Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Workshop

Programme Overview

The absence of effective mechanisms that could mediate the root causes of conflict has resulted in a striking number of people in need of protection. Civilians are increasingly bearing the burden of armed conflicts. Violent attacks, fragmentation of armed groups, and shifting frontlines contribute to more complex conflict dynamics and heightened unpredictability. Operating in such environments poses particularly complex challenges for humanitarian organizations. The need for civil-military coordination has emerged as a response to some of these challenges. Civil-military coordination is a collective term referring to all kinds of interactions between civilian organizations be it individual, national, or international with military forces. The dialogue between the two can help attain greater and more strategic goals related to conflict transformation and peacebuilding. Civil-military cooperation is essential to any peace operation as it lays the foundations for mission coordination and system-wide impact. This programme in Warsaw, Poland has been exclusively developed by Risalat. It provides foundational knowledge regarding civil-military coordination in a wider peacebuilding operations context with specific emphasis made on humanitarian access, assistance, and protection. Upon the completion of this programme, its delegates will have a thorough understanding of concepts, principles, policies, and best practices in civil-military coordination and learn how to apply these in specific mission contexts.

Host Country Profile Poland follows the Oslo Guidelines on the use of foreign military and civil defense assets in emergency relief. The country utilizes its military logistical capacity to bring assistance to disaster areas. (E.g., in Nepal after the 2015 earthquake). Poland is an active member of the NATO Civil-Military Co-operation Centre of Excellence (CCOE) and organizes civil-military affairs training for its NATO military personnel on a regular basis. This proves to be essential for the country as it participates regularly in international military coalitions.

Delivered by Risalat Consultants International in Warsaw, Poland, it combines expert-led sessions, real cases and group work, so that participants can apply what they learn in their own institution.

The Programme Strengthens Institutional Capability

• Understanding civil-military coordination, its nature, and its need
• Approaches to civil-military coordination; The use of force
• The full spectrum of peace operations
• Civil and Military partners in integrated peace operations
• UN civil-military coordination
• Military support in disasters, conflicts, and other complex emergencies
• Peacebuilding Framework; Actors in the Peacebuilding Process
• Peacebuilding and Conflict Management
• Strategic thinking and direction setting
• Leading and developing teams
• Decision making and problem solving
• Communication and influence

It is designed for humanitarian Workers and Mission Personnel, civil Affairs Officers, political Affairs Officers and others who want practical, current skills in leadership, management and communication.

The Growing Importance of Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations

Institutions change faster than ever: new policies, technologies and expectations from citizens and partners. Leaders and managers who can set direction, build teams and manage change make the difference between plans and results.

Strong leadership is a set of practical skills: deciding, communicating, negotiating, developing people and leading change. These skills can be learnt and improved with practice and feedback.

Organisations increasingly require professionals capable of:

• Set clear direction and priorities
• Lead and motivate teams through change
• Communicate and negotiate effectively
• Manage performance fairly
• Make sound decisions under pressure

Strong leadership, management and communication systems help organisations:

• Turn strategies into results
• Build motivated, capable teams
• Manage change with less resistance
• Improve relations with partners and stakeholders

This Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations programme brings these elements together in a practical format, so that participants understand not only what good practice looks like but also how to introduce it in their own setting, with the people and resources they have.

Who Should Attend This Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Training?

This programme is designed for:

• Humanitarian Workers and Mission Personnel
• Civil Affairs Officers
• Political Affairs Officers
• Military Officers
• Police Officers
• Any professional involved in CMC
• Directors and senior managers
• Heads of department and unit
• Middle managers and team leaders
• Project and programme managers
• HR and organisational development staff
• Staff preparing for leadership roles

The programme suits experienced professionals as well as those moving into new responsibilities. Groups that mix institutions and countries are encouraged, because participants learn a great deal from each other’s experience.

Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the nature and the need for civil-military coordination
• Assess the role of CMC in peace operations and other emergencies
• Understand the local response to conflicts
• Analyze the role of civil-military coordination in the protection of civilians and the communities as a whole
• Promote effective civil-military interactions in humanitarian emergencies
• Engage in the dialogue between the military and the civilians
• Learn how civil-military coordination contributes to the achievement of development goals
• Explain current approaches to leadership in public and private institutions
• Set direction and priorities for their team
• Lead, motivate and develop people

Each objective is practised during the programme through exercises, cases or group work, so that participants leave able to do it, not only to describe it.

Programme Contents and Structure

Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Training Methodology

This workshop builds upon modern adult-learning principles. It is centered around peer learning and group engagement. Formal presentations are supplemented by group work, several case studies, and active discussions around the most pressing topics of civil-military coordination.

The programme combines:

• Expert-led sessions on current practice
• Regional and international case studies
• Group work and practical exercises
• Simulations and role plays where relevant
• Discussion of participants' own challenges
• Peer learning across institutions and countries
• Practical tools and templates to take back to work
• Daily reflection and action planning

Before the programme, a short pre-assessment helps the facilitators understand each participant’s role and priorities, so that examples and exercises can be adjusted to the group. Each day ends with a short reflection in which participants note what they will apply at work.

Expected Outcomes

Upon completion of this Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Training, participants will be able to:

• Set clear direction and priorities
• Lead and develop teams
• Make sound decisions
• Communicate and negotiate effectively
• Lead change with less resistance
• Plan their own development as leaders

Participants leave with a personal action plan and practical tools they can use in their institution from the first week back. Institutions that send several participants can use the programme to agree shared methods and templates across teams, which makes improvements easier to sustain.

Institutional Application of Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Training

This programme supports organisations in strengthening:

• Leadership and management
• Team development
• Change management
• Communication
• Performance management

Participants return with practical tools to improve:

• Team plans
• Coaching
• Change plans
• Stakeholder communication
• Performance reviews

The programme is built so that learning moves from the classroom into the institution. Participants work on their own processes and documents where possible, and leave with an action plan that their managers can review and support.

Regional Relevance & Application

Europe

European institutions apply leadership, management and communication within detailed regulatory frameworks and reform agendas. Participants from Europe can compare their practice with colleagues from other regions and test how established methods work under different conditions.

Africa

Across Africa, ministries, agencies and project teams working in leadership, management and communication increasingly operate alongside donor-financed programmes that expect clear systems and evidence. The programme helps participants adapt good practice to the institutions and resources they work with.

Middle East

In the Middle East, national development strategies and diversification plans place growing demands on leadership, management and communication. Participants explore how to build the capability these plans need inside public bodies and companies.

Asia

Institutions across Asia combine rapid growth with ambitious modernisation programmes. Participants from Asia can share their experience of scaling systems quickly and learn from approaches used elsewhere.

Pacific

Small island and Pacific states face particular constraints of size, distance and capacity. The programme highlights practical, proportionate approaches to leadership, management and communication that suit smaller institutions.

Holding the programme in Warsaw, Poland brings participants together away from their daily pressures, so they can compare how leadership, management and communication is handled in different settings. The same programme can also be delivered in-house for one institution, in its own country or online, with cases taken from its current work.

Host Country Profile – Poland

Programmes, Workshops, Exposures, Training Courses in Warsaw, Poland by Risalat Consultants International

Studying away from their own country gives participants time to focus, a fresh view of their own institution and the chance to build a network with colleagues from other countries.

The programme takes place at Golden Tulip Warsaw Centre.

Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Training Deliverables

Participants receive support before, during and after the programme, so that preparation, learning and follow-up form one continuous experience.

Before the Programme

• Participant Pre-Assessment
• Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Readiness Assessment
• Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Resource Pack
• Preparatory Reading Materials
• Complimentary Visa Support & Advisory

During the Programme

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast
• Welcome Networking Dinner
• Risalat Training Kit (Bag, Bottle, Mug, T-Shirt, Cap, Passport Cover, Pens, Notebook, Magnet & Keychain)
• Comprehensive Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations Training Manual
• Leadership Self-Assessment
• Team Development Plan Template
• Change Plan Template
• Negotiation Preparation Sheet
• Practical Workshops & Simulations
• Group Discussions & Peer Learning
• Daily Lunch and Refreshments
• Full Access to Training Venue Facilities
• Mini Pad / Tablet with Digital Learning Materials
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Entertaining City Tour

After the Programme

• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Programme Participation Recognition Award
• Post-Training Reference Materials
• Personal Development Plan Template
• Coaching Conversation Guide
• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Programme Report

Institutions can also request a tailored in-house version of this programme, delivered at their premises or online. Request a proposal.

Common Challenges in Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations, And How This Training Helps

How can institutions set clear direction and priorities?

The programme addresses this directly on the first day (Leadership foundations), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions lead and motivate teams through change?

The programme addresses this directly on the second day (Strategy and decisions), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions communicate and negotiate effectively?

The programme addresses this directly on the third day (People and teams), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions manage performance fairly?

The programme addresses this directly on the fourth day (Communication and influence), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

How can institutions make sound decisions under pressure?

The programme addresses this directly on the fifth day (Leading change and action planning), where participants practise the methods involved and adapt them to their own institution, then build it into their action plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where does the Humanitarian Access and Civil-Military Coordination in Peacebuilding Operations programme take place?

It runs from 8 Mar 2027 to 12 Mar 2027, in Warsaw, Poland (Golden Tulip Warsaw Centre). The registration deadline is shown at the top of this page.

Who should attend?

The programme is designed for humanitarian Workers and Mission Personnel, civil Affairs Officers, political Affairs Officers, military Officers, and others who want practical skills in leadership, management and communication.

Will I receive a certificate?

Yes. Participants who complete the programme receive a Certificate of Completion from Risalat Consultants International.

Can this programme be delivered for our institution only?

Yes. We can deliver a tailored in-house version at your premises, in another city or online, built around your own cases. Use the proposal request on this page.

Do I need prior experience in leadership, management and communication?

No specialist background is required beyond experience in a related role. A short pre-assessment helps the facilitators adapt the sessions to the group.

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