Having robust security risk management (SRM) strategies and policies is critical for any NGO to achieve its mission. But for too many organisations, these don’t exist. Even when they are in place, strategies are often siloed within a single department. And policies may receive limited engagement from senior leaders.
This new guide, developed by the Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF) and International Location Safety (ILS), is designed to help NGOs approach SRM at a strategic, policy development and organisational level. This publication was produced as part of a three-year cooperative agreement funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through ChildFund International.
The guide is targeted at security and non-security specialists alike. It's a comprehensive guide designed to embed good security risk management across the whole of an organisation to keep aid workers safe. Accordingly, the publication has dedicated sections highlighting specific links between security departments and HR, finance, IT, communications, and more.
Alongside the guide, there is also a set of 12 tools. These include various templates to help senior leaders draft risk attitude statements, a theory of change, and much more. Editable versions of the 12 tools are available at the GISF website.
“At a time when we're seeing record numbers of aid worker fatalities around the world, this new guide is particularly critical,” said Christian Kriticos, GISF’s Communications Lead. “We encourage security specialists to use this resource to guide their strategy and policy development. But we also hope they will share it widely across their organisations. It’s vital that senior leaders and heads of departments are involved in the security conversation to ensure that aid worker safety is prioritised across all areas of all organisations.”
If you have any feedback or questions, please email the GISF team at research@gisf.ngo.