The SSR Adviser's Handbook

The ideas behind security sector reform (SSR) have been evolving since the early 1990s. The number of international missions and programmes with an SSR mandate has increased in the past ten years, as SSR has emerged at the heart of the development and security nexus.

SSR is undertaken in conflict and post-conflict settings but also in developing countries, post-authoritarian states and stable democracies. It is as an integral part of the statebuilding agenda, however, that SSR has gained most attention in recent years. This has led to a dramatic increase in the number of people working on SSR.

Despite the rich panoply of policy frameworks, handbooks and guidance notes, there is still a lack of guidance specifically focused on the role of the SSR adviser or the specifics of an SSR portfolio that often has political dimensions. This handbook is an attempt to provide such guidance. This would enhance the effectiveness and impact of the SSR adviser, and probably make the reform process more sustainable in the long run.

The handbook provides insights into the role of an SSR adviser—the challenges connected to the role, and the tools, methodologies and best practice that can be applied when advising in complex political environments and reform contexts.