Nordefco United Nations Staff Officer Course
The purpose of UNSOC is to prepare nationally trained staff officers for assignments in UN and other UN lead multinational HQs, or in national contingents conducting UN Peacekeeping Operations (PKO). Predominately at FHQ and SHQ level. The UNSOC at SWEDINT is certified by DPO, UNHQ New York.
Target audience
The UNSOC is intended for military personnel selected by UN Member States to be deployed as military staff officers in a UN Peacekeeping operation (OF 2-5 or OR 6-9 with national staff training). Military staff officers are required to have completed their national basic military staff course.
Learning objectives
After the course, the student will be able to:
• Contribute efficiently to implement military aspects of UN Peacekeeping mandates in accordance with DPO principles and guidelines;
• Perform their military staff functions in an effective, professional and integrated manner;
• Demonstrate the core values and competencies of the United Nations; and
• Apply the knowledge of national military planning process doctrines in a UN environment, using the UN Military Decision-Making Process (UN MDMP).
Method
The UNSOC is a two-week residential course, which comprises lectures/briefings and map exercises, all conducted entirely in English. The UN Staff Officer Specialist Training Material (STM) 2024 provides guidance for the course control documents.
During the second week of the UNSOC the students will participate in the Integrated Staff Exercise (INSTEX), a three-day activity embracing the integrated concept, in which the UNSOC students are allocated to roles at both FHQ and SHQ levels. This provides the students with a simulated experience of working in a mission environment and an understanding of the functioning of a modern multidimensional UN mission. The INSTEX may be conducted in association with the Swedish Police UNPIMT course and/or the civilian Staff Officer course UNCIVSOC.
To be eligible to attend UNSOC, nominees must fulfil the following criteria:
• Language proficiency: Students have to fulfil the following proficiency standards (level 3) in English, described in STANAG 6001: Listening Good (3), Speaking Fair (2), Reading Good (3) and Writing Fair (2). No additional training or translation is provided during the course.
• Student has to have basic (Fair 2) computer skills in Microsoft Office.
Student Assessment
The participants will be assessed based on two activities: During the course participants are required to complete a “midterm evaluation test" covering SO STM topics. Secondly, students are assessed on their participation throughout the course, including taking an active part in the MAPEX, along with their performance in the assigned role during the INSTEX.
Based on the combined results participants are graduated either with “Successfully completed" or “Participated". A course certificate will be presented at the end of the course.