The Folke Bernadotte Academy is a Swedish government agency dedicated to improving the quality and effectiveness of international conflict and crisis management, with a particular focus on peace operations. The Academy functions as a platform for cooperation between Swedish agencies and organizations and their international partners.
Pre-deployment training for CSDP mission Iraq
DCAF-ISSAT has been mandated by the EU to provide pre-deployment training in effective strategic advising for the new CSDP mission in Iraq. The half-day training will take place in Brussels on 29th November.
The session will be incorporated into the EU’s in-house training, and will be delivered in partnership with FINCENT and FBA.
The lesson Objectives include:•Understand the role of an SSR advisor•Indicate the key attributes of an effective advisor•Appreciate the various dilemmas related to being an advisor•Understand the political nature of an advisor’s role•Apply a gender and human rights lens to advising•Understand principles of Key Leader Engagement and strategic communication•Have insights into being an SSR advisor in Iraq
Nordic-Baltic Whole of Government Training
The Folke Bernadotte Academy in partnership with ISSAT hosted a course on Whole of Government Security System Reform (SSR) Training. The course aimed to develop capacity, knowledge and coherence in SSR, to participants from all over the Nordic-Baltic region, with each country (Denmark,Finland,Norway and Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) being designated an equal number of slots. Aimed at a broad, Whole of Government participation, the Seminar included participants from different backgrounds (e.g. Justice, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Development Agencies).
Nordic Whole-of-Government Training
The Swedish National Defence College, in cooperation with the Folke Bernadotte Academy, is hosting a course in Whole-of-Government on Security System Reform (SSR) the 10-12 of June 2008. The training course is carried out in partnership with the International Security System Advisory Team (ISSAT).
The course aim at developing capacity, knowledge and coherence on SSR. The training is aimed at a broad Nordic participation with each country (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) being designated 5 slots each. Furthermore the course aims at a broad Whole-of-Government participation and so countries are encouraged to send participants from different backgrounds (for ex. Justice, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Development Agencies).
Nordic-Baltic Whole of Government Training
The Folke Bernadotte Academy is hosting a course on Whole of Government Security System Reform (SSR) Training from the 9 – 12 December 2008. The training course will be carried out in partnership with the ISSAT.
The course aims to develop capacity, knowledge and coherence in SSR, to participants from all over the Nordic-Baltic region, with each country (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania) being designated an equal number of slots.
Aimed at a broad, Whole of Government participation, the Seminar will include participants from different backgrounds (e.g. Justice, Defence, Foreign Affairs, Development Agencies)
Mapping Security Sector Reform Knowledge
The Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) would like to mandate ISSAT to conduct a knowledge mapping with regards to academic SSR analysis. The assignment would be conducted as a desk study and would include going through existing knowledge on SSR over the past five years as to see what the main trends and lessons learned are. Questions to be answered would be:
- What has worked/has not worked with regards to planning, implementing and evaluating SSR activities?
- What does the existing knowledge tell us about what changes are needed in the way we are working on SSR, in order to improve the outcome of SSR activities?
The mapping should also include the following:
- How should gender-responsive SSR be conducted?
- In what way can local ownership be ensured?
The objective is to provide FBA with an operationally relevant summary of what has currently been demonstrated to work in SSR programming, not restricted to the literature that is self-described as SSR-focused, and not limited to English language literature. The report intends to provide FBA with information that can be directly used to inform and shape Swedish (and partner nation) SSR programming by capturing and integrating the findings of the most current research studies.
SSR Support to Understand to Prevent
Understand to Prevent (U2P) was one of ten lines of development in the Multinational Capability Development Campaign (which consists of mostly NATO and like-minded nations – see also the MCDC website). The U2P line of development sought to elaborate the role that militaries can adopt, in partnership with other governmental departments and civil society, in preventing violent conflict.
The first iteration of meetings (in the last two-year cycle) produced the capstone ‘doctrine’ embodied in the Understand to Prevent Foundation Studies book linked below. Subsequently, the meetings sought to operationalise the doctrine into a more tangible Handbook of tools and process. Most of the military representatives involved came from their national concepts and doctrine development centres, so there was plentiful scope for open and out-of-the box thinking.
- U2P Foundation Studies book – an informative and concise delve into the theory and evidence supporting of prevention of violent conflict;
- The Understand to Prevent concept (short paper).
In January 2016, the U2P Handbook is looked at interoperability with the NATO Comprehensive Operational Planning Directive (COPD), and with NATO CIMIC doctrine and processes.
Further opportunities to trial the Handbook are welcome.
For full access to the U2P Handbook Understand to Prevent: the military contribution to the prevention of violent conflict, updated in 2017, kindly follow the link.
Ukraine bilateral mapping
ISSAT supported the Folke Bernadotte Academy with a mapping of the current and planned bilateral country support to justice and security sector reform in Ukraine. This included gathering short analysis of the main findings of any recent or current assessments. The project was conducted as a desk study.
Ukraine Security Sector Mapping and Mapping of International Support to Ukraine Security Sector Phase II
The Folke Bernadotte Academy (FBA) requested for ISSAT support in further developing and supplementing the existing mapping of bilateral support to the SSR process, which was completed in June 2015 by ISSAT (see mandate Ukraine Mapping mandate from 01 May 2015). In this regard, ISSAT was requested to expand the mapping to cover additional actors and institutions in the sector, namely multilateral organisations and international/national non-state actors involved in SSR.
In addition, a mapping and synthetization of other SSR assessments was to be concluded. This mapping included a list of ongoing and planned assessments made by the international community (and recently finalized ones) and a summary of the key findings in these assessments.
Finally, ISSAT was requested to support a comprehensive mapping of the Ukrainian security sector. This information will complement the mapping of international initiatives and serve as a basis for the consultations in Ukraine and the final needs assessment of SSR in Ukraine.
ISSAT was requested to support a comprehensive needs-analysis of SSR in Ukraine that is being developed by the Swedish Agencies involved in international support to Security Sector Reform: the FBA, the Swedish Police, the Swedish Prosecution Authority, the Swedish National Courts Administration, the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service. The joint analysis was carried out through the Swedish National Contact Group for Security Sector Reform (NCSSR) with shared responsibility in line with respective agencies area of expertise. The needs-analysis was carried out in 3 phases. First, a desk study was performed to map the Ukrainian security sector and all relevant international engagements. Second, consultations in Ukraine were organised to verify and if necessary correct assumptions. A final report was subsequently produced and presented to the Swedish government. This mandate request only covers support to the first phase of the needs-analysis – the desk review. The first phase was expected to be completed by the beginning of August 2015.
The mandate contributed and complemented ongoing assessments and mappings conducted by other ISSAT Governing Board Members. It is noted that parallel processes are also being undertaken by the European Union, Netherlands, and Norway. The process of developing this needs assessment promoted and facilitated more active collaboration, information sharing and improve complementarity of efforts between ISSAT members and the wider international community. In addition, ISSAT was able to draw on the expertise and country experience of DCAF to help complete the mapping and needs-analysis.
Training Requirements Analysis (TRA) on Security Sector Reform
On behalf of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) Security Sector Reform (SSR) Board, DCAF-ISSAT and the Folke Bernadotte Academy (Sweden) are conducting a Training Requirements Analysis (TRA) on Security Sector Reform. The SSR TRA process will identify existing SSR related training and gaps, as well as relevant target audiences, and will provide high-level learning outcomes aimed at improving the training activities currently offered to EU, Member States' and Mission personnel. The results will be linked to the work of other civilian CCTs and the EU Military Training Group and collectively, contribute to an EU Comprehensive Assessment Report on Training (CART).
According to the EUCTG Strategic Guidance on CSDP civilian training, the CCT's responsibilities are to:
- Conduct training requirements analyses (TRA), thus contributing to the CSDP Civilian Training Requirements Report; including issues as quality assurance related to training requirements,
- Recommend training activities that meet CSDP civilian training requirements to be included in the EU civilian part to the CSDP Training Programme.
Effective Advising Course for S&J Strategic Advisors
The Folke Bernadotte Academy - Sweden organised a three-day course on “Course on Effective Advising Capacities for Strategic Security and Justice Sector Reform Advisors”, in Stockholm. The course was delivered by ISSAT’s experts.
This course focused on international experts delivering advising assistance to SSG/R processes in ‘peacebuilding’ contexts, countries which are emerging from cycles of violence and/or polarisation that are undergoing social, political and institutional transformations to consolidate peace. It provided guidance and tools to assist participants in analysing their own advising roles to better understand their contexts of operation, and apply key frameworks for capacity development, change and inclusive governance in their own work.
CIVILIAN COORDINATOR FOR TRAINING in SECURITY SECTOR REFORM (CCT-SSR)
From October 2019 to July 2020, DCAF-ISSAT conducted a “Training Requirements Analysis” (TRA) for the European Union “Civilian Common Security and Defense Policy” (CSDP) missions in partnership with the Swedish Folke Bernadotte Academy and on behalf of the European Security and Defence College (ESDC) Executive Academic Board on SSR (EAB-SSR). The final report, endorsed by the EU Coordination Training Group and EU Member States in March 2021, recognizes key gaps and recommendations to EU member states to improve their support to security and justice advisors, including opportunities regarding talent retention and deployment systems.
Access the final report on Training Requirements Analysis for Civilian CSDP Missions by kindly following the link.
Tools
SSR Assessment Framework
The Assessment Framework provides guidance on options and specific tools based on suggested stages of the assessment process. These stages include:
• Planning
• Background Analysis
• In- Country Assessment
• Report and Recommendations
Each stage of SSR assessment contains different potential approaches, issues and processes to consider. While it may not be possible to conduct a SSR assessment according to the suggested stages, it is possible to pick and choose sections and/or tools relevant to the SSR task at hand.
Videos
Introduction to SSR
This presentation gives a background on the theory behind the concept Security Sector Reform, as well as an overview of the international efforts within SSR today.
Policy and Research Papers
Independent Progress Review on the UN Global Focal Point for Police, Justice and Corrections
This report presents the results of an independent review of the progress that the GFP initiative has made since January 2012, conducted at the request of the GFP managers, by a joint research team from the Netherlands Institute of International Relations (Clingendael), the Stimson Center and the Folke Bernadotte Academy.
Source: http://www.clingendael.nl/publication/progress-review-un-global-focal-point-police-justice-corrections
The Transition to a Just Order – Establishing Local Ownership after Conflict A Practitioners’ Guide
The rule of law is increasingly regarded as a precondition for sustainable peacebuilding and development, and has become a central element in international approaches to crisis management and conflict resolution. This guide explores the challenges of transferring responsibility for public order and the rule of law after conflict to local ownership. It does so by taking a closer look at the principle of local ownership—a participatory framework through which the needs and views of all stakeholders can be articulated and addressed—and how it can be implemented.
The report seeks to assist field personnel—from the police officer on the street to the head of mission—with the difficult task of implementing the principle of local ownership in justice and security sector reform during peacebuilding operations. It is intended to assist with the process of deciding how, where and when local ownership should be promoted, where it may not be an option, whether different circumstances call for different types of strategies for transition and what factors should be taken into consideration. It identifies potential stumbling blocks and encourages practitioners to ask critical questions that can guide the transitional process.
The report builds on the experiences of recent peace-building efforts, including those in Kosovo and East Timor, where the international community has taken the lead in bearing responsibility for law and order. It also builds on peace-building efforts in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Liberia and Sierra Leone, where primacy has rested with local authorities.