Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Humanitarian Security Management

Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Background

- Very few agencies were aware of the challenges posed by operational

insecurity

- No designated security positions or policies

- Impact of high-profile attacks – 1996 assassination of 6 ICRC workers

in Chechnya triggered action

- GPR8 – the first edition of Good Practices Review on Operational

Security Management in Violent Environments

Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

• Risk assessment : critical component of good practice in security

management, different threats and risks for national staff as compared

to expatriate staff, identifying a risk threshold and determining what

constitutes acceptable risk – both at the organisational and individual

level

• Security strategy : implementing an „active acceptance‟ approach

• Remote management: high-risk environments, evacuation, relocation

and hibernation, withdrawing international staff or other categories of

staff from the programming location, altering management structures

to give more responsibility to national and local staff remaining in situ,

or forming new operational arrangements with local partners

- > occurs gradually: little planning or preparations

Key issues in Security

Management

Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Coordination /information sharing: ‘

The majority of collaboration remains the preserve of the security

officer in the bar or with a select group of contacts. It is shared

under Chatham House rules with people unwilling to share

details.’

However, of critical importance to share security information both

within and between agencies

Legal issues (data protection responsibilities vs. duty to care)

Project: the six “Ws” – Insecurity Insight (who did what to whom,

where, when, why and with what weapons)

Key issues…

Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Key issues…

Developing a security culture: need for security

management to be integrated across the organisation,

and not treated as an „add-on‟ or a luxury.

Focus tends to be on specific operational needs, such

as security policies and plans. Yet there is also a need

to take a step back and look at how to develop a

culture of security within the organization, including

developing capacity.

Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Operational and organizational

security management

• Operational definition of security: ”NGO security is

achieved when all staff are safe and perceive

themselves as being safe, relative to an assessment

of the risks to staff and the organization in a

particular location”

• Organizational definition of security: NGO security is

achieved when organizational assets are safe and

when the organizational name and reputation are

maintained with a high degree of integrity”

Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Risk attitude

• Aid agencies operating in complex, high-risk

environments have to balance the humanitarian

impact of programs with the duty of care they have to

their employees and associates. The way an NGO

manages risk depends heavily on the organizational

mission and culture. This attitude to risk should be

clearly explained to staff so that personal levels of

risk acceptance may also be defined.

Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Human Resources

Human Resources (HR) function is where security management

and legislation ultimately converge. In almost every jurisdiction the

organization has a duty of care towards its staff and is expected to

mitigate the risks staff face. The duty of care towards staff is the

HR Department‟s reason for being. If the safety of a staff member

has been compromised, employment legislation provides a robust

framework for investigation and tough sanctions if culpability is

proven.

-> Vital that HR professionals are involved in the design and

implementation of risk management strategies and practices.

Maria D. Sommardahl, Adviser, Norwegian Centre for Human Rights, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Discussion

• The role of a gender approach in security

management

• The ”acceptance approach”