Troop- and police-contributing countries are now able to easily develop lessons learned in the field to improve operational readiness thanks to a new UN mobile application.

A methodology was developed by the Light Coordination Mechanism with 16 Member States, some of whom co-financed the project alongside the Department of Peace Operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted issues in accessing the original document.

So, the Light Coordination Mechanism partnered with the Capacity Development and Operational Training Services in the Department of Operational Support to create an app that would allow the methodology to be accessible to anyone, at anytime, anywhere – all at the touch of a button.

The Deployment Review App is a knowledge-sharing toolkit designed to help Member States, training centres, and national institutions to establish and develop their own lessons learned processes, facilitating the exchange of useful information among deployed personnel.

Lessons learned are critical for Member States and the Secretariat to enhance the performance, mandate delivery, safety, and security of our peacekeepers to ensure that innovation and good practices are captured, analyzed and, when deemed relevant, incorporated into policies and training modules.

“We have learned that each military contingent or unit must have a trained, proficient Ammunition Technical Officer on-site,” recalled Colonel Stephanie Tutton, Head of the Policy and Doctrine Team in the Office of Military Affairs.

“This lesson was captured after expired ammunition began to stockpile in one UN peacekeeping mission. We have now incorporated this lesson into the SOP on Weapons and Ammunition Management so that all missions can learn from and improve upon their ammunition management procedures in current and future operations,” he said.

By developing and sharing lessons learned from operational experiences, the app supports the renewed A4P+ initiative. 

It strengthens the capacity of peacekeeping missions to protect civilians, keep peacekeepers safe, and improve overall performance and accountability. The app also promotes the Secretary-General’s Data Strategy.

The Deployment Review App was officially launched in December to the Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations.

For further information, or to partner on the app, contact DPO-LCM-ToolkitFeedback@un.org.