Capacity building

What is capacity building?

Mine action is a long-term effort encompassing many components — survey, risk education, mapping, detection, and disposal of explosive ordnance. Each requires specific technical expertise and must comply with strict safety and quality standards.

In many conflict-affected countries, such expertise remains limited. FSD therefore focuses on strengthening national capacities by training and supporting public institutions, NGOs, and local personnel. The goal is to transfer know-how and empower national actors to plan, coordinate, and carry out demining operations independently.

Ultimately, these efforts enable affected countries to take ownership of their land clearance, sustain progress achieved, and ensure genuine local leadership in humanitarian mine action.

Supporting authorities and local NGOs

Across all its programmes, FSD recruits and trains local staff to ensure high operational quality and strengthen in-country expertise. Teams receive ongoing training to maintain a high level of technical competence and to progress into positions of responsibility.

In parallel, FSD implements two main types of capacity-building projects:

• Support to national authorities: assisting public institutions in strategic planning, intervention prioritisation, and the implementation of international mine action standards.
• Support to local NGOs: multi-year projects ensuring full transfer of expertise, from initial technical training to administrative, financial, and operational management, with the goal of creating certified and fully autonomous national organisations in humanitarian demining.