Vector-Based
Civil Reconnaissance
Civil reconnaissance is detective work.
It is how we investigate the social, economic, political, and cultural realities that affect our operations.
The status quo isn’t good enough.
We try to capture civil dynamics with reductive, fill-in-the-blanks templates.
Our analytical processes are stove-piped from enemy-centric intelligence.
Both efforts falter: civil reporting is “nice to know” but un-actionable, while our understanding of enemies and competitors lacks crucial context.
We consistently fail to align strategic objectives with local realities.
We need better tools to make sense of where we operate.
We struggled mightily to understand the villages of rural Afghanistan…
How will we contend with the cities and megacities of tomorrow?
Vector-Based Civil Reconnaissance is Different.
No acronyms. No charts. No boxes to tick.
Our objective is to make sense of the social, economic, political, and cultural dynamics that matter in a given area.
Why not learn from the experience of others who are maneuvring through that same terrain?
This is the basic premise of vector-based civil reconnaissance.
We begin our investigation of the operational environment by examining where, when, how, and why civil considerations have shaped the trajectory of what we refer to as “vectors”.
Focused investigation…
Vectors can be networks - like the Islamic State, Wagner Group, or MS-13.
Or, they can be phenomena - like China’s “One Belt, One Road” endeavour, water scarcity, or the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vectors move through the operational environment, triggering responses and catalysing effects.
We investigate those responses and effects to understand how the operational environment functions as a system of systems:
Where, when, how, and why have our chosen networks sunk roots into the human terrain? Where have they failed to do so?
What second and third order effects have our chosen phenomena triggered, within which specific segments of local society?
This understanding provides us with a roadmap for onward investigation, as we dig deeper into the societal dynamics that matter.
The “so what”, sorted.
Vector-based civil reconnaissance guarantees focused, actionable reporting.
What does it look like?
Projecting Influence
It’s easy to talk about “soft power”, and the importance of projecting influence (while countering that of our rivals).
But what is actually happening on the ground in contested areas? What are the specific mechanics and dynamics of influence?
Vector-based civil reconnaissance provides the granular raw materials for target audience analysis and the implementation of influence operations.
It tells us exactly where, when, how, and why specific messages resonate with specific audiences.
Network Targeting
We are adept at disrupting and degrading networks. Yet, our enemies have a habit of adapting and regenerating.
Enemy-centric network targeting focuses narrowly on the network itself. It is blind to the network’s roots in the operational environment.
As a result, our targeting campaigns have the effect of “pruning” networks, instead of uprooting and destroying them.
Vector-based civil reconnaissance produces Network Root Maps - an essential layer to the network targeting process. By mapping the enemy’s root structure in the human terrain, we enable a holistic campaign to disrupt, degrade, and uproot our enemies.
A Competitive Edge
21st century geopolitics is framed as a “competition”. In the face of rising global and regional rivals, we are searching for an edge.
The mastery of local detail conveys a powerful advantage. We can out-compete our rivals via a better understanding of the playing field.
Vector-based civil reconnaissance uncovers the local concerns that matter most, and illuminates the societal fault lines that can be leveraged to our collective benefit.
Granular local insight, aligned with a compelling strategic vision, will impart a sustainable advantage in the new “great game”.
Thinking Differently Isn’t Enough.
We must also operate consistently.
For too long, civil reconnaissance has relied entirely on ad hoc improvisation.
Mirroring the processes used for enemy-centric intelligence, The Ecosystem follows a structured operational progression:
Phase 1: Baseline Assessment
What do we already know? What do we think about it?
Phase 2: Research Planning
What do we want to know? Why?
Phase 3: Collection Planning
Our plan to find the answers.
Phase 4: Fieldwork
Protocols for our investigation.
Phase 5: Analysis
Making sense of what we discover.
Phase 6: Exploitation
Translating insight into action.
The Ecosystem - Training Solutions
Building competency in Vector-Based Civil Reconnaissance
Foundational Training
The foundational training seminar is a four-day (4hrs/day) course on the process and methods of The Ecosystem™.
This seminar can accommodate up to 40 attendees, but the optimal class size is less than 24. The course can be delivered face-to-face, or via Teams/Zoom.
The core learning objective is to impart all of the analytical methods and operational concepts that underpin The Ecosystem™ approach, and to provide real-world examples of their application.
Real-World Exercises
Exercises are conducted over a four-week period. Working in small groups, trainees apply the analytical methods of The Ecosystem to conduct vector-based civil reconnaissance.
Trainees are coached through the first three steps of the operational process (Baseline Assessment, Research Planning, Collection Planning). At the conclusion of the exercise, trainee teams present their Research Plans and Collection Plans, and engage in structured discussion of onward implementation in a deployed environment.
The core learning objective is for trainees to be able to operationalize The Ecosystem™ approach in a real-world context. This module can be delivered face-to-face or via Teams/Zoom, ideally as a direct follow-on to Foundational Training.
Pre-Deployment Advisory
For those who have completed Modules I & II, customized mentoring is offered during the pre-deployment process.
Areas of focus include the refinement of Baseline Assessments, Research Plans, and Collection Plans, as well as detailed discussions of the operational and social science-based tradecraft involved in the execution of vector-based civil reconnaissance.
The core learning objective is to optimize trainees’ ability to execute The Ecosystem™ approach while deployed. Mentoring is typically provided via Teams/Zoom and email, to small groups of 1 to 5 personnel.
Want to see more?
Take The Ecosystem for a test drive.
Our team can conduct vector-based civil reconnaissance anywhere.
We can operate independently.
We can embed collaboratively with your tactical-level teams.
We can partner directly with local allies.
We can simply deliver insight, or we can integrate training and advisory support into the investigative process.
Lastly, we always welcome a challenge: put our approach to the test, in a competition against your current tools and methods.
We’re confident that vector-based civil reconnaissance will produce a superior result - at a fraction of the cost of deploying traditional military capabilities.
The Technology
For clients that institutionalize The Ecosystem approach to vector-based civil reconnaissance, we offer an end-to-end software solution.
Structured research and analysis templates feed into an integrated database, which provides clarity and transparency to the entire enterprise.
