Influence Wargaming Handbook

The Georgetown University Wargaming Society presents "Influence Wargaming Handbook".

Colin Marston and Graham Longley-Brown will summarise the forthcoming UK Ministry of Defence Influence Wargaming Handbook. The purpose of the Handbook is to explain how wargaming can be used to examines influence. It also explores how influence effects might be better represented within wargames. Affecting the behaviours of target audiences is central to all defence and security activities across the continuum of competition, which spans cooperation, through rivalry and confrontation, to armed conflict. At present, the representation of influence and behavioural effects in our methods, techniques and data is poor. Developing methods and techniques, including wargaming, to represent effects below the threshold of war, such as influence effects, is a high priority. Wargaming is recognised as, ‘a powerful tool…that can deliver better understanding and critical thinking, foresight, genuinely informed decision-making and innovation.’ While that is certainly true of ‘conventional’ wargaming, typified by force-on-force and kinetic activity, the representation of influence effects within wargames is of more variable quality. Wargaming is particularly suited to examining influence – but it must be done well or it carries risk. ‘Influence wargaming’ is an evolving discipline that needs to be developed. It is essential that influence effects are better represented within wargames to inform our understanding of the information environment and, in particular, audiences.

Tuesday, 13 June 2023, 1200-1400 EDT.Online.

Register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/influence-wargaming-handbook-tickets-524664865737