United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) May 2013
InterWorks, along with the UNHCR Global Learning Centre and FSS conducted a Security Management Exercise (SMX) in Nairobi, Kenya for staff from the Somalia operation from 27-31 May 2013. The workshop consisted of a three-day SMX (modeled on the SMLP) and two days dedicated to the topics of programme criticality assessment (from a security risk management standpoint) and continuity of operations planning. Participants from the workshop were from UNHCR offices in Nairobi (for Somalia), Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Galkaiyo and Bosasso, thereby representing all of the UNHCR offices for Somalia.
The purpose of the SMX is for a UNHCR country team to walk through the UN Security Risk Assessment process step-by-step based on UNHCR’s operations in the specific country and its operating environment. Staff are trained on how to conduct the process and are able to identify specific follow-up activities that are needed in order to enhance the security risk management of their operations. One of the main differences between SMX and the SMLP, therefore, is the direct focus on a specific country. This workshop also included short critical incident management simulations that took from 1½-2 hours to run and debrief and were an engaging way to highlight the importance of security risk management and proper planning for potential security incidents. The SMX introduced the topic of Security Risk Management to a number of staff and allowed them the opportunity to think more about the elements to put in place through the action planning process.
