Provision of essential cooperation and information services on safety  security and access to humanitarian aid organizations in Somalia The NGO safety program was established in 2004 to support NGOs operating in Somalia in terms of staff safety. In this complex context, NGOs face strong challenges related to access and security, including: a lack of understanding of the context difficulty to access and to verify information a lack of information sharing a lack of security coordination and harmonized security practices poor security awareness of staff and a lack of training opportunities. This safety platform is managed since April 2015 by INSO.

In response to and following the guidance of an Advisory Board (which is composed of 5 INGOs: PAH, TROCAIRE, IRC, ACTED, and ACF and 2 LNGOs: CPD and GREDO), the project focuses on two main pillars of action which can be summarized as Information, Analysis and Advice, and Preparedness and Response. The two pillars are strongly interconnected: NGOs need accurate and timely security information to base their decisions on, while they need the proper safety training and preparation to organize and take relevant security decisions. Finally, in case an incident takes place, NGOs receive adequate support. Information is shared on ad hoc basis daily or several times a day as alerts if the security incident requires the immediate action of NGOs and scheduled products are sent every week, every fortnight and every quarter
Through INSO’s own network of Deputy Safety Advisors and Safety Advisor assistants (all INSO staff have their own network to source information as they are very close to the community and in contact with a wide range of local actors), NGO reports, collaboration with other security actors and media follow up, INSO collects, verifies, compiles and analyses security incidents. Besides, since 2010, the project has developed a database of more than 60,000 incidents that constitutes a unique tool for data analysis. The INSO Training Team runs training programs which targets both individual safety and management of the organization's security. Finally, INSO field teams help NGOs on the ground to deal with daily security incidents, such as arrests, accidents, and threats, while the INSO senior management team can provide support to critical incidents such as kidnappings, abductions, and medical evacuations. The extent of INSO involvement is determined by the NGO who requests our services.

Due to the peculiar mandate and mission of INSO, its Hargeisa office has a dual role, both as coordination hub and implementer of core INSO activities (such as roundtables, individual briefings, and production of maps and reports). Likewise, senior management team members (including the Country Director) are highly involved in the direct delivery of our services: they are not just managers but also direct implementers in their role as advisors to partner NGOs.
The project budget leans heavily on HR costs because the project’s core product is knowledge. That’s in essence what INSO’s beneficiaries receive. When the main output of an organization is information, the organization core cost is HR – same as. an online newspaper or a management consulting firm.