SENIOR MANAGERS’ COURSE IN Conventional Weapons Destruction

http://www.jmu.edu/cisr

The Senior Managers’ Course (SMC), organized by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery (CISR) at James Madison University (JMU) and funded by PM/WRA, brings together senior-level managers from HMA and CWD programs from countries contaminated with explosive hazards for an intensive management training course. The SMC integrates the latest knowledge in the field of business management with the practical experience required of ERW and HMA managers. During three weeks of classroom instruction and field visits, participants refine their management and strategic planning skills; share expertise and best practices in CWD; and develop a professional network for collaboration with colleagues, international experts, JMU faculty, CISR staff, and donor representatives. Experienced faculty partners from JMU’s College of Business, subject-matter experts from the field of CWD, and CISR’s resident experts provide specialized instruction for the course. Graduates of the SMC bring back strategic insight to their organizations, enabling them to lead their programs more effectively and efficiently to clear landmines and ERW contamination in their respective countries.

From the first course held in 2004 through to the 2019 course, CISR has trained 311 senior managers representing 49 countries. Prior to 2010, the SMC was sponsored by the United Nations Development Program. Beginning in 2010, PM/WRA has sponsored the SMC, including global courses held on the JMU campus, and a series of regionally-focused SMCs hosted with the help of local implementing partners in Tajikistan, Vietnam, and Croatia.

In 2019, CISR hosted a Global SMC at JMU in Harrisonburg, Virginia, to bring together 19 senior managers working in Afghanistan, Angola, Cambodia, Iraq, Laos, Libya, Solomon Islands, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Vietnam, and one participant representing several Western African countries. In addition to course instruction, participants visited the HDTC at Fort Lee, Virginia. Additional subject-matter expertise was delivered by Fenix-Insight LLC, PM/WRA, the U.S. Department of Defense’s HD R&D Program, and a number of NGOs.

Photo caption: Participants in the 2019 Global SMC in Conventional Weapons Destruction engage in a classroom discussion. Photo courtesy of CISR.