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Move 3: Determining Training Capabilities and Requirements

Description

Participants determined the training requirements and identified the capabilities required for the scenario that could enable a more integrated approach to peace operations for this example and within the region overall. Participants remained in the groups established at the beginning of move 2.

Findings

Current resources were identified. An important piece of the education and training puzzle is to widely distribute information about these resources and their impact on providing education and training directly, or in assisting countries to build capacity:

1. National/regional PKO Centers - Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, Indonesia (?),

   Photo Credit: Robin Hayden

   Singapore (?), Philippines (?) - where (?) means they are under consideration
2. UN Training Assistance Team (UNTAT)
3. UNTAC/INTERFET/UNTAET experience
4. ASEAN Regional Forum (for confidence building measures and political consensus)
5. Increased interest in contributing to peace operations - generates synergy
6. Enhanced International Peacekeeping Capacities program (EIPC) through the Center for Civil Military Relations (CCMR), U. S. Naval Postgraduate School
7. Malaysian Police PKO Training Center
8. Asia Pacific Regional Initiative (APRI), including
   • a. Asia-Pacific Area Network (APAN)
   • b. Multinational Planning Augmentation Team (MPAT)
   • c. Asia Pacific Peace Operations Capacity Building Program

Methods to increase the regions training capabilities were suggested:

1. Take advantage of each other's existing capabilities
   • a. Nepal: Multi-platoon training
   • b. India: Contingent (entire units), staff officers and military observers, and contingent commanders
   • c. Bangladesh: Military observers
   • d. Malaysia: Military observers, staff officers and logistics planning and interpreters
   • e. Thailand: Military observer, etc.
2. Continue down the path of developing common UN training standards
3. Promote integrated training by including Civilian Police and Humanitarian representatives as students to existing peacekeeping centers and to staff colleges, and include in curriculum development
4. Utilize new technology in simulations to provide realistic low cost computer based training to key personnel (Remote Desktop Simulations (RDDS) and CATSTYR from Sweden, for example)
5. Conduct joint training and exercises, including all sectors
6. Standardize operational and tactical procedures
7. Enhance C4I (command, control, communications, computers) capabilities within the region
8. Develop common MOA/MOU within ASEAN regarding logistic cooperation
9. Allocate funds and resources needed to increase interoperability
10. Enhance cooperation existing Peacekeeping centers throughout the region, perhaps through a regional PK Center
11. Request UN assistance in setting up regional PK center
12. Develop regional PKO mobile expert training teams

Conclusions

A realistic examination of education and training requirements cannot be made without acknowledging obstacles that slow progress. The following barriers to successful training and capacity building were cited:

1. Lack of sufficient resources, principally funding
2. Insufficient time to train because crises typically drive the decision to act
3. Lack of training capability: instructors, curricula, support material, facilities
4. Lack of centralized training institutions
5. Baseline variations in capability and equipment among nations
6. Distance between regional nations and between contributing nations/crisis area
7. Differences in experience, culture, resolve and commitment
8. Limited information about specific mission requirements

Photo Credit: Robin Hayden

In general, all of the participants in a mission ideally would have knowledge of the actual job that needs to be performed, the mandate and implications, knowledge of the terrain, communications network, cultural, social, and religious aspects of the situation, the rules of engagement, and the physical conditioning necessary for performing tasks in the Darlan environment.

It was noted that a pre-deployment support package, possibly web-based, would assist in meeting information requirements for all three sectors. Providing the right kind and amount of correct information relevant to anyone operating in the mission theater is an important part of the education process, above and beyond specific skill training. The pre-deployment support package should include at a minimum:

1. UNFOD organization and mandate
2. Blue Card Rules/Code of Conduct
3. Security threats, contingency plans
4. Social/cultural issues/language
5. Driving skills, traffic rules
6. Geography, demography and climate
7. Conflict background
8. Human Rights
9. Political situation
10. Stress and trauma management (self and others)
11. Health threats (disease, HIV/AIDs, vectors)
12. UN logistics and personnel support package

The working groups then examined the training requirements for each sector in turn. Per-deployment military training requirements include:

1. Combined operations at battalion level
2. Patrolling
3. Managing of Checkpoints/Observation Post (OP)
4. Conduct of Cordon and Search
5. Protection Tasks
6. Rescue of Hostages
7. Stress management
8. Escort
9. Liaison Officer Training
10. Riot Control
11. Civil-Military Operations training
12. Communications
13. Staff Planning (Crisis Action Planning)

Unique civilian police pre-deployment training requirements were identified as:

1. Courts, judicial system, legal system, incarceration
2. Staff planning
3. Community relations training
4. Crime investigation
5. Knowledge of common military skills
6. Working with/through an interpreter
7. How to work in a multinational environment

Some training requirements common to both civilian police and the military are:

1. Patrolling
2. Managing of checkpoints/Observation Post
3. Conduct of cordon and search
4. Protection tasks
5. Rescue of hostages
6. Escort
7. Liaison officer training
8. Riot Control
9. Communications
10. Negotiation and mediation
11. Human rights/humanitarian law

It was again recognized that humanitarian players were a diverse group not subject to any authority, and therefore the working groups felt comfortable in only making suggestions for their consideration that could improve interoperability with the other sectors, ultimately to the benefit of their constituents. Suggestions for training requirements for humanitarians include:

1. Understanding of the UN Mandate, the humanitarian code of conduct and the Sphere Project's Humanitarian Charter
2. Knowledge of the mandates of the other international organizations
3. Knowledge of the military mission, role, responsibility and composition of force
4. Knowledge of the host country, its culture language
5. Civil/Military concepts
6. Survival Skills
7. Nature of the Conflict
8. Awareness of Military/UN methodology & organizational structures
9. Situational awareness (Theater brief)
10. Coordination/communications systems
11. Emergency Medical Procedures
12. Limitations and constraints
13. Rules of engagement
14. Landmine and booby trap awareness
15. Threat condition system and procedures
16. Civil-Military Operations Center (CMOC)/Humanitarian Coordination Center Information sharing process
17. Dos and Don'ts in the field
18. Needs assessment process
19. Personal security awareness training
20. Health awareness unique to humanitarian activities
21. Donor assessment of the emergency

Once military forces and civilian police have been deployed and humanitarians are in place, integrated confirmation in-mission training could enhance cooperation between the three sectors and result in a smoother, focused and more unified approach. Realistic opportunities to permit integrated training on these topics, considering the overlap discussed earlier, would be very difficult to effect, however, the working groups optimistically addressed what would be needed if the opportunities did arise:

1. UNFOD organization and mandate
2. Blue Card Rules/Code of Conduct
3. Social/cultural issues/language
4. Driving skills, traffic rules
5. Geography, demography and climate
6. Conflict background
7. Status of Forces Agreement/Status of Mission Agreement
8. Legal status and privileges (Convention on privileges and immunities)
9. Acclimatization and physical fitness training
10. Health threats/inoculations
11. Current security threats, contingency plans
12. Current human rights and political situation
13. UN logistics and personnel support package

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