Strategic utility of security sector assistance, from a small state perspective

In a world of global interdependent security, the West is increasingly involved in the stability of all regions that could directly or indirectly influence national interests. To this end, security sector assistance (SSA), with its’ perceived favourable effect-to-resource-ratio, has become somewhat of a panacea. For small states, coalition SSA has become the way to pursue own ambitions with military means internationally. But SSA is a difficult task, especially for miniscule contributors with scarce resources. We therefore ask: How can small states achieve the highest yield from their SSA-efforts? From a Norwegian perspective, and focusing on the SOF component, this article provides a practitioner’s view on how to increase the military contribution to strategic utility. Through understanding the wicked problem SSA represents, and adhering to the principles of long-term commitment, vertical implementation, and specialised skillsets, we argue small states might gain a disproportionate advantage allowing them to punch above own weight.