From 9 to 13 February 2026, the United Nations C4ISR Academy for Peace Operations (UNCAP) hosted a curriculum review and course development workshop for the Women’s Outreach Course (WOC) at the UN Regional Service Centre Entebbe (RSCE). The workshop brought together subject-matter experts from supporting Member States, UN missions, RSCE, and the Civilian Pre-deployment Training (CPT) Unit to review, update, and enhance the WOC curriculum, ensuring it meets evolving training needs and strengthens the operational readiness of participants from Troop and Police Contributing Countries (T/PCCs).
A key input into the redesign was trainer and participant feedback drawn from over 15 iterations of the WOC course. This feedback highlighted opportunities to make the programme more operational, more practical, and better suited to real-world mission ICT and staff functions.
Speaking at the opening, Mr Emmanuel Ngor, Chief Regional Field Technology, RSCE, emphasised the importance of keeping end-users at the centre of curriculum improvements: “When we address the what and the how, don’t forget the who, the stakeholders. It’s vital to map them out and understand exactly who benefits from these trainings, not just trainees and instructors, but also those we support in the field. As we move forward, let us ensure that every improvement leaves a meaningful mark on those we serve, making our collective effort truly matter.”
Over five days, participants reviewed the Course Content Development (CCDII/CCDIII) frameworks, refined training needs, drafted and consolidated CCDIIs, aligned learning objectives, developed CCDIIIs, and strengthened assessment and evaluation approaches.
The workshop positions the WOC for stronger delivery and impact by enabling:
More hands-on, scenario-driven learning, reflecting feedback that participants engage more deeply with practical exercises than lecture-heavy blocks.
Improved pacing and sequencing, including earlier preparation for planning components that feed into the final exercise (e.g., UN MDMP and the Integrated Staff Exercise).
Clearer assessments, including recommendations to rename exams to reflect full-course coverage and introduce lighter, frequent knowledge checks (e.g., Kahoot/Slido).
Stronger operational alignment, reinforcing the shift toward UN MDMP/STM guidance and ensuring outputs mirror real mission briefing requirements.
Better scenario integration, including earlier and more structured use of the WOC scenario (e.g., CARANA) to strengthen coherence across lessons and exercises.
Improved digital engagement expectations for virtual components, with clearer participation norms to strengthen interaction and accountability.
During the workshop, Major Jalica Boto Manneh of the Gambian Armed Forces, a former WOC participant now deployed to MINUSCA, shared reflections from mission experience. She noted that the updated design achieves a better balance between staff and technical content:
“I have seen that the technical team has struck a balance 50-50 between the technical and staff aspects. Previously, it was staff-heavy, but now there is a balance, which is crucial. If the course is maintained the way it is being designed and the agreement reached today is sustained, future participants will not only benefit as staff. Still, they will also gain the technical skills to provide stronger support and make a greater impact in peacekeeping missions.”
Following the workshop, UNCAP will implement the agreed action plan to finalise training materials, complete quality control, and prepare the updated WOC package for implementation, strengthening course relevance, delivery consistency, and learner readiness for peacekeeping roles.
