Senior Managers' Course in ERW and Mine Action

The Senior Managers’ Courses (SMC) organized by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) at James Madison University (JMU) bring together senior-level managers from mine action organizations for training in organizational management skills. During the course, which is sponsored by PM/WRA, participants refine their program management and strategic planning skills, share expertise and exchange best practices in CWD, and develop a professional network for collaboration with colleagues from other countries, international experts, JMU faculty, CISR staff, and PM/WRA personnel.

CISR hosted nine SMCs at the JMU campus in Harrisonburg, Virginia before launching its first regional SMC in Dushanbe, Tajikistan in 2014. In 2015, CISR hosted the largest SMC to date: a Southeast Asia Regional SMC in Vietnam for 30 participants from Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam, representing 21 different mine action and CWD governmental and nongovernmental organizations. CISR worked closely with the International Center- Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation in Hanoi and the Association for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (AEPD) in Quang Binh to implement the course, which addressed general CWD best practices and the specific needs of the Southeast Asia region. The course included two weeks of classroom instruction in Hanoi and one week of field visits in two provinces in central Vietnam.

CISR staff led the instruction in conjunction with JMU College of Business faculty, PM/WRA staff, and guest lecturers. Representatives from the Vietnam National Mine Action Center, various local nongovernmental organizations, and the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD) contributed field-based expertise and program implementation experience on the management of residual UXO, promoting partnerships, and national capacity building. Participants visited a MAG clearance site, AEPD’s survivor assistance program in Quang Binh and, with the support of the Legacy of War Coordination Center and its partner organizations, the survey, clearance, and post-clearance worksites in Quang Tri. CISR also hosted a global SMC on the JMU campus in Spring 2016. The next regional SMC will be in Croatia in Spring 2017.

The 2015 Regional Senior Managers’ Course visits a post-clearance development site in Quang Tri Province. The course was held in Vietnam and facilitated by CISR.

Photo courtesy of CISR.