Darren Lawrence

Darren Lawrence is an academic at Cranfield University, part of the Defence Academy of the UK, where he is head of the Information Operations Postgraduate course. He is also a specialist consultant at the Behavioural Dynamics Institute . Lawrence's academic background is in psychology and previous to his current employment he worked for QuinetiQ where he concentrated on applying psychological expertise to influence operations in in achieving "outcomes that the UK Government saw as desireable" . After 4 years at QuinetiQ , Lawrence moved to the Defence Academy where he was responsible for the creation of the Information Operations course and founding the annual Information Operations and Influence Activity (IOIA) Symposium.

Information Operations Course

Lawrence runs, and created, the Information Operations Post Graduate Certificate course accredited by Cranfield University as part of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom. The course can accomodate 25 students per session and is advertised as "suitable for UK and International Military" personel and "civilian employees from Government agencies and approved commercial organisations". Information Operations are defined as "Military activity intentionally taken, through action or inaction, to affect the perceptions, behaviours and uniquely, the will of a chosen target audience" and the course offers to provide "students with the competencies and abilities to advocate the Information Operations approach amongst decisions makers at a senior and national level".

Course Structure

The advertised modules which make up the course are (all information from unless otherwise stated):

• Information Operations Planning - Studies current doctrine and planning procedures for Information Operations
• Target Audience Dynamics - Focusses on "the need to change the behaviour of people" and recognises "the unique context of behaviour modification in military and law enforcement context in the need to consider and exploit the use of physical force".
• Measurement, Targetting and Monitoring - Allows students to "learn research skills and techniques to guide their planning and implementation of Information Operations" while taking "into account the conditions that prevail in military theatres where the environment is largely non-benign to many established social research methodologies".
• Defensive Information Management - Teaches students "a critical understanding of the opportunities and vulnerabilities they face when considering the issues of managing information flow". Focussing "on three key areas, Military Deception, Information Assurance and Media Operations". Lawrence notes with enthusiasm: "I can teach deception, and the theory of deception from a psychological perspective, in the same module that I consider media operations, and information security"
• Operations in Cyberspace - Develops "a critical appreciation of the core concepts of Computer Network Information Operations" and "examines issues of Computer Network Attack through analysing cases of e-crime". Lawrence also notes that the course looks at "computer network information operations and...using the new media and the connectedness in an influence kind of way" and that "its all about these ideas of convergence and getting across a joined up message, and how you do that and what the potentials are".

Information Operations and Influence Activity Symposia

In conjunction with the postgraduate course at the Defence Academy, Lawrence also organises the annual IOIA Symposium which takes place at the Shrivenham campus of Cranfield University. The Symposium is unclassified and provides a platform for a number of speakers from the information operations community in the UK and a beyond. The Symposium host around 150 delegates and returned for its 3rd year in March 2010 with the theme of "Influence in Insurgency". Lawrence has noted the utility of the Syposium not just to share ideas, but as a place where contacts can be made within the international information operations community, below is a list of notable speakers and their topics from the previous three events.

IOIA Symposium 2008

• Air Commodore Graham Wright CBE, Directore Targeting and Information Operations, UK MOD
• Dr Paul Robinson and Dr Eric Larson, RAND USA, A Letter from America
• Philip Jones, DSTL, Hype or Hope? Development of Analytical Methods to Support Influence and Information Operations activities
• George Brander, Directorate of Targeting and Information Operations, Human Factors in Information Operations
• Major James Yin, Singapore Armed Forces, Information Operations from an Asian Perspective: A Comparative Study
• Dr Marc Widdowson, Vega Group, Force and Legitimacy: A Theory of Influencing and the Example of Fallujah
• Dr Jim Storr, Information Operations in Northern Ireland
• Dr Paul Baines, Cranfield School of Management, Evaluating the Effect of the Fear Appeal in Advertising: Implications for Information Operations
• Peter Cooper, CRAM International, Voice of the Consumer: The Potential Contribution of Marketing Research to Information Operations and Intelligence
• Professor George Stein, Air War College USA, Two-world Warfare
• David Bailey, Information Operations Consultant, From Oksigen to the Future
• Neil Verrall, DSTL, The appliance of Science: Applying Operational Analysis and Human Systems to Info Ops and PsyOps on Op TELIC
• Matthew Sleap, EDS Defence, Keeping the Information Straegy in the Front Line
• Robert Wilson-Town, DSTL, Social Influece Networks
• Jennifer Sheehy-Skeffington, DSTL, Training for Influence: How can one represent the Congnitive and the Behavioural in Collective Training Exercises?
• Dr Anna Maria Brundenell, DCMT Cranfield University, Influencing Leadership Behaviour: Is the Observation of Change Sufficient?

IOIA Syposium 2009

• Air Commodore Robert Judson, Head of Targeting and Information Operations, UK MOD, Military Influence - Emerging UK Approach
• Chris Holtom and Hamish Macdonald,Mars Omega, Lesssons from Commercial Influence Operations in the Niger Delta
• Dr Ron Schliefer, Ariel University Centre, Israel, From Osly to Cast Lead - 15 years of Palestinian PSYOP
• Dr Greg Simons, Crismart, Public Diplomacy and Propaganda in Post-Cold War Conflict: The Case of the Georgian Conflict
• Colonel Duncan Barley, Land Warfare Centre and Major Chris Morgan, PJHQ, UK Land Force in Helmand
• Major Allan Best, Canadian MOD, Afghanistan: A Canadian Perspective
• Ms Rikke Haugegaard, Understanding Culture, Denmark, Female Power in Afghanistan - Local Women's contribution to the Fight against the Taliban
• Tim Foxley, SIPRI, Taliban Information Operations - Where is it going, What can be done?
• Richard Howard, EDS Defence, Targeting and Information Operations Concept Demonstrator 09 - A Novel Apporach to the Limitations of Information Operations
• Dr Christopher Paul, RAND USA, Lessons from Madison Avenue for Strategic Communications and Influence
• Commander Michael Herrera and Steven Iatrou, Naval Postgraduate School, USA, Pre Persuasion Techniques
• Dan Healy, CEO Real Opinions, The use of Commerical Marketing Practices in Military Info Ops
• Claire Spencer, i to i research, The Elephant and Einstein: Intel Inside - the Challenges for Research

IOIA Syposium 2010

• Lieutenant General Andrew Graham CBE, Director General UK Defence Academy
• Air Commodore Robert Judson, Head of Directorate of Targetting and Information Operations, UK MOD, The Future of Military Influence
• Darren Lawrence, Defence Academy at Cranfield University, The Science of Hearts and Minds: Professionalising Approaches to Military Influence and Non-Lethal Targeting
• Brigadier Iain Harrison OBE, Chief Joint Fires and Influence, AQ ARRC, Operationalising Influence
• Colonel Duncan Berley, LWC Influence Group, UK MOD, Winning Friend and Influencing People
• Roger Miles, Kings College London, Communicating Under Uncertainly: Risk-cognition and Public Trust
• Jeremy Greaves, EADS Ltd, Thoughts on Commercial Marketing Practices in a Military Influence Setting
• Jaime Watt, Navigator Limited, Shaping Opinion during Crisis and Conflict - Strategic Communications Campaigns
• Matt Warshaw, D3 Systems, The Role of Research in Assisting the Military to Engage Civilians in Conflict Environments

Affiliations

• Behavioural Dynamics Institute
• Cranfield University
• Defence Academy
• SCL Elections
• QuinetiQ