Culture and Interoperability in Integrated Missions

Integrated missions require people from diverse backgrounds to work together and to work\nwith local populations with whom they may be unfamiliar. In both instances, cultural\ndifferences can present challenges or opportunities. This article extends a model of how\nculture affects interoperability among members of an integrated mission – horizontal\ninteroperability – to the understanding of how culture affects an integrated mission’s\nwork with local populations – vertical interoperability. The article identifies seven principles\nof action which allow integrated missions to take account of culture in engaging\nlocal populations.