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Questions about the NSC's roles and authority must be answered

• Is there a legislative or constitutional basis for the NSC?
• Does the NSC have the backing of the country's chief executive?

The composition and accountability format of the NSC must be examined

• Is there a balance between civilian and noncivilian members of the NSC?
• Is the NSC appropriately sized, with virtually all NSC members having national security responsibilities?
• Is there meaningful accountability for the NSC?

The sufficiency of resources for the NSC must be assessed

• Do the NSC and its secretariat have appropriate levels of personnel and funding?
• Does the NSC have access to a broad range of expertise?

This report examines and explores what potential challenges arise as a result of setting up a national security council (NSC) and what the most effective means are for overcoming these challenges. It should be of use as a reference to the government of Mali as it considers establishing such a body for itself. Through a review of open source literature and interviews with subject matter experts, the author creates a theoretical framework by which to measure the effectiveness of NSCs in terms of overcoming these potential challenges. The author then applies this framework to three case studies: Sierra Leone, Côte d'Ivoire, and Mozambique. The author finds that the features that allow an NSC to most effectively overcome potential challenges include (1) having legally defined roles and authority and the backing of the country's chief executive; (2) being predominantly civilian in membership but with relevant noncivilian input, a relatively compact size, and meaningful accountability; and (3) having adequate resources to support its work, whether in terms of funding, personnel, or expertise. Although an NSC may be effective at overcoming these potential challenges and ultimately may be a well-functioning body, this is not a cure-all for challenges in the broader security environment, such as ensuring stability or effective implementation of security sector reforms. Other factors, such as the state of the economy and the status of former combatants, will also have a major impact on these broader challenges. Therefore, a government should construct an effective, well-functioning NSC in conjunction with reforms elsewhere.

• Chapter One

  Introduction

• Chapter Two

  Theoretical Framework for Assessing National Security Council Effectiveness in Overcoming Challenges

• Chapter Three

  Case Study 1: Sierra Leone

• Chapter Four

  Case Study 2: Côte d'Ivoire

• Chapter Five

  Case Study 3: Mozambique

• Chapter Six

  Conclusion