CNA Strategic Studies conducts high quality research and analysis of strategic, regional, and policy issues. All research analysts are American citizens and hold security clearances. Rear Admiral Michael McDevitt, USN (Ret.), directs the 40-person division and is a CNA Vice President. RADM McDevitt has over 20 years of security policy, long-range planning, and regional assessment experience.
The division is known for analyses that go beyond conventional wisdom. It helps clients understand the implications of today's issues and provides analytic products that consider a full range of possibilities, anticipate a range of plausible outcomes, and do not simply depend on straight-line predictions. A key aspect of its operating ethos is to help identify and analyze "the issue after next."
Work by CNA Strategic Studies is characterized by rigorous methodology, a heavy reliance on primary sources, including foreign language sources, and the unique operational and policy expertise of its analysts. We provide clients with analyses and recommendations that are actionable.
All of the research staff have advanced degrees; half have PhDs. Many have spent time working in the policy community and several have deployed to provide analysis to military forces operating around the world. Most have lived and worked abroad and are fluent in foreign languages. The division is especially well staffed with Arabic speakers, but also has analysts with skills in such languages as French, German, Italian, Japanese, Persian, Russian, Dari, Hindi, Hungarian, Spanish and Vietnamese.
Contact information:
Director: RADM Michael McDevitt, USN (Ret.), mcdevitm@cna.org or (703) 824-2614
Executive Assistant: Ms. Kathy Lewis, lewisk@cna.org or (703) 824-2519
Project Administrator: Mrs. Pam Hutchins, hutchinp@cna.org or (703) 824-2107
International Affairs Group (IAG)
This team, led by Dr. Eric Thompson, has both regional and functional expertise. IAG's regional specialists conduct analyses on issues associated with Europe, NATO, the Mediterranean and Black Sea littorals, Latin America, Africa, and the Pacific. IAG’s functional specialties include leadership analysis, coalition integration and interoperability, proliferation, force structure and deployment issues, and operational strategy. The IAG team has done a great deal of work associated with partner capacity building.
IAG is also the home to CNA's Middle East experts and Iran focused work. With in-house language skills, including both Arabic and Persian, these senior analysts have for many years provided highly valued research that is informed by cultural and historic knowledge. This cadre of experts makes frequent visits to the Middle East, and has close relationships with research institutions in the region.
Finally, IAG also has both the experts and the expertise to conduct research on South Asia and the Indian Ocean littoral.
Contact
Director: Dr. Eric V. Thompson, thompsoe@cna.org or (703) 824-2243
Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Donna Soraparu, soraparud@cna.org
or
(703) 824-2937
Stability and Development Program
Dr. Eric Thompson, is the acting director of the Stability and Development Program, which focuses on counterinsurgency, irregular warfare, and post-conflict reconstruction. The team provides objective, analytic perspectives—grounded in an understanding of actual operations—to support decision-makers charged with planning and conducting security and development operations.
The range of issues includes: insurgency and counterinsurgency, ethnic conflict, development of indigenous forces, economic development of war-torn states, “Phase IV” reconstruction efforts, and the establishment of political institutions. The team most recently spent time on the ground in Afghanistan advising Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs).
Contact
Acting Director: Dr. Eric V. Thompson, thompsoe@cna.org or (703) 824-2243
Acting Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Donna Soraparu, soraparud@cna.org
or
(703) 824-2937
Strategic Initiatives Group (SIG)
Dr. Tom Bowditch, leads this team. It focuses on broad issues of national strategy, in particular the maritime component of national security strategy with an emphasis on assessing real world military operations including transformation initiatives. The team includes experts in futures planning, long-term trend analysis based on scenario planning and the analysis of the recent past to help key decision-makers think constructively about the future.
The SIG team also has expertise in regional and global proliferation issues, deterrence theory, threat mitigation, and strategic planning for combating the threat to the country from weapons of mass destruction. Like other CNA Strategic Studies teams, the focus is on empirically based research that reaches judgments based on facts and data, not opinion.
Contact
Director: Dr. Tom Bowditch, bowditct@cna.org or (703) 824-2413
Administrative Assistant: Mrs. Celinda Ledford, ledfordc@cna.org or
(703) 824-2759