NITECH ››› A TRANSFORMATIONAL DECADE
THE NOR:
NATO OFFICE OF RESOURCES Simon Michell talks to Anne-Marie Pick, the Director of the NATO Office of Resources (NOR), to find out what the NOR does and how it collaborates with the NCI Agency
30
The Director of the NATO Office of Resources (NOR), Anne-Marie Pick, understands the challenges that the NCI Agency must address, having served as the first NCI Agency Chief Financial Officer/ Financial Controller when the Agency was established in 2012. She has very fond memories of her time there. “I served in the NCI Agency for six years as we brought together five disparate legacy organizations, modernized NATO IT and communications, changed funding models, significantly reduced personnel and implemented many other significant and far-reaching changes. It was one of the most
interesting and challenging positions I have held,” she says. This has afforded her an in-depth awareness of the NCI Agency – an understanding that is extremely useful to her in her current role of driving efficient and effective NATO-wide stewardship of the Alliance’s common funding, much of which is allocated to the NCI Agency. NATO common funding amounts to some 2.5 billion EUR a year, or approximately 0.3% of the combined defence budgets of the 30 NATO Allies. The amounts are minimal in terms of total defence spending, but the “multiplier effect”
is significant as common funding enables Member Nations to pool and leverage resources, and most importantly to operate as one. Pick considers common funding as part of “the glue that binds the Alliance” as it enables political consultations and decision-making, deterrence and defence, and interoperability. Very importantly, NATO Nations coming together and committing to common funding sends a clear and tangible message of political resolve, unity and solidarity. The NOR plays a key role as the NATO IS (international staff) lead for NATO common-funded capabilities
