May 11, 2023 (ENTEBBE, Uganda): IGAD Security Sector Program (IGAD SSP) conducted a three-day regional validation workshop to critically review and validate the IGAD Member States’ Criminal Justice Sector Capacity Needs Assessment held on 9-11 May 2023, in Entebbe, Uganda. The primary objective of the workshop was to review, evaluate, improve, and validate the findings and suggested recommendations of the draft report. Therefore, the validation workshop aimed to genuinely engage the representatives of member states to critically and professionally evaluate, review, enrich, and improve the findings and recommendations of the assessment.
In its effort to provide demand-based capacity building, IGAD SSP undertook a Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) of MSs’ Criminal Justice Sector (CJS) in a consultative process to identify the required knowledge, skills, abilities, and behavior to achieve each institution’s goals, analyze existing gaps and determine priority capacity areas (themes, training methods, and target participants). The findings of the CJS’ CNA is hoped to enable IGAD SSP to effectively design and deliver its capacity-building support to the States. The CNA process involved three steps:
- identification of existing capacity,
- identification of the desired capacity, and
- the gap between the two.
Thus, the CNA tried to address the following questions properly:
- Where we are now? Self-assessment;
- Where do we want to be? Desired future capacity; and
- How can we fill the gap? Formulation of capacity development matrix.
The workshop was officially opened by Commander Abebe Muluneh, the Director of IGAD SSP and the IGAD Head of Mission to Ethiopia, on behalf of the IGAD Executive Secretary, H.E. Dr. Workneh Gebeyehu. In his welcoming remark, he stated the rationale and plan of the assessment by saying: “This comprehensive assessment was done to collect and analyze data and produce information about capacity needs to address TSTs in the region, thereby contributing to the knowledge and capacity building efforts of IGAD and its Member States. Furthermore, based on the assessment findings, it is planned to assist security sector institutions of MSs in developing key capacity policies/training and teaching curricula to prevent and combat TSTs. Therefore, the findings of this Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) will be used by IGAD SSP to determine priorities and allocate resources in its capacity-building efforts to its Member States”.
Twenty–eight (28) delegates from all IGAD Member States from various law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice sector attended the validation workshop. The consultants provided the background, methodology, findings, and recommendations of the report in detail during the three days. In addition, each State critically reviewed the report presented per country and gave their feedback by outlining the various gaps, challenges, recommendations, and the overall capacity at their institution, country, and regional levels.
The workshop was concluded with the agreement to incorporate all their feedback and submission of the final report by the consultant to IGAD SSP for its implementation.
The regional validation workshop was generously funded by the European Union Trust Fund EUTF) and implemented by IGAD SSP and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA) under the agreement to implement the project titled “IGAD Promoting Peace and Stability in the Horn of Africa Region (IPPSHAR).”
