Strategic planning in US foreign policy has consistently declined since the advent of the containment doctrine.  In the recent book, Avoid Trivia (ed. Daniel Drezner), experts on strategic planning offer analysis of an prescriptions for the future of strategy in US foreign policymaking.  Bruce Jentleson, a contributor and member of President Clinton's policy planning staff, argues that more collaboration among bureaus is needed in order to devise an effective and comprehensive international strategy.

The Strategic Planning Interagency Group (SPIAG) seeks to escalate the role of policy planning in the US foreign policymaking establishment.  It argues for coordination between the planning teams in each of the several U.S. agencies that play a role in foreign policy.  With the dual goals of ensuring that forward thinking is a part of US foreign policy and pursuing a coherent vision of the country's long-term goals, the SPIAG will be capable of responding to critical and persistent foreign policy challenges.

The SPIAG would be a new group chaired by the Deputy National Security Adviser for Strategic Planning (DNSA-SP), a new position designed for this purpose.  In addition to leading and organizing the SPIAG, the DNSA-SP would be the White House official responsible for keeping track of strategic planning in all dimensions of foreign affairs.  Membership in SPIAG would include the State Department's Director of Policy Planning; the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Policy Planning; the J-5 Director from the Joint Chiefs of Staff; the director of the National Intelligence Council; a foreign policy adviser to the Office of the Vice President; and a new official at the Treasury responsible for strategic planning.

 

Jentleson argues that the new group, housed in the NSC, should work together to develop the yearly National Security Strategy (NSS).  Beyond the mandated NSS, the group should also seek to develop long-term policy frameworks for persistent challenges including international economic reform, international climate compacts, regional policy for the Middle East, and humatarian intervention.

The proposed reforms require executive initiative and approval.  Though Jentleson does not outline the specific process by which they would be adopted, an executive order or national security directive would be sufficient to create the new position.  Congressional approval would not be necessary.