On the 11th of July at the Italian Armed Forces Officer’s club (CUFA), the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE) officially presented the new editorial project entitled “Insights on Strategic Advising for Security Force Assistance” aimed at highlighting the best practices and guidelines for SFA Strategic Advisors engaged in crisis scenarios.
The aim of the event was to consolidate the Community of Interest within the main international organizations in advising activities and allow experts to share and deepen the experiential data, doctrinal aspects, training programs and existing approaches, as a useful tool for the new generation of Advisors.
The NATO SFA COE editorial project, developed with the support of an international group of experts, offers important food for thought for the professionalization of Strategic Advisors called upon to operate in increasingly complex and dynamic contexts.
In particular, it focuses on the attention that they must pay in understanding the local context and the human factor, on the analysis of the gap between existing and optimal local capacities, and on the development of useful tools and procedures that encourage policies makers to integrate good governance and anti-corruption mechanisms to ensure effective long-term stability and sustainability.
After the welcome by the Director, Col. Massimo Di Pietro, Gen. C.A. Lamanna took the floor and opened the debate by underlining the importance of strategic planning and paying greater attention to the primary causes of the crisis. He was followed by Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo, who emphasized the role of SFA as a focal point of the efforts in the new NATO Strategic Concept. And, finally, Prof. Luciolli emphasized the importance of the Centre in promoting knowledge and analysis in the wider context of the Defence Capacity Building.
The presentation of the book, moderated by the two co-editors, Major Ludovica Glorioso, Legal Advisor of the NATO SFA COE and Nadia Gerspacher, Senior Expert in the sector, was divided into two modules. During the first session, the authors presented their chapter and provided further insights for analysis; this was followed by a session open to debate in which the authors explored some issues relating to the processes of defining policies and advising programs in crisis areas.
With this event, the NATO SFA COE intends to promote the launch of further projects aimed at developing the NATO doctrinal body on advising and to provide a useful practical reference for those attending seminars and courses organized by the Centre, for the benefit of the Alliance and its partners.
