This report presents the conceptual framework and methodology used to develop the Defense Sector Assessment Rating Tool (DSART). The DSART is designed to assess the state of the defense sector in a given country, and, in turn, can be used as a basis for prioritizing and allocating security assistance resources, as well as evaluating the progress of defense sector reform over time. The DSART itself can be found at the end of this report.
The DSART is designed to assess any country across the spectrum of defense sector development— from countries that have weak or underdeveloped defense sectors to those that have relatively mature defense sectors.
This report should be of interest to policymakers and others concerned with the planning, management, and implementation of defense sector reform activities and programs. There is no comprehensive tool to assist policymakers in assessing the state of the defense sector in a given country, to provide them with a systematic way of determining a country’s ability to achieve various security goals, or to monitor the success of defense sector reform programs over time. This study addresses that gap by designing the Defense Sector Assessment Rating Tool (DSART).
Developing a Defense Sector Assessment Rating Tool.pdf