Afghanistan
The Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) proposal was approved in Brussels by the European Commission (EC) and is now in Kabul with UNDP. The Survey Action Center (SAC) is recruiting a team to be based in Kabul to oversee and monitor the survey. Chris Horwood has been hired as the team leader, Peter Sugden as the operations officer and Gohar Margayan as the admin/finance officer.

Angola
Mike Kendellen, Director for Survey, and Bob Eaton, Executive Director, conducted an Advance Survey Mission from 1-19 October. They were joined by representatives from the U.S. Department of State Office for Humanitarian Demining and the Joint Research Centre from Ispra, Italy. The team met with the Intersectoral National Commission for Demining and Humanitarian Assistance (CNIDAH), mine action NGOs, donors and the UN. Due to the large size and poor infrastructure in Angola this survey will be subcontracted out to NGOs that are already operational in provincial areas. The survey is expected to begin in early 2003 and be completed in December 2004.

Azerbaijan
The SAC training team of Saeed Ahmad and Tom Haythornthwaite completed the senior staff training for supervisors, field editors, and database staff. The process of determining which communities to survey through Expert Opinion Collection (EOC) has begun. A pilot test of the survey instruments will be conducted in November. The International Eurasia Press Fund (IEPF) is the local implementing partner.

Bosnia-Herzegovina
Handicap International opened an LIS office in Sarajevo on 1 October. Office and field survey equipment has been ordered. Senior staff training is scheduled for the third week in January 2003.

Eritrea
Eritrea Demining Authority and the UNDP are working with The Eritrean Solidarity and Cooperation Association, a local NGO, to conduct the LIS. They are currently recruiting supervisory staff. SAC will send a training mission in December.

Ethiopia
The SAC team began senior staff training October 28 which will continue through November 18. The Ethiopian Mine Action Organization and Norwegian People’s Aid began a rapid appraisal for the EOC on October 15.

Somalia
Danish Demining Group completed the training for the survey interviewers. As of the end of October, one hundred twenty-five communities have been surveyed. John Brown, UNMAS/UNOPS Quality Assurance Monitor (QAM) arrived in Hargeisa.

SWG Protocols
UNMAS has arranged funding for SAC to edit the Survey Working Group (SWG) Protocols to a common format and consistent with the International Mine Action Standards. These protocols define the SWG approved process for conducting the LIS. The edited draft will be presented to the SWG for final approval.

Takoma Park
Senior accounting officer Moe Aye delivered a healthy eight pound, 21-inch baby boy on October 30. Congratulations!