Vladimir Milenski - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Address: Diegem, Flanders, Belgium
less
Uploads
Papers by Vladimir Milenski
Defense & Security Analysis, 2018
The authors have over 50 years' experience of working on defence in Central and Eastern Europe. T... more The authors have over 50 years' experience of working on defence in Central and Eastern Europe. They have been intimately involved in trying to reform over 10 national defence organisations including Ukraine. During this work, they often faced intractable resistance and scepticism or conversely, apparent unbounded support, but following this, a complete lack of any actual implementation work by officials. This paper addresses some of the findings and observations identified by the authors that appear to cause these responses and the consequent failure of reform. A new research approach has been taken by using the business and culture tools from Schein, Hofstede and Kotter to try and unravel the underlying causality of that failure. The second part of the paper produces a new process for change based upon the research conclusions to help other advisers and consultants working on reform in the post communist defence arena.
Defense & Security Analysis, 2019
Comparative Strategy
Abstract New democracies face significant difficulty in understanding the position of the Chief o... more Abstract New democracies face significant difficulty in understanding the position of the Chief of Defense (CHOD) and its difference from the traditional/historical role of Chief of the General Staff (CGS). Many of those states attempted to transition from CGS to CHOD upon the advice from Western allies. This move usually followed critical failures in the defense systems. These failures often occurred after bad political decisions regarding the armed forces because the political leadership was in the dark about their true condition. The role of the CHOD, as envisaged and implemented in most long-standing democracies, is designed both to solve this deficiency and to ensure that the armed forces are fit for the future. This article outlines how and why this is the case and identifies precisely what it is that a CHOD should do.
The article offers an analysis of major current in-house challenges to an effective defence and s... more The article offers an analysis of major current in-house challenges to an effective defence and security policy-making and implementation, based on the author’s extensive experience in a post-communist environment. With clear understanding and belief that without dealing with – or at least mitigating – these inner challenges first, any expectations for a long-term, effective, efficient, and sustainable defence and security policy are not only illusory but also dangerous for the nation, the article aims at inspiring and providing food for broader discussion and at encouraging applied and academic analyses, as well as at supporting immediate practical steps to successfully manage these challenges.
Defense & Security Analysis
Defense & Security Analysis, 2018
The authors have over 50 years' experience of working on defence in Central and Eastern Europe. T... more The authors have over 50 years' experience of working on defence in Central and Eastern Europe. They have been intimately involved in trying to reform over 10 national defence organisations including Ukraine. During this work, they often faced intractable resistance and scepticism or conversely, apparent unbounded support, but following this, a complete lack of any actual implementation work by officials. This paper addresses some of the findings and observations identified by the authors that appear to cause these responses and the consequent failure of reform. A new research approach has been taken by using the business and culture tools from Schein, Hofstede and Kotter to try and unravel the underlying causality of that failure. The second part of the paper produces a new process for change based upon the research conclusions to help other advisers and consultants working on reform in the post communist defence arena.
Defense & Security Analysis, 2019
Comparative Strategy
Abstract New democracies face significant difficulty in understanding the position of the Chief o... more Abstract New democracies face significant difficulty in understanding the position of the Chief of Defense (CHOD) and its difference from the traditional/historical role of Chief of the General Staff (CGS). Many of those states attempted to transition from CGS to CHOD upon the advice from Western allies. This move usually followed critical failures in the defense systems. These failures often occurred after bad political decisions regarding the armed forces because the political leadership was in the dark about their true condition. The role of the CHOD, as envisaged and implemented in most long-standing democracies, is designed both to solve this deficiency and to ensure that the armed forces are fit for the future. This article outlines how and why this is the case and identifies precisely what it is that a CHOD should do.
The article offers an analysis of major current in-house challenges to an effective defence and s... more The article offers an analysis of major current in-house challenges to an effective defence and security policy-making and implementation, based on the author’s extensive experience in a post-communist environment. With clear understanding and belief that without dealing with – or at least mitigating – these inner challenges first, any expectations for a long-term, effective, efficient, and sustainable defence and security policy are not only illusory but also dangerous for the nation, the article aims at inspiring and providing food for broader discussion and at encouraging applied and academic analyses, as well as at supporting immediate practical steps to successfully manage these challenges.
Defense & Security Analysis