Challenges and opportunities for Ethiopian Staff officer’s/military observer’s Performance in United Nations peacekeeping Mission.
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Date
2018-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of the study was to identify the main performance challenges and
opportunities for Ethiopian staff officers and military observers in their engagement of United
Nations Peacekeeping Missions and to suggest possible recommendations for the concerned
body thereby on the basis of the findings propose some possible solutions and
recommendations for the problem.
To this effect, the methodology focuses on primary and secondary data. The primary data
was collected through questionnaires, interviews, focused group discussions and field
observations. Questionnaires were delivered to military officers and interviews were
conducted with military experts and with those who already participated in the UNs field
missions as staff officers/military observers. Focus group discussions were carried out with
officers found in the FDRE MoD peacekeeping main department and others working in
various levels of the institution. UN documents related to peace keeping field missions,
deployment research papers conducted in various countries, FDRE peacekeeping main
department directives, manual and procedures were reviewed.
For convenience sake, the researcher summarizes the findings into three core aspects, that is,
organizational factors, Individual performance factors and according to UN SOPs.
Consequently, the results of the study on organizational factors exhibit that despite the
concerted efforts such as, preparing qualified staff officers and military observers for UNs
peacekeeping mission, being made by MoD in a bid to mitigate the problems it was not
able to produce technically skillful and knowledgeable officers as required .
The findings on Individual performance factors also indicate that even if UN Peace Keeping
Mission demands highly qualified and all rounded personnel to fulfill the assigned mission,
Ethiopian staff officers and military observers lack such skills and the desired qualifications
for various reasons. As far as the findings on UN SOPs is concerned, the majority of
Ethiopian staff officers and military observers are highly committed to accomplish the
intended results, strictly respecting UNs SOP and behaving according to the mission specific
code of conduct set by UNs department of peacekeeping operations.
On the basis of the findings therefore, despite the observed strengths being evident, a great
deal of limitations were also being identified. Just to mention some, military officers who
have been nominated are unable to fully aquire the desired technical skill and professional
knowledge, but not all.
Based on the aforementioned findings, possible recommendations were also forwarded to
the concerned bodies. For instance, the Peacekeeping Main Department need to establish a
well organized experience sharing system, conduct continuous assessment both the predeployment
training and post-deployment performance of its personnel hence need to prepare
a workable monitoring system. It was also being recommended that, Ethiopian prospected
staff officers and military observers should also exert their maximum effort to develop their
capacity, knowledge, and language skills. The individual staff officers and military observers
are also recommended to familiarize themselves with the UN system, technology, and
procedures they are going to use in peacekeeping mission before deployment.
Description
A Thesis submitted to the department of public
Administration and development management of Addis Ababa
University in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the
Degree of masters in public management and policy (MPMP)
Keywords
MILOBs, Peacekeeping and SOP, Staff Officers