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APS Building Assessment Capacity in Cameroon

Navy News Service

Story Number: NNS130626-22
6/26/2013

By Eve E. McAnallen, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (NNS) -- Eleven members of the Cameroon armed forces kicked off the second week of a two-week assessment-focused mentorship session facilitated by Naval Forces Europe-Africa, June 24.

The session, running June 17-28, is part of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) Self-Assessment Mentorship Program (SAMP), which seeks to guide African partners in assessments in order to foster organizational strength, flexibility and harmonization among all partners in maritime response organizations.

"Being part of SAMP has changed my way of analyzing things - by using a scientific methodology in all the research that we do," said Cmdr. Hilary Ade Nkwenti, who is with the Cameroon Navy and is also a Cameroon SAMP team member. "Also, we see the importance of working together as a team. No one is able to do the staff work alone. You need a team. I'm proud to be a SAMP member."

Created in conjunction with the international maritime capacity building APS mission, SAMP aims to develop and strengthen assessment teams, enhancing organic capability for operational analysis in places where APS is already building maritime capacity.

SAMP was held in Senegal and Gabon earlier this and saw similar positive results to the Cameroon SAMP execution.

"A robust assessments capability is an important feature of any mature organization," said Elizabeth Heider, APS Assessments Program Manager. "This is a crucial part of the operational planning process - it completes the feedback loop. SAMP teams use rigorous methodology and unbiased data analysis to help decision makers on all levels: from tactical to operational and strategic leadership."

SAMP's goals are two-fold: build partner capacity to conduct their own assessments of operations and readiness that align with a respective country's strategic objectives, and integrate all SAMP participants into a collaborative assessment community to address regional and continental maritime issues.

The eleven Cameroon SAMP team members now join the SAMP community, bringing the count to more than 40 members world-wide located in 12 different countries. The SAMP community works together in person and via electronic means year-round to compare assessments efforts and tools, share results as appropriate, and standardize procedures and tactics.

"I think if you have a lot of people following the same procedures, this will create a better product - both internal to Cameroon to refine our own systems, and also to harmonize with other nations," said Lt. Cmdr. Felix Ajeagah, Deputy Chief of the Navy Shipyard and SAMP team member. "This also encourages jointness: we see things with the same lens."

After working through a rigorous process of scientific methodology, the basics of assessment, the Cameroon SAMP participants are spending the second half of this mentorship session developing analytical objectives and metrics for Cameroon Forces participation in the upcoming Obangame Express 2014, a multinational maritime exercise held annually in the Gulf of Guinea. They are also creating strategic assessments plans for the Cameroonian Maritime forces, and for their individual departments.

NAVAF facilitators have found that a key element of assessments is being able to provide senior leadership and planners the information to prioritize opportunities and identify objectives to be included in regional exercises and training. This process helps maximize involvement and build greater overall capacity.

"SAMP will not only be limited to assess Obangame 2014. It can also help the Cameroon Navy to assess their operations and the newly signed regional agreement between ECCAS, ECOWAS and GGC," said Cmdr. Clement Fru Fon, Deputy to the Second Regional Commander in charge of Naval Forces. "This will help to complete the loop of planning, executing and assessing, which we have not been doing before. This will improve the organizational functioning of the Cameroonian Navy."

SAMP is scheduled to execute in a handful of other African countries this year, which will not only help each country individually in planning and prioritizing resources but will also expand the SAMP community and in turn cooperation.

APS is an international security cooperation initiative, facilitated by Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa, aimed at strengthening global maritime partnerships through training and collaborative activities in order to improve maritime safety and security in Africa.