In his presentation, Douglas Brand considers the adverse impact that not recruiting the right people can have upon the delivery of aid and development. Of particular consideration is the harm that results from conflict between those delivering aid or implementing development programmes, and those recruited to facilitate such work (such as those engaged in logistics, procurement, transportation and security). Douglas Brand explains that part of the reason for this conflict, and for underperformance in delivering aid and development programmes, is that those who are recruited and deployed can lack all but the technical skills for the job. What is required is pre-deployment and in-theatre training, as well as assessment of non-technical competences – including attitudes and cultural sensitivities – during the recruitment process for development professionals. Such non-technical competencies would include the attitudes, cultural sensitivities, behaviours, and beliefs of a potential actor as it has for the technical skills that the work requires them to have.

Douglas Brand OBE is a former UK Chief Police Officer and has extensive experience in international policing, security, stabilisation, and rule of law. Currently the strategic policing adviser to the National Police Service of Kenya, his recent engagements also include similar work for the Nigerian Federal Police, and directing leadership courses for senior officers of the Palestinian Security Forces in the West Bank. He has also been the Senior Police Advisor to the FCO working particularly on security sector reform, (SSR), projects in Africa and Afghanistan, and he was the Chief Police Adviser in Iraq, 2003-4. He is author of the European Union Manual of Guidance on Conflict Management for Police (2000), and has also published several articles on the challenges to rule of law that manifest themselves in International Peace Support Operations.