The Greater Gulf of Guinea Simulation

Simulation explores how to maintain sufficient stability to enhance economic viability.

How can government, private sector, international organization, and nongovernmental organization stakeholders integrate their capabilities in new ways to maintain stability in and enhance the economic viability of volatile regions of the world?

On March 14–15, 2006, the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) and Booz Allen Hamilton posed this question to more than 60 business, government, and civil society leaders in a simulation exercise that explored ways of influencing the global dynamics and local events shaping the Greater Gulf of Guinea.

The simulation identified specific challenges to improved interagency and cross-stakeholder cooperation, including:

• Lack of a common policy framework to align business, government, and civil sector interests
• Incompatible institutional factors (operating procedures, cultural differences, overlaps and gaps in areas of responsibility, resource gaps)
• Conflicting or incomplete guidance from senior corporate and government policy makers
• Overly centralized decision making and insufficient support for in-the-field innovation
• Technological incompatibility and other information sharing impediments
• Lack of understanding of other stakeholders’ roles and capabilities

The simulation enabled participants to identify, and gave them the opportunity to suggest, practical steps that would help senior leaders understand the operating environment, policy formulation, strategic planning, and execution in the Greater Gulf of Guinea and similar regions globally.

The resulting Booz Allen-BCIU study is entitled "The Greater Gulf of Guinea Simulation."

study posted May 26, 2006