From the 15th to the 19th of May, the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE) held the first edition of the 2023 SFA Operators Course.
The aim of the course is to improve the competency and effectiveness of SFA operators working in current and future missions and security related capacity-building.
The course opened with the NATO SFA COE Director’s speech on the centrality of SFA operators and the need to have specific training within all operations. Among the novelties of this year, insights on the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) process and its relation to SFA, were illustrated as an essential requirement to improve the competency and effectiveness of SFA operators.
Another important part of the course was dedicated to the cultural awareness and effective communication, where attendees received useful tips on how to work successfully with Cultural Mediators when engaging Local Authorities of different cultures in operations.
Furthermore, while divided in Syndicate groups, attendees were engaged in mapping stakeholders in an Area of Operation training to visualize a local context, drawing linkages between different actors and internal and external threats.
This NATO selected course is a great opportunity for the participants to enhance their practical understanding and the application of SFA operators working as part of a comprehensive and integrated approach.
In fact, participants will be able to perform Security Force Assistance by advising, mentoring or training in order to improve the performance of designated actors in all kinds of operations.
