Programme for training and exercises

The Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency offers introductory and specialist courses as well as in-house exercises or exercises in collaboration with other stakeholders.

The objectives for our training and exercises are to:

• Contribute to the enhancement and increase professional skills to facilitate practical involvement in the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency’s missions.
• Provide increased knowledge and understanding of the equal rights of individuals regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, religion, political opinion, sexual orientation or disability, as well as vulnerable groups with specific needs during relief missions.
• Provide increased capacity for independent decision-making and deliberate action on the basis of the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency’s current code of conduct and guidelines.
• Develop the capacity for collaboration, proactivity and decisiveness.

Introduction

Our induction course takes the form of a preparatory home study section and concludes with a five day residential study course which includes a security course.

It provides participants with knowledge and skills in areas such as:

• The agency’s mandates and activities
• Our missions, mission types and partner organisations
• Information management and communication
• Safety and security
• Human rights
• Gender equality and human rights
• Environment
• Result Based Management
• Stress recilience
• Code of Conduct
• Team building and conflict management
• Health

Specialist courses

The Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency offers its own specialist courses in several areas. In some cases you may be offered courses run by other stakeholders.

Our specialist courses are adapted to a specific competence profile and the tasks that a specific post entails on a mission. There are for example, specialist courses for environmental experts, logisticians, nurses and IT technicians.

The Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency is also given the opportunity to nominate individuals from the roster to training courses with other organisations. This applies primarily to courses and exercises organized by various UN bodies or within the framework of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), but other institutions may also be relevant.

The Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency specialist courses are held based on the need of developing competence within a large group.

Exercises

For those registered on the roster to have the opportunity to put their theoretical and practical knowledge and skills to the test, various types of exercise are held. Some exercises aim to familiarize the participants with the equipment used during an operation, while others aim to create a realistic context and test professional skills in as realistic conditions as possible.

The Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency holds its own exercises as well as jointly with other stakeholders or organisations.

Pedagogy and methodology

The pedagogy and methodology behind our courses and exercises for field staff are those of process-oriented learning. The teaching is a varied mixture of lectures, individual assignments, group discussions, practical exercises, seminars, role-play, films and interviews. In such a way, participants develop their own cooperation and problem-solving skills, and an ability to take responsibility and make independent and critical assessments.

Selection and admission

Training opportunities are sent out through invitations to the target group for the training or exercise. Admission takes place in consultation between the relevant officers at the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, who take prior knowledge and previous experience into account in the selection process, as well as the need for competency development and availability for missions.

The Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency strive to have a gender balanced intake on its training courses and exercises.