The Combined Joint Psyops Task Force (CJPOTF) is the sole asset of the IJC to communicate

directly to the local population through organic mass media. It forms the centre of gravity of the ISAF

information efforts towards the population within the ISAF area of operations (AOO’s). The CJPOTF

task is to influence and to inform specific target audiences approved by the North Atlantic council

(NAC) and explains ISAF’s mission and activities to a broad public. Furthermore it creates a

supportive atmosphere for the conduct of military operations under the ISAF mandate.

It employs multinational military and civilian specialists in roles such as:  The Target Audience Analysis (TAA) Counter Propaganda Specialist

He /she delivers continuously updated pictures of political, military, economical, social, cultural, and personal situations of the target audience in

regional areas of responsibility

Support counter propaganda program, including developing strategies and concepts, maintain

relationships with partners, provide guidance to senior leadership and work closely with regional

PSYOPS support elements.

Be aware of and able to communicate the ISAF narrative to the Afghan population. Monitor the full

spectrum in the region of operations, the actions of key communicators in the region and

demographic and cultural data.

Support the CJPOTF production Development Centre (PDC) in the development of counter

propaganda products.

Collect, process and collate information and intelligence in support of PSYOPS programming,

product development and PSYOPS efforts.

Filters, electronically processes, and presents relevant information for target audience analysis

database in order to detect target audience behaviour trends, opinion trends, and impact indicators

for possible exploitation or product / action modification.

Keeps track of full media spectrum in theatre of operations, the actions of the key communicators in

the region and demographic and cultural data.

Operates and maintains database on target audience.

Ensure coordination with the relevant regional chain of command in support of all lines of

communication, while maintaining situational awareness at national level.

Ensure adequate coordination with Operations/Plans in support of the PSYOPS process.

In 2013 however, it was decided to overall the IJC>  

The ISAF Joint Command (IJC) is reorganized its staff and its approach to meet the commander’s critical information requirements (CCIR) by creating an inclusive information center to assemble, analyze and disseminate operational information in a timely, accurate and comprehensive way. The IJC’s Information Dominance Center (IDC) was organized specifically to address the information challenge faced by all partners in the Afghanistan effort. The IDC represents a new approach for synthesizing data so that decision makers at all echelons understand the complex informational environment with a common view.

For the majority of the organizations operating in Afghanistan, the problem is not a shortage of data. This is particularly true after eight years of operations and interaction with military units, local and national leaders, regional and global media, fact-finding teams, government and nongovernment survey organizations, and other groups. The issue is both data overload and the glare of ambiguous, contradictory, inconsistent, latent and incomplete reporting that cause U.S. and coalition forces to divert their attention away from the underlying dynamics and relationships of the key organizations, individuals and actions that really matter in the Afghan operating environment.