Following the successful presentation of the draft Policy for Policing in African Union Peace Support Operations to the African Chiefs of Police (ACOP) in Algiers in 2015, the Police Strategic Support Group (PSSG) team held two consecutive workshops in 2016. The first workshop successfully developed the Standing Operating Procedure (SOP) of the Selection and Assessment for Mission Service (AMS) for Individual Police Officers (IPOs) in the AU Police (AUPOL). The second workshop finalised the draft SOPs and developed a draft workplan in support of the African Standby Force (ASF) Work Plan 2016-2020. The first PSSG technical planning session workshops was aimed at:

• Promoting and projecting police identity, values, visibility, ethics and chain of command in AU and AU PSOs
• Enhancing the participation of the police in APSA and AU peace and security decision-making; and
• Rendering support to strengthen and augment the capacity of police components in the AU Commission, to plan and support the management of Police components in Peace Support Operations (PSOs)

The fist task team meeting of 2016 purpose was focused on the development of a Standing Operating Procedure (SOP) on the Selection and Assessment for Mission Service (AMS) for Individual Police Officers (IPOs) in the AUPOL. Also in discussion during this meeting was the documentation (Policy and Guidelines) that has been developed up to date and to identify additional policy framework needs. The second PSSG technical planning session, held from 18 to 23 April 2016 had a two primary objectives. Firstly, to prepare and finalise a number of core AU Police Guidelines and SOPs in support of the AU Police Policy in support of ASF Peace Operations, and secondly, to consider the Maputo workplan on the ASF for 2016-2020 and how the work of the PSSG will be planned in support of the ASF workplan as well as the new TfP phase 2016-2018 on AUPOL related matters. Police experts represented all Regional Economic Communities/Regional Mechanisms (RECs/RMs), except North African Regional Capability (NARC) (due to other commitments), African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) Deputy PC, Crowd Chirenje (AU PSOD), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), European Union (EU), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Police advisers. The session was led by former The United Nations–African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) PC Riana (Hester) Paneras, now senior researcher with the ISS based at the ISS Addis Ababa office. The workshop considered and finalised a number of draft documents: the final draft SOP for deployment of IPOs and Force Police Units (FPUs) to PSOs including Annexures; draft guidelines for roles and functions of AUPOL in PSOs; and draft SOP for selection and AOC for FPUs deployed for service in AU PSOs and Annexures. These final drafts serve as foundation documents in support of the AUPOL Policy in support of ASF PSOs that will be considered for final approval during a meeting of the Specialised Technical Committee on Defence, Safety and Security (STDCSS) at the end of May 2016. The approval of this Policy will enhance the impact of the AUPOL roles and functions successfully integrated in the execution of ASF PSOs. The second objective considered the Maputo work plan on the ASF for 2016-2020. The team prepared a draft work plan for the work of the PSSG in support of the implementation of the ASF work plan. The importance of the relationship between the AU ASF Headquarter elements and the RECs; the importance of providing RECs and Member States with the approved AUPOL Policy, guidelines, standards and SOPs; the critical importance of a functioning Police roster as well as just in time mission specific training and enhancing AUPOL pledged capabilities, were just some of the important aspects that were considered by the team. The partnership amongst the AUPOL, GIZ and ISS once again proved to be extremely beneficial in optimising resources to achieve the objectives of the workshop.