Security Risk Management: A Training Framework for Humanitarian Organizations

Overview of Security Risk Management Training in the Humanitarian Sector

Humanitarian work can be incredibly dangerous.  According to Humanitarian Outcomes, the number of total aid worker victims rose from 340 in 2014 to a record high of 595 in 2023.  In that same period, the number of humanitarian aid workers killed rose from 130 to 280.  Even so, a standardized approach to security risk management training in the humanitarian field is close to three decades in the making.

Since the late 1990s, security risk management initiatives have been steadily implemented to increase aid worker operational security and reduce the risk to humanitarians in precarious security environments. 

Security risk management training in the humanitarian sector is thematic:

Risk Management Training Theme 1 – Modalities:

• In-person training.
• Online/remote training.
• Blended training options.

Risk Management Training Theme 2 – Types of Providers:

• Private sector security companies.
• In-house trainers.
• Private specialist external training with humanitarian links
• Individual trainers/semi-in house.
• Sector associates.
• UN or other organizations, such as the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.

Security risk management training in the humanitarian sector is concentrated:

Risk Management Training Concentration 1 – Personal Training for Individual Security Awareness and Critical Safety Skills:

• Hostile Environment Awareness Training.
• Trauma-focused first aid training.
• Combat and mine awareness training.
• Stress management training.
• Humanitarian negotiation and conflict management training.

Risk Management Training Concentration 2 – Organization-Level Security Risk Management:

• Crisis management and incident reporting training.
• Digital security training.
• Defensive driving training.
• Security management training.

It is important to recognize, however, that there is no clear industry standard as it relates to security risk management training in the humanitarian sector.  DisasterReady has made significant strides in developing a baseline security risk management course, but current trends suggest future humanitarian security risk management training initiatives should meet the following criteria:

• Training should be relatively short and adaptable.
• Training should be interactive.
• Training should be relevant.
• Training should target the field level of humanitarian work.

This blog post will explore a security risk management training framework for humanitarian organizations, focusing on the two main concentrations of humanitarian sector security training – personal security awareness and organizational risk management.

Security Risk Management Training Framework for Humanitarian Organizations

A significant amount of humanitarian operations are decentralized.  Aid workers work in relatively small groups and are expected to operate within the context of the humanitarian principles, their organizational mandate, and oftentimes very complex and ambiguous local security environments. The training that humanitarian aid workers receive to reduce their personal risk should reflect this.

Humanitarian organizations should also be focused on the following:

• Providing resources for humanitarian aid workers to receive training.
• Ensuring that country security plans and security risk assessments are complete and thorough.
• Ensuring that team level standard operating procedures (SOPs) and contingency plans are developed and reviewed.
• Developing a lessons-learned capability to track and analyze incidents, and subsequently produce organization-level security risk management best practice literature and training.

Personal security awareness training for humanitarians should be focused on the following:

• Advanced situational awareness.
• The effects of stress on performance, and how to mitigate.
• General travel security awareness and best practices.
• Location-specific travel security awareness and best practices.
• Location-specific political and security context analysis.

Implementing Effective Security Risk Management Training Programs for Humanitarians

Organizations should take a number of steps to maximize the impact of security training.  For example, training needs to be highly targeted for maximum effectiveness.  Training likewise needs to be contextual, and trainers must do their best to ensure the terminology and training concepts closely align with trainee’s industry or practice areas.  Additionally, organizations should:

• Make training mandatory for all staff deploying to medium/high risk areas.
• Utilize a mix of blended instruction that incorporates vignettes, practical exercises, and hands-on activities so the learning is contextual.
• Conduct refresher training at regular intervals, and standardize security risk management professional development.
• Tailor the training content to different roles/risk profiles (e.g. drivers vs. program managers).
• Prioritize and ensure that training is available in local languages for national staff.  As is evidenced by the data, national staff are at the highest risk but have less access to training courses and materials than international humanitarian aid workers.
• Evaluate outcome-level effectiveness through post-training assessments, incident analysis, and collaboration with academia.

Key Takeaways for Implementing Security Training for Humanitarian Organizations

Comprehensive security risk management training is a critical component of duty of care for humanitarian organizations.  By equipping aid workers with enhanced situational awareness, critical safety skills, and context-specific knowledge, we can help mitigate risks and enable safer program delivery in challenging environments.  Investing in high-quality, accessible training for all staff – both national and international – should be a top priority for the sector.

Effective security risk management training programs should be adaptable, interactive, relevant, and targeted at the field level of humanitarian work.  Organizations must focus on providing resources for training, developing thorough security plans and risk assessments, and creating a robust lessons-learned capability to continuously improve their security practices.

As the humanitarian sector continues to face evolving security challenges, partnering with experienced security risk management specialists can provide invaluable support in developing and implementing comprehensive training programs.  Custom security risk management firms, like Convoy Group, offer tailored security and training services that help organizations enhance the safety of their aid workers and optimize their operational security in high-risk humanitarian crises.