From the 25th to the 29th of September 2023, in collaboration with the US Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance (JCISFA), the NATO Security Force Assistance Centre of Excellence (NATO SFA COE) organized the 2023 edition of the Institutional Advisers Course at the Italian Army Infantry School’s officers’ club.
The aim of the course is to contribute to meet the need for sustained and standardized professional development of Allied and Partner military and civilian personnel to conduct stability activities. In fact, advanced tenets of institutional advising are integrated into the course’s education curriculum.
During the course attendees acquired a deep understanding of the strategic aspects of the local context and advanced knowledge enabling them to effectively support the capability and capacity of the Local Institution.
They also had the opportunity to apply this knowledge through a series of syndicates and a final exercise where they received specific tools to conduct an operational assessment of the counterpart’s local security forces in order to frame the problems, identify gaps and produce effective solutions.
The course was also enriched by the presence of Col. Tassi, the former Head of the Specialised Programmes Coordination Office in NATO Mission Iraq (NMI) who provided insights about NATO Mission Iraq’s capacity-building efforts to achieve strategic partnerships and how advisors support and develop institutional competencies.
In addition, Col. Chironi shared his experience as a former Advisor to the Ministry of Defence in Kosovo, explaining the role of the advisor in the development of the training activities of the Kosovo Security Forces.
The Institutional Adviser Course, together with the Advanced Distant Learning’s SFA Orientation Course and the SFA Operators Course, is a high-level training step for military and civilian personnel who will be employed as Institutional Advisers. Participants will gain essential knowledge and expertise to provide advice that supports the sustainable development of a counterpart’s national security force.
