From 11 to 14 November, UNOAU supported and participated in a consultative workshop, held in Banjul, The Gambia, to validate a revised Security Sector Reform (SSR) action plan and its Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework.

The workshop was organized by The Gambia’s Office of National Security (ONS) in collaboration with the AU Commission (AUC) and aimed to achieve the following overarching objectives: a) to review and validate the implementation status of the five priority areas of Gambia’s SSR action plan; b) to assess achievements and challenges in past and ongoing SSR activities in The Gambia and identify actionable recommendations; and c) to discuss key elements of an M&E framework for The Gambia and outline a path forward.

During the workshop the participants reviewed The Gambia’s National SSR Strategy and contributed to the development of an M&E framework in line with the AU SSR policy framework and the AU Operational Guidance Notes on M&E and SSR. This work was informed by an assessment conducted by three local consultants funded by the AU. The ONS will continue to work with the AU consultants to finalize a report detailing recommendations and outlining the way forward for the revision of The Gambia’s SSR action plan and the development of an M&E framework.