Security Needs Assessment Protocol project

[David Boromisza-Habashi]

Dear All,

In case you are interested in / looking for examples of the
application of the ethnography of communication outside the academe,
have a look at a recent publication by the United Nations Institute
for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR):

Miller, D. & Rudnick, L. (2008). The Security Needs Assessment
Protocol: Improving Operational Effectiveness through Community
Security. New York, Geneva: United Nations.

>From the publication:

"The Security Needs Assessment Protocol (SNAP) project of the United
Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) is working to
improve operational effectiveness - meaning the impact and sustainable
success of any undertaking designed to effect social change in a
community - in humanitarian, development and security operations by
improving the design of field-level activities that pertain to
community security. The project aims to create a systematic and rapid
means of assessing local security problems as they are understood by
community members themselves. This Protocol could be applied by
interested agencies to conduct cooperative cultural research in the
community, and then use the knowledge gained to better align resources
with local needs." (p. 1.)

A group of ethnographers of communication are heavily involved in
designing SNAP. The publication makes the case for, and briefly
introduces, the protocol. You can download the publication here:

http://www.unidir.org/bdd/fiche-ouvrage.php?ref_ouvrage=92-9045-008-F-en
 (click "view contents")

Cheers,

DBH

-- 
David Boromisza-Habashi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Communication
University of Colorado
270 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0270, USA

office location: Hellems 78
work phone: +1 (303) 735 5076
work fax: +1 (303) 492 8411

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