17 Nov Roundtable Workshop on the Review of AU – ASF Training Policy and Training Standards Nairobi Kenya 12-14 Oct 2022

Background

The ASF Training Policy and ASF Training Standards were developed in November 2006, on the basis of the Policy Framework for the Establishment of the ASF and Military Staff Committee (2003) and the ASF Doctrine (2006), to provide guidelines for the AU/RECs/RMs in the planning, coordination, conduct and control of training activities of the ASF. The policy and standards also indicated the levels of training for the ASF and designed a framework for coordination and harmonization of operations in the field. Since 2006, the Policy and Standards have been the basis for the preparation of ASF components for possible deployment into AU Peace Support Operations (PSOs).

In January 2021 the AU, based on its experiences, lessons learned and the current needs of the PSO environment, adopted the AU PSO Doctrine (2021) which recognized training as a critical success factor for missions. The AU further directed that the Doctrine should inform the issuance of strategic training policies, standards, directives and guidelines which form the basis for the training of all AU PSO personnel (military, police and civilian components). Consequently, it became imperative that the ASF Training Policy and ASF Training Standards be reviewed so that they are in consonance with the AU PSO Doctrine (2021).

Review Objectives

The objective of the review is to align the Policy and Standards to the AU PSO Doctrine (2021). This is to ensure that:

• ASF training is relevant to current and emerging PSO needs.
• The processes and guidelines for developing, designing, validating, disseminating, conducting, evaluating and reviewing ASF/PSO training are enhanced in line with the AU PSO Doctrine (2021).
• The processes for harmonizing and standardizing ASF training are streamlined and enhanced.
• The roles and responsibilities of the AUC, RECs/RMs, TCEs/TIs and Member States and the provision and management of ASF training at various levels are clearly defined.
• A monitoring and evaluation framework is established to assess the implementation of the policy, determine whether it is attaining its intended objectives and impact, and adjust the policy’s implementation mechanisms where necessary to ensure that they are effective in responding to ASF training needs.

Roundtable Objective

The Objective of the workshop is to engage ASF training stakeholders and partners on the objectives and approaches for the review process and also agree on the key areas of focus for the review, based on lessons learned from the field. The workshop will also detail the various areas that need to be covered in the new policy and standards to make them more responsive to current PSO needs.

Roundtable Methodology

The AU engaged the African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA), the United Nations Office for African Union (UNOAU), the British Peace Support Team – Africa (BPST-A) as partners to defray the cost of the Roundtable. The AU in collaboration with APSTA and under the auspices of APSTA invited training experts as well as consultants to review the Policy and Standards, indicating areas of focus and key contextual changes over the last 16years.

The Roundtable convened a total of eleven (11) experts: four (4) from APSTA; four (4) from the AU Commission; one (1) from the UNOAU and two (2) independent experts – Mr Sivuyile BAM and Col (rtd) Festus ABOAGYE.

In three (3) days, the experts interrogated the contents of the 2006 ASF Training Policy and ASF Training Standards, against the PSO Doctrine (2021) and the ASF Policy Framework. Areas of focus included the Training Architecture and Principles of the Training Policy; Stages and Levels of Training Process; Training Responsibilities; Training Cycle; Funding, Cooperation and Coordination; as well as a possible Monitoring and Evaluation Framework for the Training Policy. The Roundtable was also tasked with synchronizing the ASF Training Policy and the Training Standards.

Review Outcomes and Next Steps

The experts, in consensus underscored the need to transform the ASF Training Policy into a PSO Training Policy, integrating the ASF Training Standards into the new policy. Specifically, the proposed PSO Training Policy will be composed of two (2) parts. Part 1 will consist of the Background, Purpose, Rationale, and Scope. While Part 2 will include the PSO training aim and objectives, principles, training cycle, training architecture, training stakeholders – including APSTA-like organisations (negotiated by APSTA), stages and levels of the training process, training responsibilities, training standards, training plan, cooperation and coordination, implementation plan, monitoring and evaluation as well as annexes.

Subject to availability of partners and resources (funding inclusive), next steps will include the further formal engagement of experts to draft the policy prior to presentation to larger stakeholders for scrutiny and validation. Successful completion of these step will get the draft policy ready for endorsement by the Specialized Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security (STCDSS) and finally the AU Commission.

The AU, in view of next steps, also hopes that APSTA and partners will offer further support. Moreover, the AU representatives expressly requested APSTA support on the following projects:

• Review of the AU Protection of Civilians Course
• Review of the AU Compliance and Accountability Curriculum
• Review of the AU Child Protection Course
• Review of the AU Integrated Mission Planning Process (IMPP)
• Training Implementation Workshop (2023) – ECCAS
• Database of Training Experts for AU training (reiterated)
• Database of AU Documents accessible to AU, RECs, RMs and other stakeholders
• Inaugural Lessons Learned Forum on AU PSOs and ASF in Abuja Nigeria 1-3 November 2022

Conclusion

Success of the first phase of this Policy Review has created opportunities for a more stable and sustainable engagement with the AU and partners. Moreover, AU Commission representatives called for the speedy finalization of the revised AUC-APSTA MoU, to enable APSTA leverage the AU Commission for its institutional development.

Recommendations for APSTA

Consequently, it is recommended that APSTA Secretariat:

1. Prioritize AU projects in APSTA workplan 2022-2023;
2. Engage the AU and willing partners on outlined projects as soon as possible;
3. Emphasize the hosting of most of the projects in Cameroon.

Annex A

To the Report Report of the Roundtable Workshop on Review of AU ASF Training Policy and Training Standards 12-14 Oct 2022 in Nairobi Kenya

List of Experts

1. Independent Experts
   1. Mr Sivuyile Thandikhaya BAM – (South Africa)
   2. Col (rtd) Festus ABOAGYE – (Ghana)
2. African Union Experts
   1. Mr. Eustace CHIWOMBE – Chief Capability Devevelopment Unit (Zimbabwe)
   2. Mr. Kenneth ABOTSI – Training Officer (Ghana)
   3. Capt Roger Amede Felli BAGONIAH – Military Training Officer (Ghana)
   4. Ms Jane Talingana CHIRWA – Policy Officer (Malawi)
3. APSTA Member Institutions
   1. Col (rtd) Christian Kweku ESHUN – KAIPTC (Ghana)
   2. Col Charles Marie Richard MEKOULOU ATANGANA – EIFORCES/DGSN (Cameroon)
   3. Lcl Abel Dit Amadimin POUDIOUGO – EMPABB (Mali)
4. UNOAU
   1. 10. Col (rtd) Kwaku FRIMPONG – (Ghana)
5. APSTA Secretariat
   1. Mr Christian ICHITE – DES/PCOORD
   2. Ms Jane KARANJA – FAO