Developing Geospatial Intelligence Stewardship for Multinational Operations

In recent years the contemporary operational environment (COE) has increasingly included multinational operations, which have fault lines in understanding and visualizing the common operational picture (COP). Geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) must be properly planned, released, and executed for multinational operations to be effective. This requires effective stewardship of GEOINT, wherein all participants are charged with the responsibility to properly develop, utilize, and safeguard GEOINT -- including its people, property, and financial assets -- to maximize its effectiveness for GEOINT cells and commanders. GEOINT stewardship is not tied to a specific systems architecture. The GEOINT cell is therefore able to adjust to the evolving character of conflict to better frame the problem. GEOINT stewardship enables users to apply critical and creative visualization to situational understanding, and provide context and orientation to solve ill-structured problems. The GEOINT cell must train and exercise this stewardship through a shared vision that will enhance its capability to effectively address multinational GEOINT requirements, focus internal and external research and development efforts, pursue economies in acquisition, and develop approaches to improve information sharing. The primary research question for this thesis is as follows: How can geospatial intelligence for multinational operations be made more effective? To address the primary research question, the following secondary questions must be answered: (1) How does GEOINT support decision makers in the contemporary operational environment?, (2) What are the capabilities and limitations of GEOINT cells in providing understanding and visualization of the common operational picture?, and (3) Is GEOINT cell stewardship understood and practiced in multinational operations?