Developing a Security Sector Reform Index (SSRI) in the Philippines: Towards Conflict Prevention and Peace Building

     The Institute for Strategic and Development Studies (ISDS), Inc. is currently undertaking the Second Phase of the Developing a Security Sector Reform Index (SSRI) in the Philippines: Towards Conflict Prevention and Peace-Building, through the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Conflict Prevention and Peace-Building (CPPB) Programme. For 2006, this project aims to pilot-test the draft SSRI and to generate a baseline of the state of security sector governance in the country.

     In 2005, the Office of the Presidential Adviser to Implement the Feliciano Commission Recommendations (OPAIFCR) has conducted a project to develop an index to assess security sector reform (SSR) for the Philippines. This was based on the explicit commitment of the Philippine government to the institutionalization of an efficient, effective, responsive, transparent, and accountable defense and security establishment. Furthermore, the 2005 Philippine Human Development Report (p. 50) and Waging Peace Conference held last December underscored the significance of instituting SSR in order to find a just, peaceful, and lasting resolution to the country’s lingering internal conflicts. This is notwithstanding the contribution of SSR in the country’s ongoing pursuit of democratic consolidation and good governance.

     Together with project consultants from ISDS, OPAIFCR was able to generate a set of empirically verifiable indicators from different security sector institutions (core security forces, security management and oversight bodies, law and enforcement agencies, and societal groups). Composed of various dimensions, the instrument covered legal enactments and constitutional provisions; existence, powers, capacity, and performance of security sector institutions; reform efforts and initiatives; and indicators related to peace building. The proposed SSRI was also subjected to various validation meetings from the abovementioned SSR actors. Twelve (12) consultative meetings were conducted primarily from different military camps across the country to solicit comments and feedback for the improvement of the SSRI. 

 

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