The Stand Alone Experimentation (SAE) Event ENABLER 09 was held at the Joint Warfare Centre's Ulsnes Training Facility from 30 September to 7 October 2009. The topic of the experiment was "Knowledge Development" which is intended as a means to provide Commanders and their Staffs with an holistic understanding of Operational Environments. (Article by Adrian Wiliamson)

This is to ensure that, when NATO is tasked to help, Commanders can determine how to employ their forces to best support the "Comprehensive Approach" (that is to include political, economic, social, infrustructure and information as well as military aspects) to solving the crisis that the International Community is pursuing. ENABLER 09 was part of the Multi National Experimentation Program, which, as well as NATO, includes NATO Nations and Partnership Nations, many of which have a strong interest in Knowledge Development either from an Alliance or National perspective.

Because the requirement for any experiment is unique, each ENABLER SAE is similarly unique. ENABLER 09, the fourth ENABLER SAE, was an innovative combination of a Command Post structure (similar to that used in JWC Command and Control Exercises) and a seminar-based experimental design. Knowledge experts from across NATO and the NATO and Partnership Nations were brought together in Stavanger and were formed into parts of a proposed Knowledge Structure to examine a series of problems (cases) based around an evolving crisis. Experiment data was collected as each case was executed, but, just as importantly, each case execution was designed to provide participants with insight into the process, which, with their own experiences and backgrounds, they could assess and discuss in a facilitated seminar discussion programmed to follow each case.

By this means, the experimenters accessed a collective analysis of the process which provided further data to be sythesised and used to steer the implementation of Knowledge Development processes and organisations within the Alliance. Initial assessments have indicated ENABLER 09 to have successfully met experimentation objectives, with final analysis due to be reported later in 2009.