Bamako, 25^th August 2017. The team responsible for evaluating the ECOWAS Standby Force (ESF) Command Post Exercise (CPX)- JIGUI IV have developed a manual which includes the Terms of Reference for the evaluation of the exercise.

This was a key outcome from a five-day evaluation training course which concluded on the 25^th August, 2017 at the Training Centre of Excellence, Ecole de Maintien de la Paix Alioune Blondin BEYE (EMPABB) in Bamako, Mali.

The evaluation team which comprises of members of the ESF, ECOWAS staff and representatives from Members States, Training Centres of Excellence and partners, also acquired the necessary skills and technics required to efficiently evaluate the CPX which is scheduled to hold in June 2018.

Representing the ECOWAS Directorate of Peacekeeping and Regional Security, Lieutenant-Colonel Souleymane Sow stated in his remarks at the close of the workshop that, he was confident participants had acquired the knowledge needed to carry out a credible evaluation of the CPX.

The evaluation manual will serve as a handbook which will guide the evaluation process. It contains the evaluation structure and the methodology of data collation as well as the criteria by which data collected will be assessed.

Furthermore, members of the evaluation team were assigned their roles and responsibilities and briefed on the conduct expected of them during the exercise.

The CPX- JUGUI IV is the fourth Command Post Exercise being conducted by ECOWAS. The aim of the exercise is to test the ESF Rapid Deployment Capability, its ability to conduct strategic and operational level planning for multidimensional operations and to exercise Command and Control of deployed forces on a simulated ECOWAS/ African Union (AU) mandated Peace Support Operation.

The evaluation training course was supported by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), and facilitated by retired colonel Mamadou Mbaye and Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ghana) Dr. Sayibu Pabi Gariba.