Allow local commanders to buy what they need

"Allow local commanders to buy what they need and nationalize the war effort by connecting the American public with the troops and their mission.

"The troops need more support, from both the military and the American people, and the ground commanders must be empowered to lead our national effort to support them. The localized insurgency, coupled with an adaptive, resilient enemy means the troops on the ground best understand how to win. Our support should fulfill their stated needs, not what Congress, the Pentagon--or even the generals in Baghdad--think they ought to need.

"We need to expand "commander discretionary funds" to give each battalion commander a large budget, on the order of $3 million, to spend as they see fit both before they deploy and while in country, with appropriate accountability. This would allow commanders to take action that will help the mission, but which bureaucratic practices currently prevent. For example, they could buy video cameras and phones to give to locals so that they can film and report insurgent activity; or hire military-aged males to clean roads and dig trenches that improve security while providing jobs to men who would otherwise be recruited as insurgents. It would also allow ground forces to reward a neighborhood chief with a few electric generators for his support of our mission, or to hand a $20 bill to a local who identifies a bomb that could have killed several soldiers." Source: Six Steps to Victory

I would see this suggestion as another example of "mass collaboration" insofar as it encourages the involvement of people actually on the ground. Further, it involves not only those directly involved in the operation (the commanders and troops) but also those civilians in the area who are capable of offering assistance. The suggestion above concerning the American people (which could be expanded the include Canadian, British and other coalition nationalities) clearly is another example of "mass collaboration".