The Training for Peace Programme at ACCORD conducted a Roundtable with RECs and RMs on Civilian Rostering Processes to understand how to further strengthen civilian capacity and how to ensure coherence and coordination between the RECs and the AU. The Roundtable aims to identify gaps in relationships and seek to strengthen these for an effective and efficient rostering system.  The discussions encouraged RECs and Planning Elements (PLANELMs) to effectively link training to rostering effectively. In this sense, PLANELMs emphasized the importance to track people trained; and the ability of RECs to deploy large amount of civilians and also identify the roots of the civilians deployed.  The roundtable provided a forum for expert stakeholders to strengthening coordination on the civilian rostering process. The Roundtable was held from 1 - 2 December 2014 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It brought together representatives from SADC, ECCAS, NARC, EASF, the African Union, African Peace Support Trainers Association (APSTA), Kofi Anan International Peacekeeping Training Center (KAIPTC), and United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU), IPSTC, Ecole de Maintien de la Paix (EMP), and National Defence College (NDC). The TfP Programme at ACCORD was represented by Ms Irene Limo; Brig. James Machakaire; and Olivia Victoria Davies. The Roundtable focused on discussions related to an overview of progress on the roster implementation at the regional and continental level; gaps and challenges in the civilian rostering process; challenges and opportunities for RECs/RMs, PLANELMs and Member States engagement with the Training Centres of Excellence (CoEs) and other Training Institutions; developing national infrastructures for civilian participation in peace missions; lessons learnt in linking training and rostering and good practices in the harmonization of the training standards for effective and sustained civilian capacities. TfP/ACCORD facilitated discussions on good Practices in the harmonization of training standards for effective and sustained civilian capacities – an initiative that is in line with the Programmes strategic goal which it to significantly improve the civilian capacities of RECs/RMs to prepare, plan and monitor multidimensional peace operations in Africa. The Roundtable reflected on ACCORD’s objective towards contributing to generating civilian capacities in order to foster knowledge and experience sharing that will support the finalisation of the AU integrated continental platform for the generation, retention and utilization of civilian capacities on a standby basis for deployment across a range of peace and security operations ahead of the African Standby Force (ASF) full operational capability. In terms of lessons learnt in linking civilian training to rostering, RECs/RMs and CoEs discussed the importance of specialized courses for specialized fields including management courses for trainees. In this light, it was agreed that all trainees should be screened before placement into regional and continental rosters. Going forward, it was also agreed by all that training should be done continuously and rostered at the same time. RECs/RMs also agreed with COEs that a training needs assessment is needed to ascertain the needs of the region in order to identify and ascertain at what point in time and under which scenarios can participants be trained.  This is all geared towards training the right people in the right skills required for a specific region. Finally, standardization of training materials stood out clearly.  The success of a tailored mission-specific training boils down to all training materials being harmonized and standardized, this in turn will require cooperation, collaboration and coordination amongst partners. RECs/RMs noted the recommendations from the Roundtable, and will seek to ensure improved coordination and cooperation with the AU for a functioning institutional roster system. For more information, please contact Ms Irene Limo, Senior Program Officer Peacekeeping Unit on Irene@accord.org.za, and Ms. Olivia Victoria Davies, Peacekeeping Unit Programme Officer on Olivia@accord.org.za.