OUTPUTS OF THE DESKTOP STUDY
Initial threat assessment. This will indicate the general levels and nature of the IED contamination and the resources (trained staff and equipment) that are likely to be required.
Terrain and infrastructure analysis. The key transportation network, hospitals, power, sanitation, municipality, industrial and education infrastructure can all be identified through open source information during the desktop study. There are a number of readily available information management (IM) tools that are useful in communicating this analysis through accurate geospatial visual layers. Identification of safe routes . Prior to MA staff accessing new areas, it is important that routes are assessed for both damage and potential contamination. Establishing the ‘pattern of life’ of the community, including localised behaviours, is a key enabler to ensure that safe access can be achieved. This may include assessing levels of vehicle or pedestrian traffic through interviews. It should be noted that this will not discount explosive hazards, especially conventional ordnance such as mortars and projectiles, and suitable precautions should be taken by the teams travelling to a new area of interest to visit an MA organisation. Potential CP locations . At the task site level potential control point (CP) locations can be identified using aerial imagery or mapping. A study of the area will determine the scale of a potential task and hence the placement of main CPs and intermediate CPs for a larger site. Considerations for locating a control point in a large urban task site include: • A location secure from third party interference. This may mean the CP is situated inside the boundary fence or wall of the task site, potentially requiring clearance to be conducted; • A location in the vicinity of adequate and safe parking, administration areas and equipment preparation and maintenance areas.
2.2.2. STAGE 2 – SURVEY AND CLEARANCE PLAN
SELECTION OF SUITABLE PERSONNEL AND ASSETS TO CONDUCT A SURVEY
Survey tasks should be carried out by competent staff, using suitable equipment (accredited where appropriate), in compliance with safety and operational standards. NMAS should outline appropriate IED survey methodologies that can then be developed by MA operators and specified in SOPs that can be accredited. MA operators should be aware that there may be cases in the urban environment contaminated by IEDs, where national standards do not cross over easily. This may be due to the complexity of the IED threat, as well as other non-explosive hazards. Survey teams should have the resources, skills, knowledge and attitudes to carry out safe, effective and efficient survey in the locations to which they are tasked. In particular, in urban environments, they should be supported by IM systems that are appropriate to the level of engagement that they will have with the local community and enable this to be recorded accurately, and disaggregated between the needs of women, girls, boys and men. Survey teams need to have a thorough understanding of the use of IEDs during the conflict, including how armed group tactics varied between different types of spaces (i.e. open areas vs buildings). MA survey staff should have the knowledge to identify benign items that could be misidentified by the community as IED components, explain this to the community and then not record them as evidence of IED contamination. These items could include discarded batteries and wires that have no relation to IED contamination.
Search planning and execution
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