Objective

This workshop aims to bring together Security Force Liaison Officers (SFLO), reporting, and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) experts to enhance their skills in engaging with local, national, and regional security forces through civil-military engagement, human rights due diligence, risk management, and collaboration with other agencies and partners for sustainable programming.

It will provide an opportunity to reflect on the experience of civil-military engagement in stabilization programming over the past 5 years in our Lake Chad Basin and Liptako-Gourma programmes. With the upcoming phase (2024-2028) of the regional stabilization facility for the Lake Chad Basin, this workshop is a timely opportunity to assess strategies and practices in these critical areas.

Over three days, participants will:

• Conduct a granular review and assessment of the SFLO role and operations in practice.
• Develop practical guidelines and a toolkit for the SFLO role in stabilization operations, taking into consideration the new zonal approach for our programme interventions.
• Foster a shared understanding of the SFLO role and identify indicators to measure the impact of civil-military engagement.

About Security Force Liaison Officers

Security Force Liaison Officers are pivotal in bridging community needs with security efforts. They work closely with M&E teams to track the impact of stabilization initiatives.

Established on November 11, 2022, by the UNDP Sub-Regional Hub for West and Central Africa, the Security Force Liaison Officers' Network aims to foster a robust approach to embedding conflict sensitivity and conflict analysis in stabilization programming. The network enhances learning, sharing, relationship building, and collaborative efforts across different country programs.

The network unites Security Force Liaison Officers, Civil Military Officers (CIMIC), and stabilization experts working in the Lake Chad Basin and Liptako-Gourma region for:

• Knowledge Exchange: Exchanging information, experiences, and best practices from field operations.
• Relationship Building: Strengthening connections among experts from different country programmes to offer mutual support.
• Collaboration and Policy Support: Creating opportunities for enhanced collaboration and supporting policy formulation and guidance.

The ultimate goal of the network is to enhance collective and regional analysis and conflict sensitivity within UNDP stabilization programmes that strengthen the design and delivery of stabilization activities in the increasingly complex Lake Chad Basin and Liptako-Gourma regions.

Strategic Role

The UNDP Stabilization model and the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) Regional Strategy for the Stabilization, Recovery and Resilience of the Boko Haram affected Areas of the Lake Chad Basin Region (RS-SRR) recognize that successful stabilization cannot be achieved through security measures alone. There is a critical need to improve coordination between military and civilian actors to enable enhanced humanitarian access and to promote a civilian-led stabilization process. This approach complements military efforts and allows security forces to concentrate on their primary responsibilities.

The SFLO role is thus strategic, bridging security-related issues with community needs. This role is pivotal in planning, sequencing, and coordinating initiatives aimed at:

• Extending humanitarian access in border areas
• Facilitating the safe cross-border return of refugees, and
• Supporting the secure opening of borders to boost human mobility and cross-border trade.

Key Areas of SFLO Intervention include:

• Conflict and security analysis and risk assessment.
• Liaison with security forces, authorities, and communities.
• Coordination with humanitarian actors.
• Advice on cooperation with security forces.
• Coordination and information exchange with stabilization teams at regional and country office level.