Mercenary PsyOp contractor NATO contract
“The threat of conventional warfare has changed and we have to recognise that information can be a weapon,” said Mark Laity, Chief of Strategic Communications at NATO’s Allied Command Operations in Mons, Belgium.
“The UK based company Strategic Communications Laboratory (SCL) was contracted to conduct Target Audience Analysis (TAA) Train the Trainer course. 999,657 CAD have been paid to SCL”
— NATO STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE ANNUAL REPORT
SCL GROUP AND AFFILIATED COMPANY IOTA GLOBAL WERE TASKED IN 2015 WITH TRAINING NATO PSYOPS DIVISION IN TARGET AUDIENCE ANALYSIS.
“In 2015 the Centre was pleased to receive financial support from the Canadian Government in order to support the Centre’s efforts to improve its strategic communications research capabilities and develop knowledge concerning target audience analysis (TAA). The contractor, Strategic Communications Laboratory (SCL), delivered an intensive 8-week course where the SCL trained defence personnel from NATO Allied and Partner countries, as well as Centre personnel, in TAA methodology developed by the Behavioural Dynamics Institute (United Kingdom). Following the course, the Centre conducted a training seminar for Georgian, Ukrainian and Moldovan government officials to familiarize them with that particular TAA methodology and explain its role in the StratCom planning loop. A subject matter expert from the SCL contributed to the planning and delivery of the training.”
STATEMENT FROM NATO AT THE TIME OF THE CONTRACT BEING AWARDED:
Twenty intelligence analysts, psychologists, and military and defence personnel from across NATO countries will be trained in what is known as Target Audience Analysis, a scientific application developed by the UK based Behavioural Dynamics Institute, that involves a comprehensive study of audience groups and forms the basis for interventions aimed at reinforcing or changing attitudes and behaviour. Significantly, the methodology increases the resilience of susceptible audiences and enables them to withstand foreign propaganda effects.
The programme is funded by the Government of Canada through a contribution to the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the NATO Wales Summit on September 4, 2014. “The Canadian support being provided for NATO initiatives today will help Ukrainians better defend themselves against the Russian threat and strengthen the ability of NATO Centres of Excellence in the region to better address regional security challenges related to energy, communications and cyber defence,” [1] said Harper when announcing the contribution.
“Canada recognises the threat posed by this new type of warfare from Russia,” said Ambassador Hausser. “Canada is delighted to fund this unique and world-class training course which will act as a real counter to the insidious Russian propaganda.”
State Secretary Sarts said, “The Government of Latvia greatly values this training which will help us better understand the problem.”
The programme will be delivered by the UK-based Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL Defence), which has worked for the UK Ministry of Defence and the United States’ Department of Defense for a number of years and is the world’s only company licensed to deliver the Behavioural Dynamics process, and a team of Information Warfare experts drawn from seven nations, called IOTA-Global.
SCL’s team of leading experts in Target Audience Analysis, Military Influence experts from IOTA-Global and leading academics from the Behavioural Dynamics Institute, will run the course over a three-month period at the National Defence Academy of the Republic of Latvia in Riga on behalf of the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence.
“The threat of conventional warfare has changed and we have to recognise that information can be a weapon,” said Mark Laity, Chief of Strategic Communications at NATO’s Allied Command Operations in Mons, Belgium. “Whether used for disinformation, deception or plain fabrication to create false narratives, we have to be aware of and be able to respond to this challenge. This course will improve our ability to operate in the information arena both effectively and in line with our values as free and open societies.” |
