On 7 – 12 April 2014, ISS conducted the second Mid-Level Management (MLM) Course for United Nations Police (UNPOL) in UNMISS, held in Juba, South Sudan. 33 UNPOL officers including 7 females from different Police Contributing Countries (PCCs) activity attended the training. The second MLM course was held over a six day period and sought to enhance the knowledge, skills and quality of UNPOL UNMISS mid-level managers to better perform their daily operational and administrative duties considering the strategic policing framework, regulatory framework, and realities of the operational environment. The course was supported by Norwegian Superintendent Jan Aandal and Danish Superintendent Bjarne Askolm.    

The specific objectives of this course was to enable participants to: • Deepen their knowledge and understanding of the modules and topics addressed in this course; • Expand their knowledge and understanding of the regulatory framework wherein police duties and responsibilities must be performed; • Perform their duties in a manner that respects the UNPOL mandate, strategic policing framework, and the Rule of Law (RoL); • Critically reflect on their own qualities (attitudes and values), performance, and personal development needs as UNPOL mid-level managers; • Apply the use of guidelines and tools to deepen their knowledge and understanding of their area of operation, their community and other partners; • Apply the use of guidelines and tools to enhance knowledge and skills on police operational planning and implementation processes; • Apply the use of guidelines and tools to enhance knowledge and skills on crime prevention planning and initiatives within a given area of operation; • Mentor, advise, and train SSNPS members on topics and issues related to the UNPOL mandate and the policing activities and training needs of the SSNPS; and • To identify and explore the use of best practices and lessons learned across various areas of policing.  

The course was developed for UNMISS UNPOL MLMs who occupied positions at state (operational) and county support level (tactical), specifically, state advisors (SA), deputy state advisors (DSAs), and county support base (CSB) team leaders (TLs). Core training modules included: • Understanding the regulatory framework; • Personal qualities and managerial tasks of MLMs; • Understanding your community and partners; • Supporting police operations; • Supporting crime prevention operations; • Supporting community policing initiatives; • Supporting criminal investigations; and • Building police capacity  

Focus was given to practical training that included the following: • Implementing the UNMISS POC strategy and UNMISS UNPOL work plan; • Compiling a crime prevention plan and conducting an operational briefing; • Compiling a community-based crime prevention plan and conducting an operational briefing; • Solving problems related to criminal investigations; • Compiling and presenting training plans that support local police capacity building; • Prepare and deliver training in support local police capacity building; and • Facilitating a best practices and lessons observed/learned session; and compiling a mentoring plan in support local police capacity building. Police Commissioner Fred Yiga said that the training is “new in its nature” within peacekeeping operations, and crucial for UNPOL in field missions, and called on the UNMISS Media department to provide coverage of these activities. Excellent feedback was received from the participants, and the Police Commissioner for UNMISS, Dr Fred Yiga, who encouraged all MLM personnel to participate in such trainings. The mission is currently evaluating how to implement the training themselves and have requested support of a train-the-trainer program to enable a dedicated training team to implement the training at all levels in the mission.