Category Lesson Reports & SOLLIMS Samplers

This lessons learned compendium contains just a sample – thus the title ‘Sampler’ – of the observations, insights, and lessons related to Foreign Humanitarian Assistance available in the SOLLIMS data repository. These lessons are worth sharing with military commanders and their staffs, as well as with civilian practitioners having a peacekeeping or stability operations related mission or function, such as those currently deployed on stability operations, those planning to deploy, the institutional Army, the Joint community, policy-makers, and other international civilian and military leaders at the national and theater level.

This Sampler provides a selection of lessons covering certain complexities & challenges of peacekeeping operations, including: protecting peacekeepers, reducing violence, optimizing robustness, conducting strategic communications, advancing inclusive mediation, managing transitions, and improving environmental impacts.  Along with the lessons, this document also provides annexes with additional insights and resources on peacekeeping.

Peacebuilding efforts cannot succeed without the ownership of local stakeholders, but local perspectives are at times obscured at international/national levels.  As such, this Sampler emphasizes the importance of consulting local communities to build sustainable peace.  Lessons focus on practical methods to work inclusively with local communities and institutions around the world, demonstrating a variety of effective tools and techniques to prevent and transform violent conflict.

In complex conflict systems, it can be challenging to measure the progress of initiatives intended to gain peace and stability.  Lessons in this Sampler focus on the importance of Monitoring & Evaluation for Peace and Stability, examining best practices and providing diverse examples of M&E from a variety of military and civilian initiatives in conflict environments across the globe. 

In light of the Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017 which was signed into law in the United States in October, this Sampler addresses two important questions:  “Why is WPS relevant to the security sector?” & “How can WPS be operationalized across the spectrum of conflict?”  Lessons are featured from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. 

This publication provides lessons on 6 leadership topics – moral and ethical decisions critical to operational success, understanding decisive change, preparation and repetition, knowledge management, coalition partner leadership, and junior leader development – all of which are topics of the 10th International Lessons Learned Conference

This Sampler features lessons from a Civil Affairs (CA) perspective.  It first showcases challenges for the integration of civil considerations into military culture and then highlights lessons from recent/ongoing exercises and operations, many of which draw upon personal experiences of CA personnel working with interagency and international partners in the context of disaster relief, medical partnership, and displacement.

This SOLLIMS Sampler [Special Edition] comes at a critical moment as global forcible displacement reaches an all-time high, surpassing levels post-WWII, and as violent conflicts driving displacement continue without abate, echoing in war-ravaged Aleppo.  While Refugees & Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) often result from conflict, if the needs of both displaced people and host communities are not addressed, displacement itself may produce further instability.  This publication specifically examines lessons from Syria’s ongoing refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe, drawing on insights from prior situations of displacement to inform response to current crises.

This publication showcases the value of Strategic Communication / Messaging in Peace and Stability Operations – with lessons from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Afghanistan, and the Philippines.  This product also offers an extensive list of references/reports/articles that can serve as a “toolkit” for leaders, planners, and practitioners.

This edition covers the following Stabilization and Transition topics: Governance, Security, Economic Stabilization, Infrastructure, Rule of Law, FHA / HADR, and Interagency.  In this issue, our PKSOI Stability sector experts provide their analysis and thoughts on the submitted lessons. Contact info is provided to continue the dialogue.