and “Retrograde/Rescue Operations” (3.3.2.3). Presence (3.3.3) can consist of “Demonstrations” (3.3.3.1), “Presence by Observers” (3.3.3.2), “Presence by Patrols” (3.3.3.3), “Presence by Overflight” (3.3.3.4), “Presence by Naval Forces” (3.3.3.5), and “Virtual (Ephemeral) Presence” (3.3.3.6). Security (3.3.4) is decomposed into “Force Protection” (3.3.4.1), “Protect Real Property/Personal Property/Goods” (3.3.4.2), “Protect Individuals” (3.3.4.3), “Security of Mandate” (3.3.4.4), “Protect Lines of Communication” (3.3.4.5), and “Area Security” (3.3.4.6). Military Force/Unit Movements (3.3.5) has no associated sub-functions. Provide for Law and Order (3.3.6) is concerned with “Judicial” (3.3.6.1), “Police” (3.3.6.2), and “Customs and Border Patrol” (3.3.6.3). The Demining function (3.3.7) is broken down into “Demining Operations (Human Use)” (3.3.7.1) and “Demining Operations (Military Use)” (3.3.7.2). Demobilization and Disarmament of Former Combatants (3.3.8) addresses both “Disarmament of Individual Weapons” (3.3.8.1) and “Disarmament of Crew-Served Weapons” (3.3.8.2). Finally, Specific Missions (3.3.9) might include the need to “Cordon Areas for Safety Operations” (3.3.9.1), “Search and Find Items” (3.3.9.2), “PSYOPS” (3.3.9.3), “Freedom of Movement” (3.3.9.4), and “Control and/or Destruction of Weapons” (3.3.9.5).

Peace Support

Peace support is acting to provide logistical, administrative, and human support to the overall peace operation. There are five sub-functions in peace support. Situation Awareness/Monitoring (3.4.1) looks at functions such as “Gather Information” (3.4.1.1), “Classify and Categorize (Analyze)” (3.4.1.2), “Integrate (Fusion)” (3.4.1.3), and “Disseminate Information” (3.4.1.4). Decision Support (3.4.2) may be decomposed into “Planning and Replanning Response” (3.4.2.1), “Requirements Analysis” (3.4.2.2), “Determine Resource Constraints” (3.4.2.3), “Operation Generation” (3.4.2.4), and “Choose Preferred Option” (3.4.2.5). Supervision and Synchronization (3.4.3) consists of “Direct Replanning” (3.4.3.1), “Consensus Building” (3.4.3.2), “Coordinate and Cooperate with Others” (3.4.3.3), and “Determine Future Actions” (3.4.3.4). Information Operations (3.4.4) embraces “Media Operations” (3.4.4.1), “Information Management” (3.4.4.2), and “Language Support (3.4.4.3). And finally, Logistics (3.4.5) can include “Support to Military Forces” (3.4.5.1), “Support to Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief” (3.4.5.2), “Logistic Support Agreements” (3.4.5.3), and “Logistics Management” (3.4.5.4).

The top three levels of CMPO are displayed in table format below:

The full version of CMPO is available through this link: CMPO 5.0

CMPO may be viewed online, where it is presented in a “tree structure.” The first four levels of functions are displayed, accounting for 116 of the 282 functions contained in the model. Note that clicking-on a folder icon next to a CMPO function expands the tree to include the next lower level of CMPO functions. Clicking-on the CMPO function itself opens a page (in a new browser window) containing the function’s definition and a “send comment” (via e-mail) link. To return to the tree structure, simply close the browser window containing the definition and “send comment” link.

Members of the peace operations community are invited to review and comment on CMPO.