African Standby Force police roster system: Proposed features, operations and processes

Despite its wide support a standardised roster system for the African Standby Force (ASF) has not yet been established. Drawing on the experiences of maintaining civilian rosters for peacekeeping operations, this paper specifies the proposed features and functions of the ASF police roster system. It also proposes the relevant standards, procedures and tools of the roster data operations and sharing; provides insights into the processes of the system’s creation, operationalisation and management; and outlines the roles and responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the establishment and operation of the system. The paper can inform and assist in the establishment and operationalisation of a standardised, integrated database system that enables systematic capturing, maintenance, updating and sharing of information on the capabilities, training, deployment and performance of the ASF police personnel. The proposed African Standby Force police roster system covered in this Paper is also summarised in an ISS Policy Brief.

About the author

Tsegaye D. Baffa is a senior researcher in the Conflict Management and Peacebuilding Division of the ISS. He is a former Assistant Commissioner of Police from Ethiopia and has the experience of developing a somewhat similar database system. He is a doctoral candidate at the School of Business Leadership, University of South Africa.