ROME, Italy. The NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence, established in 2016, aims to promote stability and reconstruction efforts in crisis scenarios. As a multinational entity, it serves as a focal point for the Alliance in delivering security force assistance capabilities.
One of the primary challenges facing Security Force Assistance missions is ensuring continuity. Personnel rotations and the lack of historical knowledge can hinder the effectiveness of these efforts. To address this, the Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence is developing an analysis and research project to explore a remote support capability. This would involve a pool of resources dedicated to monitoring developments in Security Force Assistance missions and providing support to contingents deployed in the field. The three core functions of this “reach-back” capability would be: tracking the developments of activities conducted throughout the campaign, providing support to ensure seamless transitions between personnel, and preserving institutional memory.
This Centre of Excellence is also advocating for a paradigm shift in NATO’s assessment of security force assistance progress. It recommends appointing specialized personnel with rigorous training in analytical skills to enhance the precision and relevance of the evaluation process. These individuals, known as Security Force Assistance Specialists, would focus on monitoring specific NATO security force campaigns and ensuring long-term mission success.
This initiative is a crucial step towards addressing the challenges faced by Security Force Assistance missions and ensuring their long-term success. The overarching aim is to refine NATO’s assessment apparatus, recalibrating the evaluation model to elevate the efficacy of the Alliance’s security force assistance missions. The proposal advocates for establishing a comprehensive network of experts, the Security Force Assistance Specialists, trained to oversee and monitor one specific NATO security force assistance campaign. By appointing a network of specialized personnel trained in analysis and assessment, with a bespoke curriculum aligned with regional and cultural contexts, NATO will significantly enhance its evaluation model’s precision, relevance, and effectiveness.
The Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence’s recommendations offer a valuable roadmap for improving the effectiveness of NATO’s Security Force Assistance missions. By addressing the challenges of continuity, assessment, training, coordination, funding, and tailoring, NATO can ensure that these missions contribute to long-term stability and security in crisis-affected regions.
