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| Updated: 29-Oct-2002 | NATO Publications |
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The International Military Staff (IMS) is headed by a General/Flag officer, selected by the Military Committee from candidates nominated by member nations for the position of Director of the International Military Staff (DIMS). The IMS, under his direction, is responsible for planning, assessing and recommending policy on military matters for consideration by the Military Committee, as well as ensuring that the policies and decisions of the Committee are implemented as directed. The IMS consists of military personnel who have been sent by their nations to take up staff appointments at NATO Headquarters, to work in an international capacity for the common interest of the Alliance rather than on behalf of their nation. Some posts within the International Military Staff are filled by civilian personnel, who work in clerical and support roles. The International Military Staff supports the work of the Military Committee, preparing and following up its decisions, and is also actively involved in the process of cooperation with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe under the Partnership for Peace (PfP) initiative. Coordination of staff action, and controlling the flow of information and communications both within the IMS and between the IMS and other parts of the NATO Headquarters, is the responsibility of the Executive Coordinator located within the Office of the Director of the IMS. The Executive Coordinator and his staff also provide secretarial support to the Military Committee as well as procedural advice. The Director of the International Military Staff is also supported by five Assistant Directors, each of whom heads a separate functional Division. The Plans and Policy Division develops and coordinates the Military Committee contribution to NATO defence policy and strategic planning. This includes contributing to the development of politico-military concepts, studies, assessments and related documents, NATO force planning, the Force Goal process, the annual defence review, the PfP Planning and Review Process (PARP) and long term conceptual thinking. The Division also participates on behalf of the Military Committee in NATO's overall defence planning process and develops and represents the views of the Military Committee and of the NATO Strategic Commanders on military policy matters in various NATO bodies. The Operations Division supports the Military Committee in the development of current operational plans and in addressing questions relating to the NATO force posture and military management issues relating to NATO's role in international crises. The Division promotes and coordinates multinational training and exercises, including those involving PfP nations; and coordinates efforts relating to the development of an effective NATO electronic warfare operational capability and associated training and exercises. It is responsible for monitoring and assessing Electronic Warfare programmes and requirements. It provides support for the NATO Air Defence Committee and has responsibility within the International Military Staff for air defence matters. The Division also acts as the point of contact for the NATO Liaison Officer to the United Nations, a position which is filled by a serving member of the International Military Staff, on behalf of the Organisation as a whole, when required. The Intelligence Division provides day-to-day strategic intelligence support to the Secretary General, the North Atlantic Council/Defence Planning Committee, the Military Committee, and other NATO bodies such as International Military Staff elements, the Political Committee and WMD Proliferation Centre. It relies on the NATO nations and NATO Commands for its basic intelligence needs since it has no independent intelligence gathering function or capacity. On the basis of these contributions, it acts as a central coordinating body for the collation, assessment and dissemination of intelligence within NATO Headquarters and to NATO commands, agencies, organisations and nations. In addition to providing routine staff intelligence support, the Intelligence Division manages and coordinates the production and dissemination of NATO strategic intelligence estimates, intelligence policy documents and basic intelligence documents, as well as the maintenance of selected data bases and digital intelligence information services. It also performs strategic warning and crisis management functions and conducts liaison with other NATO and national bodies performing specialised intelligence functions and related activities. In sum, the Intelligence Division, supported by NATO nations and Commands, keeps the Alliance's senior bodies continually informed, facilitates the Military Committee's formulation of military advice to political authorities, provides an intelligence foundation for guiding the composition, organisation and operations of NATO forces, and performs a broad range of tasks in support of NATO defence and political functions. The Cooperation and Regional Security Division serves as the focal point for military contacts and cooperation with Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC), Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries, Russia within the framework of the NATO-Russia Founding Act, and Ukraine within the framework of the NATO-Ukraine Charter. It is responsible for the development and coordination of all IMS staff work on EAPC, PfP, NATO-Russia and NATO-Ukraine related issues, as well as the Mediterranean Dialogue. Its Cooperation Policy and Arms Control Branch produces and coordinates IMS PfP policy staff work, while the Russia-Ukraine Branch plans, develops and implements MC policy in relation to these two countries. It also liaises with the NATO Military Mission in Moscow as well as with the NATO Liaison Office in Kyiv. In addition, the Arms Control Section of the Cooperation Policy and Arms Control Branch coordinates and develops military advice on NATO involvement in different aspects of disarmament, arms control and cooperative security issues. It is also the channel for the Military Committee's focus on issues dealt with by the Organisation for Security Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the field of disarmament, arms control and cooperative security. A section of the Division is located in the Western Consultation Office (WCO) in Vienna, in order to facilitate and enhance NATO's cooperation with the OSCE. The IMS PfP Staff element (PSE) is integrated within the Division as a separate branch, in which Partner officers work side-by-side with NATO colleagues as the focal point in the IMS for all elements of Partner country expertise related to the military aspects of PfP. It acts as the IMS' primary liaison with Partner Military Representatives and Partner Liaison Officers at NATO Headquarters. The Logistics, Armaments and Resources Division (LA&R), covers three important functional areas. As regards Logistics, in cooperation with the SILCEP Division of the International Staff, it is responsible for the development of logistics principles and policies, including medical support and movement and transportation. It provides staff support to the Senior NATO Logisticians’ Conference (SNLC) and staff coordination with the Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services (COMEDS). Additionally, the Division provides the deputy military co-chairman of the SNLC, the military co-chairman/chairman of its two subordinate bodies, and the IMS representative to COMEDS. The Division has a major responsibility within the area of logistic aspects of crisis management, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; As the IMS focal point for military aspects of NATO Civil and Emergency Planning, it also provides the Military Committe/IMS representative to the Senior Civil Emergency Planning Committee (SCEPC) and to a number of its surbordinate technical Planning Boards and Committees. The Division provides military advice to the Military Committee on all the above itopics and also on issues relating to development of military policies and procedures for armaments planning, including research and technology matters. It represents the Military Committee at the CNAD, Major Armament Groups (MAGs), the Research and Technology bodies and Air/Ground Surveillance (AGS) Steering Committee, as well as within Western European Armaments Group (WEAG) and EUROLONGTERM groups. When required, the Division also supports the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG). It is also responsible for development of military policies and procedures for management of resources, including NATO common military budgets, infrastructure and military manpower in cooperation with the International Staff and the two Strategic Commanders. It represents the Military Committee on the NDMC, SRB, IC and MBC. The Management Advisory Unit/NATO Defence Manpower Committee (NDMC) is an independent entity within the Division working directly for the NDMC, providing the expertise and staff nucleus to carry out management surveys, audits, validations and consultations. The NATO Situation Centre assists the North Atlantic Council, the Defence Planning Committee and the Military Committee in fulfilling their respective functions in the field of consultation. It serves as the focal point within the Alliance for the receipt, exchange and dissemination of political, military and economic information. It monitors political, military and economic matters of interest to NATO and to NATO member countries on a 24 hour basis. The NATO Situation Centre also provides facilities for the rapid expansion of consultation during periods of tension and crises and maintains and updates relevant background information during such periods. The Public Information Adviser (PIA) advises the Chairman of the Military Committee, the Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee and the Director of the IMS on public information matters and acts as a public enquiry and news media coordinator, as well as spokesperson for the Military Committee and IMS. The PIA's office coordinates public information activities with the NATO Office of Information and Press, and the counterpart public information organisations within the Strategic Commands and national Ministries of Defence. The Financial Controller of the IMS is responsible for advising the Chairman of the Military Committee, the Deputy Chairman of the Military Committee and the Director of the IMS on all financial and fiscal matters related to the group of budgets administered by the IMS. He is responsible to the Military Budget Committee (MBC) for the financial management of the IMS budget. He is also responsible for preparing, justifying, administering and supervising all budget-related matters for presentation to the Military Budget Committee. Among other supervisory functions, he assumes financial control of the NATO bodies whose budgets are administered by the IMS, namely the NATO Standardisation Agency (NSA), NATO Defense College (NADEFCOL), and the Research and Technology Agency (RTA). He is responsible for conducting internal audits of accounts and activities with financial repercussions within his area of responsibility. Further details about the management of the Military Budget are to be found in Chapter 9. The NATO HQ Consultation, Control and Communications Staff (NHQC3S) is a single integrated organisation composed of personnel from both the International Staff and the International Military Staff. The Director, NHQC3S, reports directly to Director of the International Military Staff and the Assistant Secretary General for Defence Support in meeting the requirements of the IMS and IS. As one of the co-Vice Chairmen of the NATO C3 Board, the Director is also the MC's representative to the Board. Members of the NATO C3 Staff support the NC3B through maintenance of key positions on the Board's eight sub committees and in turn support the provision of NC3B advice to the MC on C3/CIS Capability Packages from a C3 Policy, Plans and Architecture point of view. See further details in Chapters 10 and 14.
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