Albany Associates

Since 2020, Albany has been a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, reaffirming our commitment to supporting the men and women who serve or have served in the Armed Forces, as well as their families. What is the Armed Forces Covenant? 🤔 The Armed Forces Covenant is a pledge that acknowledges the unique sacrifices made by members of the Armed Forces community and seeks to ensure they face no disadvantage in their day-to-day lives. As a Covenant signatory and member of the MOD Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award, we are committed to upholding the principles of the Covenant, which include promoting fair employment opportunities, fostering a supportive working environment, and championing the integration of Armed Forces personnel into civilian life. ⬇ Employing Reservists - Your Questions Answered! ⬇ Albany recognises the invaluable contribution of Reservists to our nation's defence, and we are committed to providing employment opportunities that accommodate their unique role. If you have any questions about employing Reservists or would like more information about our commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant, we encourage you to comment below. Whether you are an existing employee, a potential candidate, or a member of the public, we are here to address any queries you may have. Or if you'd prefer, contact the ERS team at gl-offemp@rfca.mod.uk and they'll be more than happy to provide the information you need! Albany believes in the power of collaboration and the positive impact businesses can have on society. Join us in supporting the Armed Forces Covenant and help create a workplace that values and empowers our Armed Forces community. #armedforcescovenant #armedforcescommunity

Its an honour for Albany to be included in the UK Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Scheme's Gold Award! As signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant, we will continue to work to ensure Albany is a welcoming environment for veterans, reservists, and those transitioning from service. ⬇ Read the post below to learn more about Albany's commitment! #GoldERS24 #armedforcescovenant

Albany's Chairman Sir Rob Fry, writing for The Article, analyses the recent Ukrainian incursion into Kursk Oblast, proposing it as a bold raid with significant tactical and strategic implications. He highlights Ukraine’s impressive military execution and the subsequent disruption to Russian defenses, which may reshape the broader conflict. Ultimately, he argues the raid’s success could achieve far-reaching diplomatic and military consequences. https://lnkd.in/eGaqDqdw

Key discussion highlights from our recent ERI Validation Workshop... 1. Improving the communications performance of security forces allows them to build trust with communities. This leads to an increasingly positive role for the SNA in community-level conflict resolution. eg. SNA CIMIC Courses - Delivered by ERI-trained SNA CIMIC trainers to battalion-level staff in the FMSs Kismayo, Beledweyne, Baidoa Feb-July 2024. 2. The speed of interventions when local conflicts arise is critical. Providing communities with the tools to articulate their needs and resolve local disputes themselves allows for rapid de-escalation of grievances by locally involved stakeholders. e.g. Community Atmospheric Panels and Community Dispute Resolution Committees, Baidoa, Wisil, Janaale, 2021-2024. 3. ERI's constant interaction with and deeper understanding of communities means engagements are planned with local sensitivities in mind so communities feel like their concerns and local issues have been factored in. This leads to increased community ownership and buy-in into stabilisation. e.g. Community dialogue forums in NRRAs in JL, GM, SW And HS States. 4. Addressing the cultural barriers that limit women's participation requires a continuous effort that is sensitive to differing perspectives on the role of gender. Despite challenges, ensuring that women's voices are heard and respected in community discussions has fostered greater social cohesion and trust amongst communities. e.g. ERI has worked in close partnership with it's sister project, Women to Women Security (W2WS), on our stabilisation activity. This was particularly notable in JL State, where ERI delivered stabilisation activity alongside W2WS staff in NRRAs.

Thanks Parvina for your insightful comments on our event last month. I couldn’t agree more with your hypothesis!!

A snap shot of our discussions the other day

Thank you to everyone that attended the second event in our 20th Anniversary series, tackling 'The Disinformation Dilemma - What Now?'. After exploring the evolution of this threat in May, this session focused on actionable solutions. Joe Morley Davis set the stage with recent research on Russian Information Operations, conducted with NATO's Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence. Our expert panel, featuring Karin von Hippel, Mark Galeotti, Nina Kuryata, and Albany's Graham Baines, engaged in a lively discussion facilitated by journalist Kitty Logan. Topics ranged from government roles to the impact of culture and new media. The consensus? Tailored, authentic responses are key. Stay tuned for our next discussion in September! #Albany20thAnniversary #DisinformationDilemma #StrategicCommunications

On Thursday last week Albany held the second in a series of events marking our 20th Anniversary. The aim this time was to discuss approaches to the question ‘The Disinformation Dilemma - What Now?’ Back in May we had looked at how the threat had changed since we were founded in 2004, and the reemergence of interstate conflict and digital communications as a key component of hybrid warfare in particular. So, as we had already identified problem, this session was all about what to do about it. Nevertheless, to set the stage Albany’s Joe Morley Davis gave a quick presentation on some recent research into Russian Information Operations we had done alongside the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Riga[1]. Our panel covered all the bases: Karin von Hippel the Director General of RUSI; Mark Galeotti the eminent and renown writer and commentor on Russian affairs and the Kremlin; Nina Kuryata the Ukraine and defence editor at Tortoise media; and our own Chief Technology Officer and interactive engagement specialist Graham Baines. In an informal chat show format Kitty Logan, an experienced independent journalist and reporter, asked them about such things as: what more could governments be doing about the problem; should we be focussing on countering or building resilience to it; how important were strategic narratives and does the West need a new one; are we using the right tools and approaches; where does history and culture fit; and can we reach audiences inside places like Russia and are their governments vulnerable to their own narrative challenges? In answering these questions, it was clear that there are no silver bullet solutions given the complexity of the challenge. But in a discussion that ranged from Pushkin and Dostoyevsky to Tik Tok and Grand Theft Auto the consensus was: that responses needed to be tailored to the specific context and geography; that government generated narratives weren’t trusted and authentic local voices were always more resonant; that art and culture provide universal contact points: and while respected legacy media are still important, we need to move away from a focus on traditional news towards new online communities and gaming platforms.  Watch this space for more on our next discussion in September. [1] https://lnkd.in/enWXCfU3 #albanyassociates #disinformation #Event #FMI

Great guidance here from Andy on the benefits and pitfalls of Gen AI in the StratComs space after our event yesterday on the Disinformation Dilemma.

Today is the anniversary of the #MH17 disaster, in which Russian-backed separatists shot down a civilian airliner with equipment given to them by the Kremlin in violation of international embargoes. All 298 passengers on board lost their lives. In the aftermath, those seeking truth and justice faced a widespread disinformation campaign by the Kremlin which sought to cover up its role in the disaster. ⬇ Follow the link below to see how the investigative team successfully utlised #strategiccommunications to bring accountability, and how their model can be used in other instances: https://lnkd.in/eF4_7Bb8