About this Episode: In this Episode, we are joined by Ziad Al Achkar, Ph.D. Candidate and Researcher at the Carter school for peace and conflict resolution to discuss his research that focuses on the use of digital technologies and remote sensing by humanitarian and peacebuilding organisations. Ziad shares his insights on the trending technologies we need to know about in the sector, key areas of humanitarian technologies that security staff should focus on that can help keep aid workers...

About this Episode: 'Humanitarians operating in conflict settings seek to cultivate relationships with armed actors to enable humanitarian access, mitigate humanitarian insecurity, and promote civilian protection'. In this episode, Rob Grace delves into some of the operational challenges of humanitarian notifications systems (HNS) and their effectiveness by providing a historical overview and discussing how we may see humanitarian organisations use these systems in the future. You will...

About this Episode: As GISF’s Executive Director Lisa Reilly bids farewell to GISF and moves onto the next chapter of her career, she reflects on her experiences in the humanitarian and security sector. From the critical need for inclusivity and a person-centered approach to security, to breaking down silos across departments and the changing expectation/requirements of what it means to be a security manager, this episode unpacks how the security and humanitarian sector has evolved...

About this Episode: In this episode, Mila Shutova (Christian Aid) unpacks some of the challenges facing security managers operating in complex environments, including the importance of historical understanding, community engagement, neutrality of information, and the importance of self-care. About the Series: This podcast series ’Evolving NGO Security Risk Management’, looks at the innovations, transformative developments, and dynamic trends facing the humanitarian and development sector. We...

Last year, GISF released a host of innovative resources facilitating the professionalisation of SRM, held conversations on making security practices more inclusive, and returned to face-to-face opportunities for shared learning. In this podcast, members of the GISF Secretariat reflect on some of their favourite moments from 2022 and the projects they are excited for in the coming year.

In this episode, Javeria Ayaz Malik unpacks the qualities and qualifications it takes to be a security manager of today, and examines how we can improve the security sector by amplifying good inclusive practices. This podcast series explores the elements of inclusive security, what it is, and what it looks like in the humanitarian context. These conversations are enriched by expert guests spanning security professionals, humanitarians, and more.

While anti-discrimination practices and legislation exist, the extent to which these are interpreted and lineally applied to all staff can raise challenges. This episode explores reflections on the dynamic challenges facing organisations and opportunities to improve inclusive SRM practices. This podcast series explores the elements of inclusive security, what it is and what it looks like in the humanitarian context. These conversations are enriched by expert guests spanning security...

This episode focuses on inclusive psychological safety featuring guest speaker, Mo Ali, Coach & Co-founder of The Innovation.  Links: The Innovation community Unleashing your inner leader programme BAME, Ethnic Minorities, BIPOC - Which Terms To Use and Why Anti-racism activists urge aid groups to improve monitoring and examine workplace cultures Half aid workers report racism at work in past year - poll If we want to build more inclusive cultures, we need to get comfortable...

This episode focuses on inclusive security at the UN featuring guest speaker, Catherine Plumridge from the UN Department of Safety & Security.  This series explores inclusivity through the lens of security risk management (SRM). It can be said that inclusivity is at the heart of successful SRM. Organisations have a responsibility to provide a duty of care to all staff. They must take all reasonable measures to protect their staff from foreseeable risks, including those that emerge due to...

We are excited to release the second episode of GISF’s new Inclusive Security Podcast Series. This episode focuses on a operationalising inclusivity featuring guest speaker Araba Cole from the International Rescue Committee (IRC). This series explores inclusivity through the lens of security risk management (SRM). It can be said that inclusivity is at the heart of successful SRM. Organisations have a responsibility to provide a duty of care to all staff. They must take all reasonable measures...

We are excited to announce the upcoming official launch of GISF’s New Inclusive Security Podcast Series. We invite you to follow along and not miss an episode of this dynamic series by subscribing to The GISF Podcast on your preferred listening platform, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This new Inclusive Security Series explores inclusivity through the lens of security risk management (SRM). It can be said that inclusivity is at the heart of successful SRM. Organisations have a...

This episode highlights the ongoing and unique challenges faced by many security managers this year. "2020 … it’s not just a year it’s a phenomenon’. Vita Peake Associate Manager of Global Security for Population Services International (PSI), aptly describes the impactful year many have experienced. From the dramatic impact of Covid-19 to the evolving intersection of gender and diversity, we take a moment and reflect on how one security manager and their team embraced the events of this year.

As security managers increasingly contend with evolving and compounding crises, at the intersection of pre-existing security risks sits a climate crisis. In this episode we speak with Emma Villard, Global Duty of Care Project Lead and Campaigns Operation Security Advisor for Green Peace International to consider the role security managers can play in better understanding, forecasting and mitigating climate change risks.

Since its inception, humanitarian security risk management has developed rapidly. In recent years, the profession has evolved from the ‘compounds and barbed wire’ activities it used to be known for, shifting to include staff safeguarding, wellbeing, digital security and more.   In 2020, a year that seems to define ‘compounding crises’, the profession has been forced to change yet again. NGO security risk managers can now add health and safety and domestic security risk management to their...

For some, the digitisation of the humanitarian sphere is a crisis. For others, it’s a door to a world of unforeseen opportunities. Whatever way you look at it, digitisation has the potential to present real risks to NGOs and their staff. After dozens of NGOs were hit by a hack on a large US fundraising database in July, the message has been clear; don’t wait until an incident happens to improve your digital security. While the scope of security risk management continues to grow,...

In the first episode of Compounding Crises, the third GISF Podcast series, we speak to Léa Moutard, GISF’s Research Advisor. Since joining GISF in August 2019, Léa has been managing a pioneering new research project on Partnerships and Security Risk Management: from the local partner’s perspective.   In recent years, limited access and growing risks have meant that more and more international NGOs collaborate with local and national NGOs to implement humanitarian responses. With the travel...

In this one-off podcast, Tara Arthur, GISF’s Projects and Membership Officer (Americas) speaks to Heather Hughes, GISF’s Deputy Director. Since February, Heather has been leading GISF’s activities on COVID-19. During this short release, Tara and Heather discuss some of the challenges the humanitarian security risk management community is facing and has faced in the COVID-19 world. Prior to joining GISF, Heather worked in a range of roles within the humanitarian sector - including working as...

In this episode of the Humanitarian Incidents podcast we speak to Frances Nobes, Security Operations and Research Analyst for World Vision International. Frances discusses what we mean when we talk about ‘analysis’, why it matters, and the role incident information can play in it, as well as some of the common challenges that analysts face and ways for organisations to overcome themFrances is responsible for leading analytical support for security operations for World Vision, one of the...

In the fourth episode of the Humanitarian Incidents series we speak to Nour Kossaibany, security lead at the International Rescue Committee. Nour explains why keeping national staff and local partner staff safe is critical for organisations and effective programme delivery. She discusses how security risk management and incident information can support this goal. Nour works with IRC in Lebanon, where she is from, and where part of her job is humanitarian negotiation mainly to ease access and...

TW: this episode contains references to sexual violence throughout.  Much information on security incidents can be considered sensitive, particularly when it relates to very personal cases, such as sexual violence. But if we are going to reduce incidents we need to know about them. In episode four of the Humanitarian Incidents podcast, Megan Nobert, founder and former Director of Report the Abuse, shares her advice on how NGOs should respond if a member of staff reports an incident of sexual...

In the third episode of the Humanitarian Incidents series, Leonard S. Rubenstein, Senior Scientist at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Adelicia Fairbanks, Research Advisor at EISF, discuss how incident information can help advocacy. Len and Adelicia explain how security incident data can be used for advocacy purposes, including the benefits and challenges. They also provide guidance on ways in which advocacy professionals can use security incident data to support their...

In the second episode of the Humanitarian Incidents podcast, Phil Candy, Security Advisor at Medair, discusses why his organisation adopted a robust online security incident information management system. He explains the benefits of the new system and the challenges Medair have faced its delivery. He also highlights some of the ongoing and future improvements planned for the system to increase its usability and encourage staff across Medair to report even minor incidents to create a clearer...

In the first Humanitarian Incidents podcast, Christina Wille, Co-Director at Insecurity Insight, explains what incident information is and how it plays a vital role in non- governmental organisations (NGOs) in terms of improving security risk management but also in advocacy and project management. In the podcast, Christina also addresses common criticisms made of incident data and the reasons NGO’s often give from refusing to share information regarding the security incidents they have...

Michael Kramer is the Head of the Security Section at the Crisis Management Centre of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). In this final episode of the EISF in Conversation podcast, Michael discusses the differences between security risk management for governments and NGOs, and shares his thoughts on how to write a good proposal to the Swiss FDFA.