Introduction
Explicating each of these challenges and how they might be
overcome must be a key deliverable in any overall training strategy designed to educate future practitioners in the best modes
of planning, resourcing, designing and executing complex FHA
missions that are surely in our future. Accordingly, WG1 fleshed
out recommended ways-ahead in each of these areas, while also
addressing ways to strengthen institutional capacities to track
FHA competencies and to forge productive engagements with
existing course offerings in both the governmental and non-governmental spheres.
Foreign Humanitarian Assistance (FHA) is fundamentally
about saving lives and relieving human suffering. While these
core goals are foundational for any FHA mission, the drivers
of need in specific cases – whether chronic deprivation, sudden-onset natural disasters, complex emergencies or ongoing
conflicts – may vary enormously, as will the range of actors who
play key roles in these challenging missions – be they planners,
logisticians, host nation officials, civilian relief organizations,
UN field agencies, affected local communities or US congressional appropriators. In addition, the sheer complexity of the tools Mapping Vulnerabilities and Preparedness
for performing key tasks poses enduring challenges for orchesThe task of anticipating urgent humanitarian needs is never
trating FHA operations in an effective, efficient manner.
easy, and clairvoyance is never a good safeguard. To be sure,
PSOTEW Work Group (WG)1 drew together an impressively countries in disaster-prone regions are very conscious of hazwide range of civilian and military experts to consider how best ards, but future predictions based entirely upon the legacies of
to craft a training strategy focused on disaster preparedness and the recent past are not always sufficient for scoping preparedness (e.g., Haiti’s earthquake vulnerability was not widely unhumanitarian response.
derstood, either in country or regionally). In this domain, FHA
Drawing upon their experiences from diverse operating venues, training should stress the value of:
while also gleaning lessons from FHA responses to West Africa’s
• Base-line vulnerability assessments by host-nations, as well
Ebola outbreak in 2014-15 and Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake
as current assessments conducted by country teams, to include
in 2010, our skilled participants generated valuable grist for
crafting a comprehensive training pedagogy that will benefit fu- sharing information and close coordination with Geographical
ture practitioners and, indeed, the communities whose survival Combatant Commands (GCCs) in every area of responsibility
(AOR) to ensure share understanding and unity of effort;
will depend on timely humanitarian action as a crisis unfolds.
• County and regional-level reviews of disaster preparedness
and
response plans, to include identifying priority needs as well
With these purposes in mind, the WG’s discussion focused
as areas where risks have, or can be, reduced through national
particular attention on three interconnected challenges that
future practitioners will definitely need to study as part of their resilience programming;
• Appreciation of, and preparedness for, hybrid hazards, to
training repertoire:
include foreign consequence management as well as infectious
disease outbreaks.
• First, there’s the “situational” challenge – in essence, rigorous risk mapping. What types of geological (e.g., earthquakes)
The FHA training program of instruction (POI) in this area
or meteorological (e.g., typhoons) events are most prevalent
should identify the best USG sources for such assessments. The
in various global regions, and how might anthropogenic (e.g.,
POI should also highlight cases where positive steps toward rigindustrial waste) or biological risk factors (e.g., communicable
orous assessments have already been taken while also explicating
disease) as well as socio-cultural violence, result in so-called
the sensitives and challenges that may arise in partnering with
“hybrid” hazards and/or massive human displacement?
host nations on mapping out these hazards and/or preparing for
• Second, there’s the “instrumental” challenge – that is, understanding the tool box. What kinds of capabilities are vital in their onset.
mounting effective FHA operations; how should their use be
sequenced; and which actors have the requisite legal authorities, Studying the Actors and their Tools
resources, and responsibilities for acquiring, maintaining and
While rigorous hazard mapping is essential, FHA practitioners
utilizing these instruments?
also need a more detailed understanding of the responder com• Third, there’s the “interactional” challenge – specifically,
forging mutually beneficial partnerships in meeting humanitar- munity at the national, international and non-governmental
levels – specifically, what are each entity’s core expertise; reian goals. How should various stakeholders seek to coordinate
sources that can be brought to bear; preferred modus operandi;
their FHA efforts – both at the headquarters and field levels –
in order to p