What is PSSM?

PSSM - physical security and stockpile management - comprises of procedures and actions that are necessary to ensure responsible and safe accounting, storage, transportation and handling of SALW and their ammunition.

International standards have been developed that provide guidance to state actors on the implementation of good practices in PSSM to enhance safety, security, and accountability: these are the International Ammunition Technical Guidelines (IATG) and the Modular Small-arms-control Implementation Compendium (MOSAIC).

These guidelines provide detailed information e.g. on the classifiction of ammunition and explosives according to the United Nations Hazard Classification system, the calculation of the blast perimeter and the therefore required minimum distance between an explosive storage facility and other infrastructure and civilian habitations to prevent material damage, injuries and casualties.

They also give detailed advice on topics such as weapons accounting, including inventory management – as the basis to identify losses or theft. Sound record-keeping also serves as a disincentive for such malpractices.

Effective PSSM enhances local, national, regional and international security as it reduces the risks of diversion, illicit trafficking, and accidental explosions.

African Regional PSSM Instructor Pools

Experts in PSSM are available from the ECOWAS and RECSA region as the result of two multi-stakeholder regional PSSM Training of Trainers (ToT) processes that were supported by bicc, with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office.

These regional PSSM instructors are experts on the international standards for the safe and secure storage of SALW and ammunition. This expertise, combined with their knowledge of regional frameworks and national realities can be harnessed in PSSM trainings or other settings. To request support from the regional PSSM instructors, please get in touch with the ECOWAS or RECSA offices via the form below.

Request more information

Showcases of the impact of the regional trainings

Christine Nankya

"I aspire to become a champion for SALW control in Africa and the world."

Christine Nankya, Assistant Inspector of Police in Uganda, has successfully completed the PSSM instructor training in the RECSA region and is sharing her experience.

The depot where I work was located in a very congested environment, surrounded by many residential structures and car parks, hence posing a threat to the local population and vice versa. Additionally, the inventory management system in place was poor, and there was a lack of stock taking. After the training, the surroundings of the depot were cleared, and families that used to stay close to the depot were moved to safer locations. This helped to reduce the mentioned risks. Now, there is also a better inventory management system hence better record-keeping and an organised storage system...

Ousman Jallow

"I am grateful to have participated in the training which broadened my technical knowledge."

Captain Ousman Jallow, the Gambia Armed Forces, was trained as a PSSM instructor in the ECOWAS region. His experience has been the following:

The training has broadened my mind. During the sessions, I realised that there are many loopholes in terms of security. After the training, I was able to raise awareness and get some of them fixed, for instance, by introducing an access badge. Today, nobody can pass through any part of my armoury without the access badge. Generally, we tend to look at one area only. But if an explosion happens in my battalion, it will also affect everyone else, including civilians. I would have to call the fire brigade and the medical personnel from the Red Cross. These partners have to be made aware, too...

bicc Publications

Safer Stockpiles: Developing Regional PSSM Instructor Cadres

edited by David Häfner and Joe Farha

SSPublications

Crossing the fence: Challenges of operationalizing PSSM

edited by Elvan Isikozlu, Matthias Krötz and Claire Trancart

Physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) can be broadly defined as a series of activities that make national stockpiles of weapons and ammunition safe and secure. Over the last decade, PSSM has become a highly requested form of intervention to curb the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) and conventional ammunition (CA), as well as to keep communities safe from unintended explosions. Donors have provided substantial funding for PSSM activities to countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where we have learned that the impact of PSSM assistance depends a great deal on how actively improvements are maintained. Maintaining PSSM improvements has to do with influencing human behavior. Organizations supporting national institutions with PSSM are well aware of this but are often overwhelmed by immediate, tangible needs on the ground such as demands for new depots, fencing, or training. While these activities are critical, they will easily go to waste if PSSM is not practiced on a daily basis. This article will discuss three challenges that we have observed and present some critical questions for organizations to consider when providing PSSM assistance.

CTPublications

More Bang for Their Buck: Enhancing the Sustainability of Surplus Ammunition Destruction Programs

edited by Joe Farha, Matthias Krotz and Einas Osman Abdalla Mohammed

Dealing with stockpiles of surplus ammunition remains a key challenge for many African countries. In the last 10 years, at least 38 ammunition sites across Africa reportedly experienced unplanned explosions, causing injury and loss of life as well as significant damage to infrastructure and the environment. Numerous reasons such as overstocking, inadequate storage facilities due to insufficient resources, inadequate capabilities of storage sites, or simply unstable ammunition may be the cause of these unplanned detonations. These factors are often exacerbated by personnel having a limited knowledge and awareness, or insufficient training on relevant subjects such as explosive compatibility groups or ammunition life cycles. Regardless of the reasons outlined previously, the destruction of surplus and/or deteriorating ammunition is required as part of a general physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) regime, in particular to reduce the risk of unplanned explosions at ammunitions sites (UEMS).

MBPublications

bicc Posters

UN Hazard Classification Poster

2019-07

bicc Documentaries

DE KTSO_Keep The Safety On

States are unable to counter the threat of weapons and ammunition proliferation alone. Recognizing the value of a regional cooperation approach, BICC, RECSA and MSAG have been training a core group of instructors specialized in simple but effective ways of controlling and managing arms in limited resource environments. After a three year training period, the first batch of Physical Security and Stockpile Management Senior Instructors are now sharing their expertise on weapons and ammunition management within their own countries as well as training armed forces in conflict and armed violence affected regions across the continent. This is their story.