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Towards a Theory of Integration

Gordon Niven & Lt Gen Sir David Capewell

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17/09/2024 / © Crown copyright 2020 Dstl

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Integration!

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integration

INTEGRATION

integration

integration

INTEGRATION

INTEGRATION

INTEGRATION

INTEGRATION

integration

  • Central to how alliance militaries intend to fight
  • Commonly used word
  • Rarely defined
  • Different uses – often in same document
  • Little information on how to integrate
  • Vaguely defined benefits
  • Little on dis-benefits or compromises

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Integration in UK and NATO doctrine

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A holistic approach to operations – harnessing all levers of influence & effect across all domains

‘Integrated Action’

‘The Comprehensive Approach’

Integration = Orchestration of actions & effects

Integration =

High level of interoperability

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The core challenge

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  • How different entities work in common endeavour
  • The nature of the relationships between them
  • How these influence the nature and performance of the enterprise
  • How enterprise design relates to the task & situation

Integration

Interoperability

Orchestration

Cohesion

Harmonization

Coordination

Despite different vocabulary…

Common challenges!

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A systems view of integration

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“Integration” = the act of forming a system*

Using systems theory to understand the relevant parameters and impacts of operating enterprise design and behaviours

*System = a collection of interacting components that can be recognised as a coherent whole with its own properties and behaviours

  • Independent vs combined action
  • Holistic vs reductive operation
  • Being greater than the sum of the parts

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Cybernetics

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The Law of Requisite = Variety

The diversity and interconnectedness of

a system

Variety =

An effective system must have at least as much variety as its task and situation

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To integrate or not to integrate?

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TASK

Decision to integrate?

    • Is the loss of autonomy tolerable?
    • Would you have requisite variety if acting alone?
  • Reduction in individual variety when combined in a system
  • Increase in total exploitable variety when combined in a system

TASK

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Cohesion and Variety

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Cohesion = the degree to which system component behaviours are influenced by membership of the system – degree of interdependency – how tightly bound the system is.

Cohesion

Variety

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Variety and control

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C2 system must have requisite variety with the enterprise.

Freedoms that enable variety oppose control.

Control

Variety

(1/Freedoms)

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Diversity and Variety

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Diversity

Variety

L

L

L

L

L

A

M

L

M

C

S

L

A

X

X

X

M

C

S

L

A

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The Integration Matrix

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Requisite variety = only certain zones enable agency

A = low variety = simple = clear relationships of cause and effect, definitive endpoint = Conventional C2

C = high variety = complex = large number of interrelated factors, uncertain, unpredictable = Comprehensive Approach, Integrated Action, Multi-domain Operations

CONTROL

A

B

C

COHESION

Loose

Tight

Influence

Command

DIVERSITY

High

Low

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Conclusions

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  • Expression of diversity limits the degree of cohesion of the enterprise.
  • The degree of control of the enterprise is related to its degree of cohesion.
  • Uniformity, high degree of cohesion and directive control are most appropriate to relatively simple tasks and situations
  • Diversity, and lower degrees of cohesion and control, are required to address relatively complex tasks and situations

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