Our team is comprised of a full-time staff of two dedicated researchers, a research and information officer, and manager. We are supported by a director, an Advisory Group and a global network of consultants.
Dr. Paul Jackson
Paul is the Director of GFN-SSR, alongside his positions as the University of Birmingham’s Head of the School of Public Policy and Director of the International Development Department (IDD).
He writes on issues of conflict and post-conflict reconstruction, warlords, industrial development, information management, decentralisation and public finance. He has over twelve years of experience working in developing and post-conflict areas, and consults widely, with recent assignments in Rwanda, performing a baseline study on donor coordination for the UNDP (2005); Ghana, performing an evaluation of capacity-building activity in the field of decentralisation for Danida (2004); Sierra Leone, assisting with the development of local government in a post-conflict environment (World Bank, DFID, 2003-2005); and Bangladesh, developing a financial management training programme for the Ministry of Finance (DFID, 2003).
Paul teaches extensively on IDD modules and programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He has developed and now runs the IDD Masters programme on Conflict, Security and Development, and convenes a module on information management for the Public Service MBA programme. He also teaches on short courses including GFN-SSR’s regular SSR Practitioners’ Course.
Paul.Jackson@ssrnetwork.net
+44 (0)121 414 5009
Alona Welby
Alona is the GFN-SSR Manager. She is responsible for the day-to-day management and administration of the project, including reporting to UK government, dealing with financial issues and ensuring outputs are delivered. She is the primary contact for the UK Government, Advisory Group and the African network, ASSN. She is also responsible for organising GFN-SSR’s quarterly SSR practitioners courses and dealing with other requests for SSR support.
She has worked for local government and international NGOs and has experience in advocacy, working with networks and project management, particularly in an EU and development context.
Alona.Welby@ssrnetwork.net
+44 (0)121 414 7291
Ben Kelly
Ben is the Information and Research Officer. His main area of work focuses on information management. This includes designing and developing the website and its subsidiary databases; writing the monthly ssrbulletin newsletter; researching into and keeping abreast of academic publications and policy in security sector reform; compiling and editing the content of the Document Library; managing the network of document summarisers; and
responding to queries and requests for support.
His academic background is in Conflict Resolution, Middle Eastern Politics and International Relations. Before joining GFN-SSR, he worked in Belgium with the International Crisis Group; in Egypt with two local newspapers and the GTZ; in the USA with the Middle East Institute; and in the UK with a private company involved in database management. Further experience includes advocacy, conflict research, project management, journalism, and written and multimedia production editing.
Ben.Kelly@ssrnetwork.net
+44 (0)121 414 3492
Abdurrahman Al-Shayyal
Abdurrahman Al-Shayyal is one of the GFN-SSR researchers. He is responsible for: working in collaboration with international networks; responding to research and information requests from UK Government; contributing to the GFN-SSR’s growing body of information resources; and developing capacity building and research activities. An increasing number of actors in the Middle East are taking interest in SSR and he is working on projects that will facilitate further inter-regional discussion on SSR and research on SSR issues unique to the region. He also leads on private security sector provision, looking at how to synergise private and public sector SSR understanding and provision.
Abdurrahman has worked in government, private media companies and with leading British charities. His interests lie in SSR, counter-terrorism, and private security provision. He has experience in research, project management, network facilitation and diplomatic relations.
Abdurrahman.Alshayyal@ssrnetwork.net
+44 (0)121 414 4987
Shiv Bakrania
Shiv Bakrania is one of the GFN-SSR researchers. He is responsible for: working in collaboration with international networks; responding to research and information requests from UK Government; contributing to GFN-SSR’s growing body of information resources; and developing capacity building and research activities.
Asia will be a priority region for GFN-SSR in 2009 and thus he is currently focusing his efforts on developing a series of activities that will help strengthen dialogue on security sector reform in South and South East Asia. He has also been taking a lead on a strand of activities exploring the role of civil society in SSR; including a series of workshops and meetings on the issue of how the security priorities and perceptions of the poor and vulnerable can be listened to and acted upon.
He has worked in developmental roles at a range of levels including for international development NGOs, regional government, and local grassroots community organisations. He has experience in advocacy, research, networking facilitation, organisational and project development, and training and capacity building.
Shiv.Bakrania@ssrnetwork.net
+44 (0)121 414 5038
Liz Wainwright
Liz is GFN-SSR’s current intern, working part-time alongside her ongoing studies for an MSc degree in International Development, focusing on conflict, security and development. She provides valuable support to the GFN-SSR team through research, data control and analytical work.
The GFN-SSR Advisory Group
GFN-SSR is supported by an Advisory Group consisting of SSR experts from different backgrounds and regions. It meets formally twice per year and is a helpful source of advice, contacts and ideas for the GFN-SSR team by email and phone the rest of the time.
Overall, the Advisory Group provides support as:
- A valued source of information and contacts related to SSR;
- A useful sounding board for ideas;
- A means of ensuring the appropriate focus and strategic direction for GFN-SSR, particularly reflecting the needs of regions and regional networks, and enabling coordination with other actors; and
- A crucial means of hearing about SSR-related issues and concerns from the regions, networks, international organisations and NGOs.
The 2008 AG members:
Eboe Hutchful (Chair)
Chair, African Security Sector Network (ASSN), Accra, Ghana Director, African Security Dialogue and Research Professor of African Studies at Wayne State University, USA
Mustapha Adib
Director, Center for Middle-Eastern Strategic Studies (CESMO), Tripoli, Lebanon
Sandra (Sandy) Africa
Senior Lecturer, Centre for Defence Management, Graduate School of Public and Development Management at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Consultant and advisor for government agencies and research institutions in the field of security sector governance.
Independent consultant specialising in intelligence
Peter Albrecht
Senior Programme Officer, Peacebuilding Issues Programme, International Alert, London, UK
Claudio Fuentes
Director, FLACSO-Chile (Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales), Santiago, Chile
Heiner Hangii
Assistant Director and Head of Research, Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces (DCAF), Geneva, Switzerland
Dylan Hendrickson
Senior Research Fellow, Conflict, Security and Development Research Group at King’s College, London, UK
Carolina Hernandez
President, Institute for Strategic & Development Studies (ISDS), Manila, Philippines
Professor of Political Science and International Relations at University of the Philippines
Rifaat Hussein
Executive Director, Regional Centre for Strategic Studies (RCSS), Colombo, Sri Lanka
Len Le Roux
Head, Defence Sector Programme, Institute for Security Studies (ISS), Pretori, South Africa
Stephen Logan
Team Leader, Security Sector Development Advisory Team (SSDAT), London, UK
Robin Luckham
Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Sussex, UK
Monica Serrano
Professor, Centro de Estudios Internacionales at El Colegio de México
Senior Research Associate, Centre for International Studies, Oxford University, UK
