Demonstrate Respect, Humility, & Empathy
- Respect – for what is there and why it is there, including capacity and systems
- Humility – the quality of being modest, deferential, or self-effacing, and never being arrogant, contemptuous, or rude
- Empathy – the ability to understand people in their context and see through their eyes without needing to refer to our own culture
Support Local Ownership
The host country must drive its own development needs and priorities even if transitional authority is in the hands of outsiders.
Design for Sustainability
The advisor helps create a country capacity that will remain in place and effective after the advisor departs, taking into consideration the local standards and availability of funding, technology, training, and education.
Do No Harm
Any intervention carries the risk of doing more harm than good. Practitioners should proceed with programs only after careful consideration and widespread consultation. The giving of assistance and resources inevitably affects the distribution of power and wealth and can create tensions if careful attention is not given to how they are allocated and delivered. The concept also applies to institutions sharing the same space in building security. Even if there is no imperative to coordinate or work together, institutions in the field should be sensitive to the activities of others and not undercut or undermine them.
The Guiding Principles of Advising were developed by the OSD Directorate for Training Readiness and Strategy and the U.S. Institute of Peace.