Each year NATO organizes two AltA Training Courses devoted to training the next generation of AltA Facilitators in the deliberate application of independent, critical thought and alternative perspective to improve decision-making. The most recent 5 day course was hosted at NATO School Oberammergau, Germany on 14-18 September 2015 and attended by nearly forty military officers and civilians from NATO and national military structures. The course provides a heady mix of lectures covering AltA principles and techniques from the AltA Handbook and hands-on experience of what it’s like to be an AltA Facilitator.

At this course, the JALLC Senior Operational Research Analyst (JALLC AltA Focal Point) supported the instructor team and one of the JALLC’s newly recruited civilian Research Analysts trained as an AltA Facilitator. The JALLC now has five fully trained AltA Facilitators in its staff.

The JALLC support to the AltA training course is part of the JALLC’s commitment to building NATO’s Lessons Learned capability. The AltA course is the third level of training recommended for Lessons Learned analysts, who should first complete the NATO Lessons Learned Online Course, then the NATO Lessons Learned Staff Officers Course before adding AltA training to their repertoire.