The Directorate of the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence serves as the leadership body of the Centre. It consists of the Director, the Deputy Director & Chief of Staff, and key positions such as the Legal Advisor, the Financial Controller, the Quality Assurance Officer, and the Department Head Officer.
Together, they ensure the strategic direction, operational leadership, and administrative oversight of the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence, fulfilling its mission as NATO’s centre of expertise for Military Police.
Director
The Director is the highest-ranking official at the NATO MP COE, responsible for the strategic development and operational execution of the Centre’s tasks. His main responsibilities include:
- providing strategic leadership and guiding the long-term development of the NATO MP COE,
- representing the Centre in engagements with NATO headquarters, (sponsoring) nations, and international partners,
- ensuring compliance with NATO policies and strategies related to MP,
- overseeing and managing all programs and projects of the Centre,
- ensuring the efficient and effective use of available resources.
Deputy Director & Chief of Staff
The Deputy Director not only serves as the Director’s principal deputy, but also acts as the Chief of Staff, responsible for overseeing the internal processes of the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence. His main responsibilities include:
- supporting strategic planning and assisting in key decision-making processes,
- managing and coordinating internal operations within the Centre,
- ensuring quality and efficiency in daily activities,
- enhancing interoperability between departments and external partners like NATO headquarters, (Sponsoring) Nations, and international partners.
As Chief of Staff, the Deputy Director ensures that all internal processes run smoothly and efficiently, aligning the Centre with its operational and strategic objectives.
Department Head Officer
The Department Head Officer is responsible for coordinating and overseeing education and training requirements on behalf of the Requirement Authority, represented by the Provost Marshal of Allied Command Operations. His responsibilities include:
- identifying and analysing training needs for NATO Military Police forces within the NATO Military Policing Discipline,
- planning and coordinating requested training programs, courses, and development initiatives,
- collaborating with NATO entities to develop training concepts,
- ensuring the quality and relevance of training and education activities,
- aligning training programs with NATO’s operational requirements and priorities.
The Department Head Officer serves as the key liaison between the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence and the Requirement Authority (Provost Marshal Allied Command Operations), ensuring that NATO Military Police forces receive effective and mission-oriented training.
The Department Head Officer’s responsibilities will also include coordinating the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence’s participation in exercises at the Joint Force Training Centre (tactical level) and the Joint Warfare Centre (operational level), in close cooperation with the Provost Marshal of Allied Command Operations.
Legal Advisor
The Legal Advisor provides legal guidance to the Directorate and ensures compliance with legal frameworks. Key responsibilities include:
- advising on NATO regulations, international agreements, and national laws,
- reviewing and drafting contracts, agreements, and internal policies,
- providing guidance on ethical and legal issues in operational matters,
- assessing legal risks and assisting in dispute resolution.
Financial Controller
The Financial Controller is responsible for the financial oversight and budget management of the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence. Key responsibilities include:
- monitoring financial planning and budget execution,
- ensuring compliance with NATO financial regulations and member state contributions,
- providing financial reporting and expenditure analysis,
- supporting the Directorate in financial decision-making.
Quality Assurance Officer
The Quality Assurance Officer ensures that all processes, programs, and activities meet NATO’s highest quality standards. Key responsibilities include:
- implementing and overseeing quality management systems in line with NATO standards,
- conducting audits and assessing internal processes,
- optimizing workflows and promoting continuous improvement,
- supporting operational and administrative units in quality assurance matters.
Collaboration within the Directorate
Through close co-operation and clearly defined responsibilities, the Directorate ensures that the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence effectively fulfils its mission as NATO’s centre of expertise for Military Police. By combining strategic leadership, legal advisory, financial oversight, quality management, and training coordination, the Directorate contributes to the development of NATO Military Police forces and enhances interoperability within the Alliance.
EDUCATION AND TRAINING BRANCH
- Overall description:
The NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence’s Education and Training Branch is responsible for overseeing the development, delivery, and management of educational programs and training initiatives. The Education and Training Branch plays a crucial role in ensuring that Military Police Community of Interest as well as external stakeholders are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary for their duty thus improving the Alliance’s interoperability in the field of Military Police operations.
The Education and Training Branch is central to the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence’s mission to foster learning, skill-building, and professional growth of Military Police Community of Interest. Its role is not only to deliver knowledge but also to continuously enhance the learning environment for all involved.
In the future, the Education and Training Branch will also increasingly support the preparation and conduct of exercises at the tactical and operational levels at the respective NATO training centres.
- Key Tasks include:
In particular, the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence’s Education and Training Branch supports the development of Military Police standards and capabilities through:
- Courses Development: Designing, reviewing, and updating educational content and training materials to meet the needs of learners and align with institutional goals.
- Projects Delivery: Managing and facilitating the implementation of training sessions, courses, workshops, and other learning activities. Which is done through various formats such as in-person, on-line, or hybrid models.
- Assessment and Evaluation: Developing methods to assess the effectiveness of educational programs, ensuring that students and staff achieve desired learning outcomes, and making improvements as needed. Studying and providing all actors with optimal methods, tools and procedures used in the transformation process for planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating.
- Support Service: Providing support for learners, such as tutoring, advising, and resources to help them succeed professionally. Cooperating with other military and civilian Subject Matter Experts to carry out research, simulations, analyses in favour of the Military Police and their counterparts.
- Research and Innovation: Staying up-to-date with trends in education, technology, and industry standards to improve innovative approaches and best practices into the training and learning processes.
- Offered value:
Attending Education and Training activities brings significant value to both the individual Military Police soldier and the organisation as whole.
NATO Military Police soldiers should be prepared for a wide variety of complex, ever evolving Military Police operations. Continuous training helps them refine their skills, leadership, and knowledge, making them more capable in diverse scenarios. As NATO is a coalition of many different countries, each with its own military culture, equipment, and procedures, Education and Training activities help participants to understand and adopt common procedures, terminology, and communication practices that enhance interoperability. This is critical when multiple nations work together in joint operations, ensuring smooth coordination and efficient action. NATO values strong leadership at every level. Educational programs help foster effective leaders who are prepared to make quick, informed decisions in high-pressure environment. Training focuses also on soft skills like decision–making, communication, cultural awareness, managing diverse teams, which are essential for leaders in multinational settings. Military Police operations often involve rapidly changing situations where quick decision–making and strategic thinking is crucial. Through training, courses, NATO Military Police Community of Interest members are prepared to handle crises, think critically under pressure, and work collaboratively across boundaries. Individuals attending the Education and Training activities are provided with opportunities for personal growth. They gain not only essential skills but also broader competences such as teamwork, discipline, and resilience. This helps to improve job satisfaction and morale, while also offering opportunities for career advancement within NATO Military Police or their national Military Police structures. Education and Training activities bring together participants from different nations, fostering mutual understanding and camaraderie. This builds trust and cohesion among people and institutions who might not share the same language, culture, or military traditions but are united by a common purpose. Strong cohesion within NATO Military Police Community of Interest is essential for maintaining the Alliance’s unity and operational success.
In conclusion, the value of attending NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence Education and Training activities for NATO Military Police Community of Interest members is profound. Not only does it improve their individual capabilities and job satisfaction but also strengthens the overall readiness, cohesion, and effectiveness of NATO Military Police Community as an Alliance.
LESSONS LEARNED BRANCH
1. Overall description:
The Lessons Learned Branch is the hub for the Military Police Lessons Learned Community of Interest within NATO and national Military Police-related entities, therefore is committed to exchange information and provide expertise within the various fields of Military Policing Discipline. The NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence’s Lessons Learned Branch’s mission is to perform analysis of operations, training, exercises, and experiments related to Military Police functions and activities throughout the whole spectrum of Military Police-conducted operations. By providing expertise, services and education we support lessons learned capability development inside Military Police Community of Interest as well as facilitate Military Police transformation and modernisation in accordance with the Alliance’s Strategic Concept.
In the future, the Lessons Learned Branch will also increasingly accompany the implementation of exercises at the tactical and operational level at the respective NATO training centres in order to gain observations for the Lessons Learned Process based on the specific and defined information requests.
2. Key Tasks include:
- Organisation of knowledge-sharing events: The Lessons Learned Branch organizes these gatherings annually, ensuring that participants stay informed about the latest developments and innovations in the field. Two key events include:
- Annual Lessons Learned Conference – a conference dedicated to addressing strategic, operational and tactical lessons, enabling Military Police professionals to reflect on past experiences and adapt to new challenges.
- Tactical Lessons Learned Forum – a specialised forum focused on tactical-level insights, offering a space for in-depth discussions on field observations, doctrine development, and operational effectiveness.
- Education of Military Police personnel
LESSONS LEARNED COURSE (MPLLSOC)
NATO Military Policing Discipline requires trained Lessons Learned personnel to efficiently and effectively enhance specialised capabilities within a multinational environment on a daily basis. The MPLLSOC addresses the broad multinational Lessons Learned environment in which Military Police personnel work. Since the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence was granted the unconditional NATO Quality Assurance accreditation, the respective course has been categorised as NATO Approved.
- Publication of key takeaways
The Lessons Learned Branch consistently provides updates on its activities and the outcomes of professional events through a variety of publications, including newsletters, Lessons Identified reports, and bulletins. These publications serve as valuable resources for sharing insights, lessons learned, best practices, and key takeaways from research initiatives, forums and conferences. By documenting and disseminating lessons from past experiences and best practices, the branch contributes to continuous improvement, knowledge sharing.
NATO Lessons Learned Portal Community of Interest
3. Offered value:
By integrating the undertaken efforts, the Lessons Learned Branch strengthens interoperability, enhances operational effectiveness, and contributes to the overall development of Military Police capabilities across NATO and partner nations.
Conferences and forums play a crucial role in fostering professional development, facilitating knowledge exchange, and promoting collaboration among experts and practitioners. These events provide a structured platform for discussing current challenges, sharing Lessons Learned and Best Practices, as well as enhancing interoperability within the military police community of interest.
By bringing together Military Police professionals, subject matter experts, and key stakeholders, Lessons Learned events contribute to the continuous improvement of Military Police functions, strengthening collective environment and co-operation across NATO and partner nations.
STANDARDIZATION AND TRANSFORMATION BRANCH
Overall description:
The Standardization and Transformation Branch is in charge of shaping and refining concepts and doctrine within the Military Police environment, ensuring they remain responsive to dynamic operational demands. By systematically analysing emerging challenges and integrating Lessons Learned, the branch ensures doctrinal alignment with contemporary and future mission requirements. Through rigorous standardization processes, the branch ensures consistency and coherence in Military Police procedures and practices. Additionally, the Standardization and Transformation Branch actively collaborates with key stakeholders to identify capability gaps and implement targeted solutions. Ultimately, Standardization and Transformation efforts contribute to delivering robust, agile, and mission-ready Military Police capabilities that drive operational success in complex environments.
In the future, the Standardization and Transformation Branch will also be increasingly involved in the preparation and conduct of exercises at the tactical and operational levels at the respective NATO training centres in order to support the validation of doctrines and concepts.
- Key Tasks include:
- supporting national and multinational efforts in developing doctrine, publications, standards, procedures, and other documents related to Military Police;
- supporting and contributing to the development and validation of NATO and national policies, doctrine and concepts which require Military Police expertise;
- formulating, reviewing, and recommending new concepts and directions for utilizing within Military Police multinational operational environment;
- supporting the NATO Defence Planning Process cycle to constantly keep the Military Police tool up-to-date and ready to face future challenges.
3. Offered value:
Doctrines serve as a foundational framework that guide decision-making, operational processes, and strategic alignment within any organisation. They provide a cohesive set of principles and standardized procedures that ensure consistency, efficiency, and interoperability across all levels of the organisation. By establishing a common language and unified approach, doctrine enhances coordination and reduces ambiguity in complex operational environment. In a rapidly evolving landscape, doctrines offer a stable reference point, enabling organisations to adapt to new challenges without compromising core values or mission objectives. They facilitate the integration of best practices, lessons learned, and innovative methodologies, driving continuous improvement and operational excellence. Doctrines are also essential for ensuring interoperability and cohesion; they foster a culture of shared understanding, which is critical for achieving strategic goals and maintaining mission readiness. Ultimately, a well-defined doctrine empowers organisations to respond to dynamic environments with agility and precision, delivering consistent and effective results.
SECURITY SUPPORT AND ADMIN BRANCH
The Security Support and Administration Branch is responsible for the main supervision of the security and infrastructure of the NATO Military Police Centre of Excellence. Furthermore, it provides transportation, logistics and IT support during all training sessions and conferences. In addition, this Branch provides assistance to the soldiers of the international component and their families as the framework country.