Team

Victoria Walker is the Assistant Director of DCAF and Head of the International Security Sector Advisory Team (ISSAT). 

Victoria joined ISSAT in 2008, initially as an SSR advisor. During her time in ISSAT she has worked on advisory missions across Sub-Saharan Africa, the Balkans, South-East Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, including assessments, programme design and M&E. Her main focuses thematically include strategic management and engagement, change management, risk, governance, national security strategies, and policy development. In addition, Victoria has delivered SSR and advisory training and capacity building to a range of donor and multilateral agency audiences, and was responsible for developing ISSAT’s first governance module on the advanced SSR training course. She was heavily involved in the set up and development of ISSAT, and took on the role as Head of the department in 2017.

Prior to joining ISSAT, Victoria was a political advisor to the head of the EU Rule of Law planning mission in Kosovo. She also worked on Crisis Management, DDR and human rights in the Aceh Monitoring Mission in Indonesia, and held the position of Head of the Albania Country Office for the Balkans EU Monitoring Mission. Before moving into civilian crisis management and development, she held a commission in the British Army. She has a law degree from Kings’ College London, an MSc in Development Management and an MA in Social Sciences (focusing on environmental policy) from the Open University, as well as a Post-Graduate Diploma in Security Sector Management from Cranfield University.

ISSAT Blog posts:

Lessons from Community Policing: process, tools and transparency

Anícia Lalá is the Head of Advisory Field Support  at ISSAT. Anícia also leads the portfolio of collaboration with the African Union. 

Anícia has twenty years of cumulative international security cooperation experience, with combined practitioner, policy analysis, and academic skills in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, international politics and international political economy. Her focus of work has been on assessments, lesson learning, knowledge development and management, evaluations and capacity building. She has carried out assignments in the context of EU, UN, AU, SADC, ECOWAS, OECD, and CPLP work on the continuum between security and development.  Within SSR thematics Anicia has undertaken work on defence, justice and RoL, institutional building, political engagement, donor coordination, non-state security and justice provision, oversight and accountability, local ownership and change management.

She is a founding member of the African Security Sector Network (ASSN) and served on its Executive Committee over a number of years. Earlier on she worked as Deputy Director for Africa at the Global Facilitation Network for SSR, at Cranfield University, UK.  Previously Anicia held an advising and lecturing position at the Higher Institute for International Relations, and was an analyst and advisor on defence policy and international cooperation at the Ministry of Defence of Mozambique. Anícia holds a PhD in international security studies, from the University of Bradford, and a MSc on peace and development, from the University of Gothenburg. She has several publications in the fields of conflict resolution, democratisation, international security, post-conflict reconstruction, and security sector reform.

ISSAT blog posts:

Supreme Audit Institutions: a new frontier of security sector governance?| Part I

Supreme Audit Institutions: a new frontier of security sector governance?| Part II

Elsa Dazin is the Head of Outreach and Knowledge at ISSAT.

She leads ISSAT's efforts on the development of learning and trends in the area of security, justice and governance reform. Elsa oversees ISSAT's work on developing knowledge products that inform donor SSG/R programming including contextual analysis, conceptual and good practice guidance and analysis of emerging learning from the field. She also ensures continuous outreach on ISSAT's knowledge products with ISSAT's Members and the SSG/R community of practitioners through a community of practice platform and regular newsletters, addressed to english and french speaking practitioners.

Elsa comes from a peacebuilding and conflict prevention background with strong skills in gender mainstreaming methodologies. Previously worked as Project Officer for UNDP’s Crisis Prevention and Recovery Unit, she was involved in the operational implementation of UNDP’s recovery efforts for refugees and host communities. She was also responsible for carrying out operational and strategic gender mainstreaming into the UN system’s crisis prevention programmatic portfolio. This included, strategy design and programme development, as well as, continuous capacity development of UN staff and local stakeholders. Elsa has also worked with UNDP’s Arab Regional Centre as a Research Analyst on issues relating to governance, rule of law, poverty reduction, economic empowerment, parliamentary reform and women empowerment and gender equality.  She was in charge of capacity development in those areas for UNDP country offices, in addition to backstopping the team leaders in the areas of communication and partnership building. 

Previously, Elsa was a Chargée de Mission, with the French Ministry of Finance’s economic mission to Vietnam (ADETEF). Elsa speaks fluent French, Arabic and English. A graduate in Political and Administrative Sciences, Elsa has a Master's degree in Development Studies delivered by the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Bordeaux.

Marianne Ducasse-Rogier is the Head of Professional Development and Training (PDT) service line in ISSAT.

In this capacity she leads the implementation of ISSAT training strategy and manages a team of training experts.

Marianne has a background in international relations / peace and security and more than 20 years of experience working for international organisations, university or think tanks in different countries. She has been involved in the teaching and training field since 2004 and enjoys combining her thematic expertise with her training and facilitation skills.

Prior to joining ISSAT in 2022, Marianne worked as a Senior Academy fellow at The Netherlands Institute of International Relations “Clingendael”, where she contributed to the development of the Academy and more specifically managed the diplomatic training portfolio. She also worked inter alia as a guest teacher at Leiden University department of Political Science, as a consultant for IOM and as an OSCE election supervisor in Bosnia and Herzegovina. She was a NATO PfP fellow and published in that framework a study on multidimensional peace-keeping. She is also the author of a book on the Dayton peace agreement implementation and of a book on the history of OIM published to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of the organisation.

Marianne has a Ph.D from the Graduate Institute of international and Development Studies, a DES from the same institute and a diploma from the Institut d’études politiques de Lyon. She speaks French, English and Dutch.

Alex Walsh is a Programme Manager in ISSAT. He works on Advisory Field Support and the Knowledge and Outreach portfolio.

Alex was drawn into SSR after completing graduate research in Egypt in the period 2011-2014. Since this period, he has worked in British SSR, stabilization and peacebuilding missions in Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia and Syria, with particular reference to police reform, community policing and state-civil society engagement. His core skill set centres on facilitation, research, conflict mapping, assessment and evaluation. His previous role was in the DCAF Tunis office, engaged with security and the media and he has worked as an independent consultant to international development organizations.

Alex’s Challiot paper on policing in the Arab World is published with the European Union Institute of Security Studies in August 2020. He also publishes on security and politics with Arab Reform Initiative and Middle East Institute.

Alex has an MPhil and MA in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Cambridge, where his focus was on political Islam. Alex speaks English, Levantine Arabic and French.

Camilla Arvastson is a Programme Manager in the Knowledge and Outreach team in ISSAT.  

Her role includes development of knowledge products and operational tools in the area of SSR, as well as contributing to ISSAT’s methodology and guidance products on country-specific and thematic issues. She also contributes to ISSAT mandates and manages ISSAT's Outreach. 

Previously, Camilla worked for the European Commission in Brussels in the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development (DG DEVCO) and in the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME). In these roles she worked with EU’s external and internal policies on security, development and migration as well as coordination and advocacy work. She has also worked as a Desk officer at the Swedish Migration Agency, and has experience from United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Viet Nam and the Swedish Delegation to the OECD and UNESCO in Paris, where she worked particularly with the OECD-DAC.

Camilla holds a MSSc. in Peace and Conflict Research from Uppsala University, including exchange studies in Conflict and Coexistence from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University. Additionally, she holds two Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and in International Relations from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.  

Camilla speaks Swedish, English and other Nordic languages. She also speaks intermediate French and some Spanish. 

Devendra Rana is Programme Manager in ISSAT.

He joins with a brief to enhance management processes and strengthen compliance, as well as, introduce new systems and processes. The goal of these improvements is to strengthen ISSAT’s advisory services, training and knowledge product offerings.

Devendra is a PMI certified project management specialist with long experience of developing and managing large projects in Asia, Africa and Europe. His global south background and perspective plus environment-climate knowledges gives. Devendra a good understanding of the security dimensions of changing climate and environmental degradation.

Eleonora Dan is a Senior Project Officer in ISSAT’s Advisory Field Support.

Her main tasks include the planning and organisation of ISSAT’s activities and mandates, the provision of logistical support for missions, as well as administrative and financial management support. She also provides support to thematic research on SSR and related issues, notably on gender issues.

Prior to joining ISSAT, Eleonora worked as Project Assistant for Merck's Access to Health Unit in Geneva. She also worked as a fund-raising volunteer for Emergency, an Italian NGO providing support to victims of war, landmines and poverty.

Eleonora holds a Master's degree in International Public Affairs from the LUISS School of Government in Rome, and a Master's degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics (LSE) and the School of Political Science at the University of Bologna. Eleonora is fluent in Italian, English and French.

Etienne Sompairac is a Project Officer in ISSAT’s Advisory Field Support team.

His role is to provide content support on country-specific and thematic mandates by collecting and analysing the relevant data and by contributing to all the stages of the programme cycle.

Etienne has published two blog posts with ISSAT, The blockchain and its multiple applications and The power of Collective Intelligence, which explored how SSR could harness digital technologies to support efficient reform.

Prior to taking up this role in 2021, Etienne has been working as a project coordinator in a think-tank focusing on environmental affairs. Before that, he joined ISSAT as Outreach and Knowledge intern where he contributed to a project evaluation of UNDP Colombia's Country Programme and the development of a methodology to conduct in-depth Security Sector Analysis in Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad. Prior to that, Etienne worked at the Office of the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Within the NGO Liaison Unit, his role was to facilitate civil society organisations’ access to UN mechanisms.

Etienne has a Double Master’s degree in International Political Economy and Journalism from the University of Warwick and Monash University. He also holds a bachelor’s degree in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick.

Etienne speaks French, English and Spanish. He also speaks intermediate Arabic (Classical/Levantine) and German as well as a little Italian.

Floris de Klerk Wolters is a Project Officer within ISSAT's Professional Development and Training team. He is also a Project Officer in DCAF's Asia-Pacific Unit (APU). 

His role includes supporting the Professional Development and Training (PDT) team, helping develop e-learning and digital SSG/R courses and trainings, and supporting all aspects of course organisation, provision, and evaluation.

Floris has co-authored the SSR Backgrounder on the security sector and health crises, and a book epilogue on lessons for the security sector from Ebola in the time of COVID-19.

Prior to taking up this role in 2021, Floris has been at DCAF’s Asia-Pacific Unit since January 2019 and worked as student consultant researching illicit financial flows for the Centre on Conflict, Development and Peacebuilding.

Floris has a master’s degree in International Affairs from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. Floris received his bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences from University College Utrecht.

Floris speaks Dutch, English, Frisian, and decent French and German.

Fredrik Wallin is a Junior Professional Officer in ISSAT’s Outreach and Knowledge Team.

His role includes research assistance for a stocktaking study on the security sector’s role in climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and environmental protection. Fredrik is mainly contributing to the development of a methodology, the drafting of reports as well as providing support in logistics.

Prior to taking up this role in 2022, Fredrik had worked as a student research assistant at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, after which he was an intern in the multilateral section of the Embassy of Switzerland in the Netherlands.

Fredrik holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Biology from the University of Zurich, and spent a semester abroad at Linnaeus University in Växjö, Sweden. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in International Relations/Political Science at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies. 

Fredrik speaks German, English, French, and decent Swedish, Spanish, Dutch and is currently learning Italian.

Hannah Ajelet Eriksen is an Intern in ISSAT’s Central Support Team.

Her role includes supporting the Central Support Team’s bilateral meetings with DCAF’s International Partners Group, the forthcoming International Partners Group Meeting, and policy analysis.

Prior to taking up this role in 2022, Hannah had worked as a trainee at the Norwegian Delegation to the United Nations in New York, focusing on humanitarian affairs and international development. 

Hannah received her Bachelor’s degree in International Studies with a specialisation in the Middle East from Leiden University, and spent a semester abroad at the Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo, Egypt. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Affairs at Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID).

Hannah speaks English, Norwegian, Hebrew and some Egyptian Colloquial Arabic.

Helen Seese is a Security Sector Reform Advisor in ISSAT's Advisory Field Support team. 

In this role she is contributing with technical expertise on assessments, design, and Monitoring & Evaluation.

Helen has 15 years of experience in applied research on security and governance in fragile states and conflict zones. Prior to joining ISSAT in November 2020, she worked in the private sector and as independent consultant. Based in Afghanistan for nine years, Helen supported a wide range of clients from UN agencies, bi-lateral donors, International NGOs, and the military. She designed large-scale field research that combines quantitative and qualitative data collection in highly volatile areas, and lead formative assessments, policy research and programme evaluations. From 2017 to 2020, Helen contributed to the development of M&E systems informing UK security and governance programming in East Africa, and served as Strategic M&E Advisor for Somalia programmes. Her particular interest is in contextualisation of security and governance programmes to account for local political economies, and evidence-driven decision-making that links strategic and implementation levels.     

Helen holds a MA in ‘Conflict, Security and Development’ from King’s College London, and a Masters in Political Science from the University of Leipzig. She is fluent in English and German.

Hervé Auffret is Senior Security Sector Reform Advisor in ISSAT. 

Hervé joined ISSAT November 2018. His role includes the provision of strategic advice and guidance in the area of Security and Justice to ISSAT's core team, its Expert Roster and Governing Board members undertaking Security Sector reform activities. He also leads missions related to SSR strands of work.

Hervé served 33 years in the French Navy and ended his career in 2013 as navy captain heading the strategy and policy office in the cabinet of the chief of the navy. During his military career he filled successive operational, headquarters and command positions. He deployed often abroad, mainly in Africa. He was appointed in the French Prime Minister Cabinet (General Secretary for National Defence) where he contributed to addressing WMD proliferation and Small Weapons trafficking. He spent two years in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Military and Defence cooperation) leading the development of SSR projects mostly with African countries. He also led the policy branch in the NATO Allied Command Transformation Headquarters (Norfolk Virginia).

Prior to taking up the function in ISSAT, Hervé was leading the Joint Mission Analysis Center in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA). This appointment came after 4 years spent at the United Nations Secretariat in New York where he was leading the military Policy and Doctrine development in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

He is fluent in French and English, speaks German and a little Chinese.

Lilla Albert is a Project Officer in ISSAT's Professional Development and Training Team. 

Her role focuses on training within security sector governance and reform, looking at effective advising, inter-ministerial collaboration, human security, strategic leadership and change management. She also contributes to the coordination with DCAF-ISSAT International Partners, bilateral and multilateral partners to develop and implement training programs.

Prior to joining ISSAT, Lilla, has worked at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) with a focus on Human Rights in Humanitarian Action. She holds an MSc from the University of Leeds in Environment and Development with international fieldwork experience and a BSc in International Relations and Sociology from Aston University. She is currently in the course of completing a Double Masters in Disaster Management. Lilla speaks English, German, Hungarian, Spanish and some French.

Marine Laviec is a Programme Manager in ISSAT's Professional Development and Training Team.  

In this role, Marine is in charge of the ongoing design, development and oversight of both face-to-face and online training courses on SSR and related topics. It includes providing liaison to DCAF-ISSAT training teams before, during and after trainings; conducting research to support the ongoing development of SSR training material; contribute to both strengthening and establishing new development partnerships with relevant institutions and networks;  help identify, document and validate lessons learnt through DCAF-ISSAT development, training and advisory work to ensure existing material and methodologies are updated accordingly; support the dissemination of information on DCAF-ISSAT’s training products and policies through effective communication approaches.

Prior to taking up this role in April 2019, Marine spent two years in Ecuador working in the field of Human Rights, with Amnesty International and the Municipality of Quito. In the years that followed, she performed as a project coordinator in various fields and organizations (CrossKnowledge, Avise, University of Toulouse, Andalma) with a key focus on project management, professional training and skills development.  She created and coordinated innovative approaches to enhance technical and transversal competencies; lead ambitious training needs assessments, designed and deployed skills development strategies and plans of action; organised and delivered multiple online, blended or physical trainings; monitored, evaluated and updated professional development programmes.

In 2016, Marine joined Doctors without Borders as Human Resources Manager, and undertook several missions in Central African Republic, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. In close cooperation with operational, medical, logistical, supply and financial coordinators, she managed personnel’s’ administration and development, and provided technical support to field administrators to smoothly implement HR policies.

Marine has a Master degree in International Humanitarian Law from the University of Lille. She also graduated from the Institute of Political Studies in Grenoble, and obtained a certificate of study from the University of California, San Diego. Marine speaks French, English and Spanish.

Marta Quadrini Mosca Moschini is a Junior Project Officer in the Outreach and Knowledge team at ISSAT.

Her role includes developing knowledge products in the area of SSG/R and curating the Outreach portfolio including ISSAT’s Blog, social media engagement, and use of multimedia and digital content on ISSAT’s online Community of Practice. She has also contributed to ISSAT’s People Centred Security study, and has hosted episodes of the "Donors Talk SSR" podcast series.

Marta holds a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the Geneva Graduate Institute, and two Bachelor’s degrees in European Social and Political Studies from Sciences Po Paris and University College London.

Marta speaks English, Italian, French and Spanish.

Maya Warakaulle is an Intern in ISSAT’s Outreach and Knowledge Team.

Her role includes providing administrative support for OAK’s projects and outreach, as well as providing research assistance for the team.

Prior to taking up this role in 2023, Maya worked as an intern at the World Business Council for Sustainable Development before interning at the Mission of Switzerland to NATO.

Maya holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from King’s College London and is currently completing a Master’s degree in International and Development Studies at the Geneva Graduate Institute (IHEID).

Maya speaks French, English, Danish and German.

Patrick Hagan is the Senior Evaluation Advisor in ISSAT. 

Patrick is the lead for ISSAT support to UNDP’s Global Programme on Strengthening the Rule of Law and Human Rights, has taught on and managed the International Police Advisors Masterclass, was a member of the team that conducted the External Review of the United Nations Police Division, and developed the DCAF Operations Programme Management Cycle guidance. Before taking up the Deputy Head role Patrick was the Coordinator of Knowledge Services.

He has extensive experience on the assessment, design, monitoring and evaluation of development support to police, justice and military organisations globally, and has worked closely with the United Nations and the European Union on multilateral approaches to SSG/R. 

Prior to joining ISSAT Patrick worked as a senior evaluation advisor, leading a team developing and conducting monitoring and evaluation processes to assess police reform and peacekeeping activities across the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa. Patrick started his career working for the Australian Defence Force’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation on the assessment of counterinsurgency operations in Afghanistan and peacebuilding operations in Timor-Leste and the Solomon Islands.

Patrick Holds a Phd in Social Psychology from the University of Western Australia, and a BA in Philosophy from Murdoch University.

Rosaria Puglisi is a Senior Security Sector Governance and Reform Adviser in ISSAT’s Advisory Field Support team.

In her role Rosaria plays a key role in leading Advisory Field Support project teams delivering programming support and strategic advisory to ISSAT Governing Board Members on their international Justice and Security Sector Governance/Reform policies, strategies and programming. She also contributes to knowledge, outreach and advocacy, and training activities.

Rosaria has twenty years of professional experience and brings to DCAF a solid background in democratic governance, crisis management, political affairs and security policy, coupled with strong geographical expertise on countries in Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus and Central Asia.  Her commitment to SSG/R is firmly rooted in the extensive crisis management and political advising experience developed through postings in the Council of Europe, EU CSDP/CFSP and NATO missions, where has she worked in both advising and leadership positions.

Rosaria is a member of the UN Senior Women Talent Pipeline and the UN Security Sector Reform Advisory Network and holds a PhD degree in International Relations from the Institute of Russian and Eastern European Studies of the University of Glasgow (UK). 

She speaks Italian, English, Russian and French. 

Shahrazad Chida is a Security Sector Reform Advisor in ISSAT's Professional Development and Training Team. 

She has 16 years’ experience working on conflict resolution and Rule of Law dynamics in conflict-affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. She has held positions of DDR and SSR Officer as well as political analyst in various United Nations Peacekeeping operations.

From 2015 to 2018, she was Chief Analyst on Signatory Armed Groups within MINUSMA’s Joint Mission Analysis Cell in Mali. Based in Bamako, she followed and liaised with the signatory armed groups following the signature of the peace process in 2015. From 2012 to 2015, Shahrazad was an SSR Officer at UNOCI in Abidjan where she assisted the launch of the national SSR process in collaboration with the National Security Council (NSC) and the Ivorian Government. From 2009 to 2012, she was an Information Analyst in UNOCI’s Embargo Cell where she worked closely with the Sanctions Committee on state and non-state armed groups and the circulation of arms before and during the 2010 crisis in Côte d’Ivoire. From 2004 to 2006, Shahrazad was a DDR/DDRRR Officer at MONUSCO where she conducted field operations with foreign armed rebel groups.

Shahrazad holds a MA in International Relations and Political Science from the Université d’Auvergne (Clermont-I) as well as two Bachelor’s degrees in History and Art History from the Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris-I). She is bilingual in English and French.

Shahzada Ahmad is a Justice Advisor in the Outreach and Knowledge team in ISSAT.

Her role includes assisting International Partners Group Members on developing their policies and strategies for security and justice reform, leading and contributing to OAK’s Donor Methodology & Guidance portfolio, ensuring clear deliverables and approaches for donor support to SSR and justice reforms as well as developing practical operational guidance tools, designing and delivering training and workshops and contributing to preparing and sharing knowledge products. Shahzada also supports the implementation of ISSAT’s Programme of Work, by ensuring quality delivery of mandates and contributing to reporting, monitoring and evaluating.

Prior to taking up this role in 2023, Shahzada was the acting Deputy Team Leader for UNDP’s Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights team at UNDP Headquarters. Prior to this she was the Chief Technical Advisor for the Rule of Law, Security and Human Rights program in The Gambia. Shahzada is a licensed attorney with over 15 years of experience in development, and has worked extensively, and across many countries, on legal framework reforms, rule of law, access to justice, human rights, women empowerment and SGBV.

Shahzada holds a Juris Doctorate in Law from Hofstra University School of Law. Shahzada received her BA Double Honours in Philosophy and Sociology from Hamilton College.

Shahzada speaks English, French, and Urdu.

Shestin Thomson is an Intern in ISSAT's Professional Development and Training Team.   

Her role includes supporting the PDT team with designing, preparing for and implementing training programs and capacity-building projects, and contributing to the drafting of reports, concept notes and other communication materials. 

Prior to taking up this role in 2022, Shestin served as Policy Advisor in United States House of Representatives and as the Professional Staff Member on the United States House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Europe, Energy, the Environment and Cyber.   

Shestin is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Development Studies at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

Vanessa Stitzel is Senior Financial Control Officer with ISSAT. She is responsible for the management of ISSAT's finances, for managing ISSAT’s finance and logistics team, and for the development and implementation of operational and financial procedures. Her role involves financial planning, accounts and budgets management and oversight, liaising with Governing Board Members on bilateral and multilateral funding agreements, and the development of procedures to ensure the transparency, sustainability, effectiveness and cost-efficiency of ISSAT’s activities. Vanessa also contributes regularly to the development of ISSAT's SSR training and advocacy material, notably in Spanish and French.

Vanessa holds a Master's degree in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva. Prior to joining ISSAT, Vanessa worked for the Operations 1 Division at DCAF. She also worked as a Programme Assistant for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Before this, she held a sales and marketing position in a multinational company. Vanessa is fluent in French, English, Spanish and Italian.

Viola Csordas is an SSR Advisor in ISSAT's Knowledge and Outreach Team.

In addition to contributing to several of ISSAT’s training activities, Viola is delivering operational and strategic support to reinforce security and justice reform programming for ISSAT’s Governing Board members. In her role, she is currently leading several ISSAT work streams: first, on climate change and what SSG/R programming can contribute to climate proofing states and communities; second, on the internal-external security nexus, such as how instruments as civilian CSDP or international police missions can contribute to foreign and internal security objectives; and third, on Public Financial (PFM) and Human Resources Management (HRM) of the security sector, including applications around rightsizing, security transitions/ peace processes, anti-corruption and organized crime. 

Prior to taking up this role, Viola has worked on the Africa desk of the German Foreign Office’s Humanitarian Task Force, with a focus on the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region and Mali/ Sahel; at the World Bank, supporting DDR processes and particularly conflict sensitive reintegration activities in CAR, Uganda, DRC and RoC, financed by the MDRP/ TDRP, a multi-country trust fund; in Rwanda on good governance for GIZ; and in Ethiopia, running an NGO in support of girls’ education. Additionally, she has interned at the UNDPKO Situation Centre in New York, at LWF in their Rwanda/ DRC programme, and at the European Parliament.

Viola holds a Master’s degree in International Security and Conflict Resolution from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Staatswissenschaften (Social Sciences, Law and Economics) from the University of Erfurt, for which she has also studied abroad at Hong Kong Baptist University.

She speaks German, English, French and basic Spanish.