NB - mandate closed without deployment due to operational reasons. See follow on ISSAT mandate for evolution of support.
During the past year, the Puntland State of Somalia has taken steps towards the creation of an economically more manageable and sustainable security sector. An important element of this process has been the establishment by the President of Puntland of the ‘Committee on Counting and Reforming the Security Sector’, which currently is in the process counting Puntland's security forces (Darwish forces, police and custodial corps).
The process of clarification/downsizing offers an opportunity to think through how broader security sector development may be taken forward. In this regard, the project seeks support from ISSAT with respect to two activities.
The first activity is in support of establishing an analysis cell within Puntland's Ministry of Security (MoS) to ensure a better and more coherent understanding of security developments across the territory of Puntland. This cell will have both an operational and a strategic purpose. It will provide more accurate analysis of security matters across Puntland’s territory, but it may also help to identify needs within the sector beyond downsizing. Specifically, ISSAT will be required to carry out an in-depth review of the MoS.
The other activity will directly support the initiation of broader strategic thinking on the direction of Puntland’s security sector development process. This will be done by holding two training workshop among relevant stakeholders. The first workshop will focus on training civilians managing and overseeing the security sector (specifically members of the security sub-committee in Puntland's parliament, Ministry of Security, Ministry of Justice, Committee on Counting and Reforming the Security Sector and members from Puntland's Office of the President). The second workshop will be a facilitated process of initiating long-term thinking within Puntland on what security sector development entails, linkages between different organisations within the security sector, why security sector development is important and how it can be taken forward in a resource-scarce environment. Specifically, this activity should also allow an initial discussion of needs within the different agencies. Workshop participants will include both civilian and uniformed elements of the security sector.
Mandating organisation / agency / department / ministry
Mandate outputs / products
- Develop and deliver the two workshops in collaboration with ROLSIG (each 4, TBC on recommendation from ISSAT).
- Liaise with and support ROLSIG in the write-up of a report on the basis of workshop on oversight.
- Liaise with and support ROLSIG in the write-up of the report regarding strategic direction of Puntland's security sector.
- Produce the review of the MoS in collaboration with ROLSIG.
Outcome objectives of mandate
The two training workshops will support a process of clarification on roles and responsibilities within the security sector as well as support a process of strategic thinking on security sector development. They should be seen as the beginning of a longer-term process within the broader commitment of ROLSIG to support the downsizing of Puntland's security forces.
The review of the Ministry of Security (MoS) will help to clarify MoS' functionality, and specifically what is required if an analysis cell is to be established within MoS (in general, the review will constitute helpful guidance as a lot of the overall project's activities will engage with the MoS. It is therefore pertinent that we understand what the capacity of the MoS is and more importantly how it might be strengthened).