Formación en gestión de la seguridad para profesionales humanitarios en Varsovia

Descripción del programa

Security risk management gives humanitarian organisations a structured way to keep their most important asset, their people, from being exposed to unacceptable risk while still reaching those in need. Approaches differ between organisations because their mandates, values, risk thresholds and resources differ, but the core disciplines are shared: understanding the context, assessing threats and vulnerabilities, planning, managing incidents and meeting the duty of care.

The need is greater than ever. Humanitarian Outcomes’ Aid Worker Security Database recorded at least 280 aid workers killed in 2023, then the deadliest year on record, followed by 383 killed in 2024 and 350 in 2025. In 2025, 1,187 aid workers were victims of major security incidents, including 235 kidnapped and 280 detained or arrested. National staff carry most of this burden: in 2023 they made up 569 of 595 victims.

Funding cuts have made the task harder. The Aid Worker Security Report 2025 describes how the sudden loss of a large share of global humanitarian funding in early 2025 forced organisations to cut programmes and security posts, weakened shared security services and pushed more risk onto local partners with the fewest resources.

This Security Management for Humanitarians Training in Warsaw equips managers with a complete, practical security risk management cycle built on current good practice, including the 2025 third edition of Good Practice Review 8, Humanitarian Security Risk Management, and guidance from the Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF). It covers three areas the original programme was built on, security risk assessment, security planning and critical incident management, and adds duty of care, partnerships, digital risks and crisis management.

Warsaw is a fitting venue. Poland has been a central hub for the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine, and UNHCR runs its country office in the city. The programme closes with an exposure visit so participants can see security management applied in practice.

El programa fortalece la capacidad institucional en

• Context analysis and actor mapping for insecure environments
• Security risk assessment using threat, vulnerability and impact
• Setting and communicating organisational risk thresholds
• Balancing risk against programme criticality
• Acceptance, protection and deterrence strategies
• Security plans, standard operating procedures and contingency plans
• Travel safety, movement control and communications
• Incident reporting, analysis and information management
• Critical incident and crisis management
• Hibernation, relocation and evacuation planning
• Duty of care, governance and accountability for security
• Security in partnerships with national and local organisations
• Gender, identity and person-centred approaches to security
• Digital security, disinformation and data protection
• Staff care and psychosocial support after incidents
• Security budgeting and resourcing under funding pressure

Throughout the week participants work on their own organisation’s security documents, so the outputs can be used as soon as they return.

The Growing Importance of Humanitarian Security Management

The security environment for aid workers has deteriorated across many contexts. In 2024 the highest numbers of victims were recorded in Gaza, Sudan and South Sudan, with Nigeria, Lebanon, Ukraine, Ethiopia, Somalia, Syria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo also among the ten most affected contexts. State actors were responsible for a growing share of deaths and detentions, and kidnappings rose sharply in 2025.

Political attention has followed. UN Security Council resolution 2730, adopted in May 2024, demands respect for the protection of humanitarian and UN personnel, gives particular attention to locally recruited staff and calls for impartial investigations. The Secretary-General’s November 2024 recommendations cover access, accountability and support for survivors. Organisations are now expected to show that their own security systems are equally robust.

Las organizaciones necesitan cada vez más profesionales capaces de:

• Running structured security risk assessments for new and existing locations
• Translating risk analysis into clear, usable security plans
• Deciding when risk is acceptable in relation to programme criticality
• Building acceptance with communities, authorities and other actors
• Managing movements, convoys and field travel safely
• Handling serious incidents such as abduction, detention or attack
• Analysing incident data to spot trends and adjust measures
• Supporting national staff and local partners equitably
• Integrating gender and identity factors into security decisions
• Managing digital threats and misinformation targeting aid
• Briefing boards and donors on residual risk
• Coordinating with inter-agency security networks

Strong humanitarian security systems help organisations:

• Keep staff safe while sustaining access to people in need
• Meet legal and moral duty of care obligations
• Make consistent, documented decisions on risk
• Respond quickly and calmly to critical incidents
• Share risk fairly with partners rather than transferring it
• Maintain donor confidence and compliance
• Continue operations during crises and disruption
• Learn from incidents and near misses
• Protect organisational reputation and relationships

Security risk management is therefore a management responsibility, not only a specialist role. Organisations reviewing their systems can start with Risalat’s free project health check.

Who Should Attend This Humanitarian Security Management Training?

Este programa está dirigido a:

• Country directors and heads of mission of humanitarian organisations
• Executive and senior managers of NGOs and national societies
• Security managers, advisers and focal points
• Field programme and area managers
• Operations, logistics and movement coordinators
• Human resources and staff care managers
• Partnership and localisation managers
• Managers of national and local NGOs working in insecure areas
• Staff of UN agencies and international organisations responsible for field safety
• Programme managers of donor-funded projects in fragile settings
• Staff preparing for deployment to insecure environments
• Board members with responsibility for risk and duty of care
• Donor staff who review partner security arrangements

Participants need no prior security qualification. Sessions suit both managers new to security responsibility and experienced focal points updating their practice.

Humanitarian Security Management Training Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Humanitarian Security Management Training, participants will be able to:

• Describe current trends in violence against aid workers and their causes
• Distinguish safety from security and apply the core risk vocabulary
• Conduct a context analysis and security risk assessment
• Define risk thresholds and weigh them against programme criticality
• Select a balanced mix of acceptance, protection and deterrence measures
• Draft a security plan, standard operating procedures and contingency plans
• Plan hibernation, relocation and evacuation
• Respond to and manage critical incidents and crises
• Report and analyse incidents to improve decisions
• Apply duty of care obligations to staff, partners and volunteers
• Integrate gender, identity and digital risks into security planning
• Design a security risk management framework for their organisation

Each objective is linked to a workshop output, so participants leave with tested drafts rather than notes.

Contenido y estructura del programa

Humanitarian Security Management Training Methodology

The programme blends short expert inputs with practical work on realistic scenarios and participants’ own documents. Learning is cumulative: each day’s output feeds the next.

El programa combina:

• Short presentations on concepts and current good practice
• Analysis of Aid Worker Security Database trends
• Context analysis and actor mapping exercises
• Risk assessment clinics with peer review
• Drafting of security plans and procedures
• A timed crisis management simulation
• Group discussion of real dilemmas raised by participants
• Gender and person-centred security exercises
• Duty of care and governance self-assessment
• An exposure visit linked to the Ukraine response context
• Daily review and feedback

Scenarios are fictional or anonymised and focus on management decisions. The programme does not provide weapons, close protection or tactical training.

Visitas técnicas y programa en terreno

The fifth day includes an exposure visit in or near Warsaw so participants can see how organisations involved in the regional response to the war in Ukraine manage safety, security and staff care in practice. Depending on availability, the visit may cover a humanitarian coordination or operations office, a refugee support service or a logistics function.

Visits are confirmed with host organisations closer to the programme dates and follow their security and confidentiality rules. Participants prepare questions in advance and the visit is followed by a structured debrief that feeds directly into the capstone exercise.

Resultados esperados

Upon completion of this Humanitarian Security Management Training, participants will be able to:

• Lead a context analysis and security risk assessment for their operation
• Present risk decisions clearly to senior managers and boards
• Produce or revise a security plan and core procedures
• Prepare relocation and evacuation plans that staff understand
• Act effectively as a member of a crisis management team
• Improve incident reporting and use incident data in decisions
• Apply duty of care consistently to staff, volunteers and partners
• Strengthen security support to local partners
• Set out a prioritised plan for improving their organisation’s security framework

Organisations benefit from managers who can make, document and defend security decisions under pressure.

Institutional Application of Humanitarian Security Management Training

Este programa ayuda a las organizaciones a fortalecer:

• Security policies and minimum standards
• Governance and accountability for security decisions
• Risk assessment processes across country offices
• Security plans and standard operating procedures
• Incident reporting and information management
• Crisis management structures and readiness
• Duty of care arrangements for all categories of personnel
• Security support to national and local partners
• Staff care and psychosocial support
• Security budgeting in proposals and projects
• Inter-agency coordination and information sharing

Los participantes regresan con herramientas prácticas para mejorar:

• Context analysis templates
• Security risk assessment matrices
• Security plan outlines
• Movement and travel safety checklists
• Incident report forms and logs
• Crisis management team role cards
• Relocation and evacuation planners
• Duty of care self-assessment tools

For a broader review of systems and capacity, organisations can use Risalat’s free institutional capacity assessment alongside this programme.

Pertinencia y aplicación regionales

Europa

Ukraine was among the ten contexts with the most aid worker victims in 2024, and organisations supporting the response from Poland and other neighbouring countries manage cross-border, remote and partner-based operations. These settings demand clear risk thresholds, strong partner support and well-practised relocation plans.

África

Sudan recorded a record 71 aid workers killed in 2025, and South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Nigeria, Somalia and Ethiopia were among the most affected contexts in 2024. Teams there need robust movement control, acceptance strategies and support for national staff.

Oriente Medio

Gaza was the deadliest context for aid workers in 2024 and 2025, and Lebanon, Syria and Yemen also saw high levels of incidents, with Yemen accounting for about a third of state detentions of aid workers in 2025. Detention, deconfliction and crisis management are central concerns in the region.

Asia

Afghanistan was among the contexts with significant increases in attacks on aid workers between 2023 and 2024. Organisations there need context-sensitive acceptance strategies and careful attention to gender and identity in security planning.

América Latina

Haiti was identified as a high-insecurity context in 2025, where criminal violence and kidnapping shape how humanitarian organisations plan movements and protect staff.

Across regions the same management disciplines apply; the programme helps participants adapt them to their own context and partnerships.

Perfil del país anfitrión: Polonia

Warsaw, Poland’s capital, is a well-connected European city with an international airport, modern conference facilities and a strong presence of international organisations. It offers a calm, practical setting for a demanding management programme close to one of Europe’s largest humanitarian responses.

Poland has been a key hub for the response to the war in Ukraine. UNHCR’s September 2024 fact sheet reported 970,120 refugees from Ukraine recorded in Poland, a country office and field office in Warsaw, further offices in Lublin, Rzeszów and Kraków, and a refugee response coordinating 103 organisations, most of them local. This makes Poland a useful benchmark for cross-border coordination, partnerships with local organisations and support to staff working in and around a conflict-affected country.

Poland is part of the European Union and the Schengen Area. Participants who need a visa apply for a Schengen short-stay visa through Polish consulates, and should apply early to allow for appointments and processing. Risalat provides invitation letters and visa guidance.

Humanitarian Security Management Training Deliverables

Participants receive a full package of preparation, practical tools and follow-up support.

Antes del programa

• Evaluación previa del participante
• Humanitarian Security Readiness Assessment
• Humanitarian Security Resource Pack
• Materiales de lectura preparatoria
• Apoyo y asesoramiento gratuitos para el visado
• Recogida en el aeropuerto y asistencia de bienvenida
• Alojamiento con desayuno
• Cena de bienvenida y networking

Durante el programa

• Kit de formación de Risalat (bolsa, botella, taza, camiseta, gorra, funda de pasaporte, bolígrafos, cuaderno, imán y llavero)
• Comprehensive Humanitarian Security Management Training Manual
• Context Analysis Template
• Security Risk Assessment Matrix
• Security Plan and SOP Templates
• Incident Report Form and Log
• Crisis Management Team Role Cards
• Relocation and Evacuation Planner
• Talleres prácticos y simulaciones
• Debates en grupo y aprendizaje entre pares
• Almuerzo y refrigerios diarios
• Acceso completo a las instalaciones de la sede de formación
• Mini Pad / tableta con materiales didácticos digitales
• Visita de campo (cuando proceda)
• Recorrido turístico por la ciudad

Después del programa

• Certificado de finalización
• Reconocimiento a la participación en programas de Risalat
• Materiales de consulta posteriores a la formación
• Duty of Care Self-Assessment Tool
• Security Framework Improvement Plan
• Apoyo posterior a la formación y orientación de seguimiento
• Informe del programa

Humanitarian organisations, UN agencies and project teams can request a tailored in-house version built around their contexts and procedures. Request a proposal and Risalat will design it with your team.

Common Challenges in Humanitarian Security Management, And How This Training Helps

How can we decide what level of risk is acceptable?

The second day covers risk thresholds, red lines and programme criticality, and the risk assessment clinic shows how to document and justify decisions.

How can security plans be made usable in the field?

On the third day participants draft and peer review plan sections and procedures with a checklist, focusing on clarity and practicality rather than length.

How should we respond when a staff member goes missing or is detained?

The fourth day crisis simulation rehearses the first hours of such an incident, including roles, family liaison and communication.

How can we support local partners without simply transferring risk?

Sessions on the second and fifth days address responsible partnership and the shift of risk to local organisations described in recent sector reports, with practical support options.

How can security be sustained when budgets are cut?

The third day covers security budgeting in proposals, and the capstone helps participants prioritise improvements that protect people first.

How can we use incident data better?

The fourth day covers reporting, logging and trend analysis so incidents and near misses inform decisions rather than sitting in files.

How can boards and senior managers meet their duty of care?

The fifth day sets out governance roles and accountability, and the capstone produces a framework review leaders can act on. Teams can also benchmark wider systems with Risalat’s governance audit.

Preguntas frecuentes

Is this a tactical or close protection course?

No. It is a management programme on security risk management, planning, incident response and duty of care. It does not include weapons or tactical training.

Which good practice guidance does it follow?

It draws on Good Practice Review 8, Humanitarian Security Risk Management (third edition, 2025), and guidance from the Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF).

Is there a field component?

Yes. The fifth day includes an exposure visit linked to the Ukraine response context. Visits are confirmed with host organisations closer to the dates.

Why Warsaw?

Poland has been a central hub for the humanitarian response to the war in Ukraine, and UNHCR's country office is in Warsaw, which gives participants a relevant benchmark for cross-border and partner-based operations.

¿Puede impartirse de forma interna?

Yes. Risalat can tailor the scenarios, procedures and tools to an organisation's own contexts and run the programme for its teams.

Todos los programas en VarsoviaMás programas para profesionales humanitarios

Más cursos de formación en Polonia · Todos los programas en Europa · Calendario de formación completo