Once examples of low cost infrastructures are identified, “cross-cutting” solution sets (mixes of shel-ter, water, power, etc.) can be tailored to the needs of the local coalitions of business, government and civil society—those who will have to implement and sustain them on the ground. Not all solutions suit all scenarios—building partner nation capacity to stabilize southern archipelagoes calls for different answers than supporting mountain earthquake victims in winter. STAR-TIDES’ focus on the needs of “relevant populations” contributes to humanitarian assistance, the Millennium Development Goals, and peace building. It supports public diplomacy, meets National Security Strategy guidance, and improves the inter-agency's ability to work together and interact with participants in civil-military missions, such as when implementing the National Incident Management System (NIMS). In addition, all parties may save money by agreeing on which supplies could best be provided by governments, and which by non-government entities, commercial supply chains, or empowered individuals.
