(ESDC) CSDP Orientation Course, organised by Romanian National Defence College

The CSDP Orientation Course is a major component of the ESDC training activities with the aim to develop and promote a broad understanding of Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) as an integral part of the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) of the European Union. The main aim of the Course is to contribute to the further development of a European security culture as well as cooperation between the EU and non-EU partners in the global security environment.

The course provides a general overview on the civilian and military aspects of the CSDP. In particular, participants will be exposed to the CSDP institutional framework, current policies, as well as structures and processes. The focus will be on the Civilian and Military Capabilities and the Capability Development, in the light of the EU Global Strategy implementation - Defence Package and EDAP, and on the current CSDP missions and operations. The final goal of the CSDP Orientation Course is to support EU Member States and EU Institutions and Agencies in training own personnel in order to be able to work in CSDP- related fields at operational and strategic level.

The course is open to both civilian and military personnel. The EU Member States, EU Institutions and Agencies and the CSDP Missions and Operations are kindly invited to nominate participants. The Candidate Countries and Third-Countries, especially EaP, SAP and citizens of non-EU NATO member states, are welcomed to put forward suitable candidates.

Applications from the EU candidates (Member States, EU structures, CSDP Missions and Operations) are to be filed via the ESDC secured internet registration system ENLIST https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/ENList/web/app.php/login by the ENLIST nominators. Applications from other than EU Member States should be sent directly to the ESDC Secretariat at secretariat-esdc@eeas.europa.eu (POC: Mr. Ovidiu SIMINA), indicating: full name of the candidate (as in official documents used for accessing course venue); personal e-mail address (functional mailboxes will not be accepted); institution; reason how this course benefits applicant.

The registration period ends on 21 April 2017.

Registration will not be final until confirmed by the ESDC Secretariat AND upon completion of the requested personal data in ENLIST by the confirmed participants (further instruction will follow). For course details (content, tentative agenda, administrative instructions), please kindly contact the Course Director, CPT(N) Ion CRACIUN, National Defence College, National Defence University of Romania (cna@unap.ro).

The course consists of an eLearning part done on the ESDC eLearning platform ILIAS, as well as a residential session held in Brussels, both parts being compulsory. All course participants have to prepare for the residential module by going through the relevant eLearning preparatory phase. Attendance of the residential course is mandatory on all days. A Certificate will be awarded to those course participants who have completed the full course, including the eLearning phase (further instructions for Login to ILIAS will follow, please do not get confused by the two different system in use at ESDC level; ENLIST is for registration, ILIAS for eLearning).

In order to facilitate discussion between course participants and trainers/experts/guest speakers, the Chatham House Rule is used during the residential Module: "participants to the CSDP HLC are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant, may be revealed".

The course is evaluated according to the Kirkpatrick model: it makes use of level 1 evaluation (based on participant’s satisfaction with the course). In order to complete the course, participants have to accomplish all learning objectives, which are evaluated based on the active contribution in the residential Module, including their syndicate session and practical activities as well as on their completion of the eLearning phases: course participants finalise the autonomous knowledge units (AKUs) and pass the tests (mandatory), scoring at least 80% in the incorporated out-test/quiz. Active observation by the course director/lead instructor and feedback questionnaire filled by course participants at the end of the course is used. However, no formal verification of learning outcome is foreseen; proposed ECTS is based on participants' workload only.