Advanced Research and Assessment Group

From Powerbase
Revision as of 22:26, 24 January 2016 by David (talk | contribs)
Jump to: navigation, search

The Advanced Research and Assessment Group (ARAG) was a department of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom concerned with long-term planning and threat assessment. On 1 April 2009, ARAG was integrated into the Headquarters of the Defence Academy as the Research & Assessment Branch (R&AB).[1] The Research and Assessments Branch was disbanded as of 1 April 2010.[2]

ARAG brought together experts from the military, academia and other fields in "research clusters" dedicated to specific areas of concern, in order to provide policy-makers with focussed analysis of international security issues.

ARAG worked closely with the Conflict Studies Research Centre, which was co-located with ARAG at the Defence Academy's Shrivenham campus.

ARAG was also responsible for managing the Defence Academy Reserve Cadre, 'a thirty-five strong unit of Reserve force personnel with civilian and linguistic skills relevant to emerging threats and opportunities'.[3]

Research clusters

ARAG was organised into a number of research 'clusters'. In 2008 these were listed as:

  • The Islamic World Cluster
  • Security and Organisational Reform Cluster
  • Asymmetrics Cluster
  • Risk, Economics and Resilience to Crises Cluster
  • Media and Democratic Participation Cluster[4]

People

As Senior Research Fellow, and Director of the ‘Behaviours’ research group, at the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom, Lesley spent six years developing teams of experts with understanding of the UK’s current strategic interests. It was during this time that she formed links with leading Muslim Scholars and academics studying the Islamic world, and ‘grass roots’ groups working with vulnerable young people in the UK.[8] At the Advanced Research and Assessment Group she reportedly specialised in 'interstate relations and the new security agenda in the post-Cold War era' and 'Political ideology and Islam.'[9] Her 'present work' was reported in 2005 to involve: 'Detailed briefing papers on Iraq, Afghanistan, aspects of religious extremism and patterns of violence.' In 2007 Simm was listed as 'Director Islamic World and PRISM' at ARAG.[10] In 2009 Simm was listed as 'Director, Ideology, Theology and Philosophy Research Cluster, UK Defence Academy'.[11]

Resources, Contact, Notes

Resources

  • Defence Academy Advanced Research and Assessment Group, Retrieved from snapshot taken on 28/07/2008, shows web content selected for preservation by The National Archives, accessed 3 November 2011

Contact

These contact details were current until April 2009, when ARAG was integrated into the Headquarters of the Defence Academy as the Research & Assessment Branch (R&AB).[13]

The Location of the Defence Academy, near Swindon
Advanced Research and Assessment Group
Ms Emma McCarthy
Corporate Research Manager
Defence Academy Headquarters
Block 4, JSCSC Bldg
Faringdon Road
Shrivenham
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN6 8TS
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0)1793 788861 (96161 8861)
Fax: +44 (0)1793 788287 (96161 8287)
Email: emccarthy.arag@da.mod.uk
Internet Archive holdings: da.mod.uk/colleges/arag

Notes

  1. Research & Assessment Branch (R&AB), Defence Academy of the United Kingdom website, accessed 4 Feb 2010.
  2. Defence Academy Research and Assessment Branch, accessed 14 December 2010
  3. Ucko, D. H., & Egnell, R. (2013). Counterinsurgency in Crisis: Britain and the Challenges of Modern Warfare. Columbia University Press: 126.
  4. ARAG Advanced Research and Assessment Group. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 3 April 2008 on 24 January 2016.
  5. World Who's Who DONNELLY Christopher Nigel CMG, TD,BA. Accessed 30 December 2015.
  6. St Antony's College, Oxford Dan Lafayeedney. Accessed 29 December 2015.
  7. Web archive: www.defac.ac.uk/csrc/, archived 26 September 2007, accessed 1 March 2009.
  8. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named ACF
  9. PBECIGM Lesley Simm Retrieved from the Zoom Info Cache of pbecigm2005.org/lesley_s.html taken on 23 October 2005. Accessed 24 january 2016.
  10. George C Marshall European Center for Security Studies A Comprehensive Approach to Modern Conflict: Afghanistan & Beyond: Draft agenda. 21 March 2007. Accessed 24 January 2016.
  11. Religion and Ethics in War and Peace-Making Members of the BISA IR, Security and Religion Working Group. Retrieved from the Internet Archive of 28 November 2009 on 24 January 2016.
  12. Steve Tatham, Strategic Communication accessed 03/01/10
  13. Research & Assessment Branch (R&AB), Defence Academy of the United Kingdom website, accessed 4 Feb 2010.