Assessments
Preparatory phase
The main goals of the preparatory phase are:
- To identify the goals and objectives of the mapping;
- To undertake the logistical planning for the information collection phase; and
- To identify those gaps in information relating to the small arms situation in the country that must be filled during the information collection phase.
The first step is researching and producing a background country report on the political and security situation in the country to identify key local issues. This is essentially a desktop study using existing information from public sources. It will look at the political and security situation in the country, levels of production and exports, status of borders, regional and international small arms commitments etc. It will also include some regional overview research to examine the relationships with neighbouring countries and other regional factors. The information contained in the report will be verified and added to during the fieldwork conducted in the information collection phase.
A series of planning meetings then takes place between the responsible government agencies (usually the National Focal Point (NFP) or similar inter-agency body and including civil society representatives) and the Mapping Team. These meetings focus on the following key issues:
- Establishing terms of reference
- Defining the objective(s) of the mapping exercise
- Planning the mapping exercise
- Determining the needs for the mapping exercise
- Allocating resources for the mapping exercise
- Completing the mapping timetable
- Completing physical logistical preparations for the mapping exercise
These meetings are vital to ensure local ownership of the process leading to the generation of the national action plan. It is important that all stakeholders share the same objectives for the exercise and understand their roles and responsibilities from the outset (as defined and stipulated by the NFP itself). Through this process of determining objectives and planning the information collection phase, the mapping methodology is adapted to meet the specific needs of the country. Typically, this series of meetings will look first at the terms of reference and objectives of the mapping. Then the key national stakeholders will report back with existing information on the small arms problem and other key factors (i.e. logistics, capacity, security, political sensitivities) that will impact on the mapping exercise, and needs and resources will be identified. Finally, the mapping timetable will be completed and the logistical preparations concluded.
There is no set timetable for this preparatory phase and its duration will vary greatly from country to country. In many ways this is the most important stage in the process and cannot be rushed. If the initial planning is not done thoroughly the whole process can be derailed further down the line. It should also be recognised that undertaking a mapping exercise is a very large undertaking logistically and one that requires substantial concerted commitment and engagement from a number of actors.
There are many potential obstacles and the better the initial planning, the greater the chance of successfully overcoming the inevitable obstacles that will arise in a process of this magnitude. Indeed during this preparatory stage there may well be need to postpone the information collection and plan development phases because one of a number of essential building blocks upon which a successful plan must be built may not yet be in place.
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