Logotyp: till Försvarshögskolans hemsida

Command and control (C2) activities are conducted in various domains such as defence, emergency response, police and crises management. The problems in these domains are often characterized by complexity, i.e. having a high degree of variety. According to cybernetic theory, the variety of the controller (the C2 system) must equal or exceed that of the controlled system in the operational environment. The degree of variety sufficient to control a particular system is defined as requisite variety. 

In this paper we aim to operationalize both external and internal variety, closing the gap between high level abstract descriptions and concrete solutions, in order to suggest practical propositions when designing C2 systems. C2 systems are composed by methods, technology, personnel and organization. In this work we focus on the aspects of personnel and organization. A particular interest is dedicated to the competence variable within the personnel component. We discuss, based on previous research on e.g. diversity, what dimensions of the competence variable may be of most importance when performing C2 activities to cope with complexity.

However, a substantial amount of C2 research, also suggests that making fast decisions is important to cope with problems stemming from an adversary. We elaborate on the potential cost of high internal variety in that it may delay decisions in the C2 team because of a raised need for team communication. We conclude by presenting an investigative method, which includes simulated external complexity requiring dynamic decision-making that is handled by C2 teams with different types of competence (internal variety).