The Sphere Project

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Contents
A. About Sphere
• What is Sphere?
• Where did Sphere originate?
• What does 'Sphere' stand for?
• Is the UN involved with the Sphere Project?
• How does Sphere relate to other Quality & Accountability initiatives?
• How many signatories are there to Sphere and the Humanitarian Charter?
• Governance and Finance: What is the Role of the Sphere Board?
• What is the Role of the Sphere Office in Geneva?

B. The Sphere Handbook

• How was the handbook written?
• What is meant by Sphere's reference to dignity?
• Are the standards universal?
• What is the difference between standards and indicators?
• Why focus on standards when grave issues, such as lack of access to affected populations
or gross violations of protection persist?
• What if the Sphere standards are higher than those of the local population?
• We are just a small organisation, what if we can only reach 50% of the standards?
• Is Sphere useful if my organisation has limited funds?
• Our organisation relies on government funding - will Sphere provide donors with a means
of control?
• What will be addressed in the 2010 version of the Sphere Handbook?
• In what languages is the Sphere Handbook available?
• How do I order a copy of the Handbook?
• How much does the handbook cost and can I get a discount?
• Where does the money from the Sphere Handbook sales go to?

C. Sphere Products and Services

• What other Sphere materials are available?
• Can I translate, reproduce or adapt Sphere materials?
• What Sphere Training is available?
• How can I find out about the next Sphere training / TOT?
• How can I subscribe to the Sphere Newsletter?

D. The Sphere Project and I

• How can I work for Sphere?
• How can I keep abreast of Sphere news?

E. Contact Details
 A. ABOUT SPHERE

What is Sphere?
The Sphere Project was launched in 1997 by a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross
and Red Crescent movement in an effort to improve the quality of assistance provided to people
affected by disaster, and to enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system in disaster
response.
Sphere is based on two core beliefs: first, that all possible steps should be taken to alleviate
human suffering arising out of calamity and conflict, and second, that those affected by disaster
have a right to life with dignity and therefore a right to assistance.

Sphere is three things: a handbook, a broad process of collaboration and an expression of

commitment to quality and accountability. The project has developed several tools, the key one
being the handbook. Visit the sections below for more information.

Where did Sphere originate?

The Sphere Project is designed to be an inclusive, transparent and globally representative
process. Agencies make important contributions to thinking about how Sphere can be applied,
particularly at community level.

Thousands of individuals from hundreds of organisations representing over 80 countries have

participated in various aspects of the Sphere Project from developing and revising the Handbook
through to piloting and training. Agencies and personnel from Africa, Asia and South America
commented on the draft of the Handbook and were involved in the revision processes for the
2002 and 2004 editions.

What does 'Sphere' stand for?

Sphere is NOT an acronym and therefore should not be written in capitals. The word 'Sphere'
(“globe”) was chosen to convey a sense of universality.

Is the UN involved with the Sphere Project?

Many UN technical staff participated in the development of the Minimum Standards, and many of
the references for each chapter are from UN Agencies such as WHO, WFP, UNICEF, UNHCR
and OCHA. Additionally, the UN’s Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) has endorsed the
handbook and called upon all its members (the operational UN agencies) to use the handbook
(IASC WG XLII Meeting, New York, 14-15 September 2000, Summary Record, point 10). Sphere
standards and indicators are also used in the Consolidated Appeal Process (CAP) and in the
new needs assessment framework.

Because of the support it found within the UN, Sphere has become a welcome partner in the
Humanitarian Reform Process, initiated in 2005 to improver inter-agency collaboration and
predicability. Sphere contributed to introducing NGOs into the originally UN-centered process.
All relevant Humanitarian Clusters contributed actively to the 2009 Sphere Handbook Revision
Process.

How does Sphere relate to other Quality & Accountability initiatives?

During the past decade the humanitarian community has initiated a number of inter-agency
initiatives to improve accountability, quality and performance in humanitarian action. Eight of the
most widely known initiatives are the Active Learning Network for Accountability and
Performance in humanitarian action (ALNAP); Coordination SUD; the Emergency Capacity
Building Project (ECB); the Inter-Agency Network on Emergency Education (INEE); Groupe
Urgence, Réhabilitation et Développement (Groupe URD); the Humanitarian Accountability
Partnership International (HAP International); People In Aid; and the Sphere Project. -

Those eight initiatives have agreed a shared vision regarding the ethical responsibility of
humanitarian agencies to respect the dignity of people affected by disasters and to provide
quality assistance. They meet regularly in order to share common issues and harmonise
activities where possible. In particular, HAP and Sphere have carried out joint deployments to
new emergencies, for example to Myanmar in 2008. Lessons learned from this experience will
inform future work together.

For further information please consult our special Q and A page on Quality & Accountability
initiatives. Please also consult the document “Taking the Initiative”, published in 2009 and to be
found on the Sphere homepage under “recommended documents”.

How many signatories are there to Sphere and the Humanitarian Charter?
There are no signatories to the Sphere Project or to its Humanitarian Charter - unlike, for
example, to the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
and NGOs in Disaster Relief. Adherence to the Charter is voluntary. This was decided largely on
the basis that Sphere has no means for following up on implementation. Thus the initiative is
effectively "self-regulatory".

For information on who uses Sphere, and how, please read the Handbook’s introductory chapter
“What is Sphere?” and consult the “Sphere in practice” section on our website.

Governance and Finance – What is the role of the Sphere Board?

The Sphere Board is the body responsible for overseeing the Project. It was initially set up as a
Management Committee, which was transformed into a new governance structure - the Sphere
Board. Following the 2004 consultations on the future of Sphere. It was agreed that Board
members’ contributions would cover the core costs of a project coordinator and office space.

Donor funding is sought for key activities led by the Sphere office, such as learning and training
activities, the management of the interactive website, and the production and promotion of
Sphere materials. The four Office staff positions (apart from the Sphere Project Manager) are
also funded by external donors.
The members of the Sphere Board work together on an entirely voluntary and informal basis.
There is consent that the Board has the potential to provide added value to the humanitarian
system in ways that individual agencies or existing networks could not achieve on their own. The
Sphere Board comprises a maximum of 19 members representing a wide range of NGOs and
NOG families, both national and international, as well as the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Movement.

For the list of Board members, please visit the “who is who” page on the Sphere website. For
further information on the consultation process and on the revision process for the 2010
Handbook edition, please consult the “About Sphere” page.

What is the role of the Sphere Office in Geneva?

Under the direction of the Board, the purpose of the Sphere Office in Geneva is to lead the
implementation of the Sphere vision for improved quality and accountability in the delivery of
humanitarian assistance. The Sphere Project Manager will seek to transform the strategic
direction articulated by the Sphere Board into practice. This role will imply close and constructive
interaction with the Board, and managing the Sphere office to support the effective application of
Sphere around the world.

The ‘core’ of the Sphere Project Office, comprising the position of the Sphere Project Manager
and a small office at the International Federation, is funded by contributions from Board
members. Support for other activities and the staff required to implement them are funded by
donors.

Core outputs of the Sphere office

• Active links with regional and national networks implementing Sphere, to support their work
and contribute to a more comprehensive overview of the use of Sphere globally, and whether
it is meeting its objectives;
• Representation of Sphere to key stakeholders including NGOs, UN agencies, donors,
academic institutions and other quality and accountability initiatives;
• Active promotion of the effective use of Sphere and its contribution to improved quality and
accountability, including maintenance of the existing Sphere Project website.

Outputs of additional activities (depending on funding):

• Based on existing resources, development of an active resource of information about Sphere,
presented in a database accessible through the website, and development of the website to
include an interactive function;
• High quality Sphere materials produced, translated, promoted, and revised as necessary;
• Support to Sphere training activities.
 B. THE SPHERE HANDBOOK

How was the handbook written?

It was a significant collaborative process - never before has there been such extensive and
broad-based consultation in the formation of one disaster response text. The people who
participate in writing and revising the handbook come from national and international NGOs, UN
agencies, and academic institutions. The 2000 edition of the handbook contains a list of all
contributors. Acknowledgements for the 2004 edition are available on the online version of the
handbook only.

What is meant by Sphere’s reference to dignity?

The principle of the right to life with dignity in the Humanitarian Charter is drawn from the United
Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Every person has a different
perception of what dignity means. Life with dignity implies a certain level beyond provision of life-
saving assistance, and is a powerful and important principle for the humanitarian system.
Consequently, participation is essential for people to define a programme that helps them
achieve their right to life with dignity. The importance of participation of the women and men from
the disaster-affected population is reflected throughout the 2004 edition of the Handbook.

Are the standards universal?

Yes - the Minimum Standards are an attempt to describe the level of disaster assistance to which
all people have a right - regardless of political, ethnic or geographical specificity. The standards
define the requirements for life with dignity in relatively general terms, while the indicators attach
either qualitative or quantitative values to associated standards. Together the standards and
indicators usefully inform any aspect of humanitarian action, from assessment to evaluation.

What is the difference between standards and indicators?

The standards are based on the principle that populations affected by disaster have the right to
life with dignity. They are qualitative in nature, and are meant to be universal and applicable in
any operating environment. The key indicators, as measures to the standards, can be qualitative
or quantitative in nature. They function as tools to measure the impact of processes used and
programmes implemented. Without them, the standards would be little more than statements of
good intent, difficult to put into practice.

Why focus on standards when grave issues, such as lack of access to affected
populations or gross violations of protection persist?
The Sphere Project was initiated for the specific purpose of improving the quality and
accountability of humanitarian response. Its scope and limitations must be acknowledged and
clearly understood. However, standards are a key component of an accountability framework.
Although Sphere was never intended to address problems of access, for example due to political
or conflict-related restrictions, it does provide a tool to raise the awareness that all populations
are entitled to the same services, whether they are affected by conflict or natural calamity.

What if the Sphere standards are higher than those of the local population?
In countries where the vulnerability to disasters is high and/or where there is widespread poverty,
humanitarian aid providers may find that local populations live below the Minimum Standards
everyday. However, the disaster-affected population may initially need more resources to survive
as their coping strategies have been severely diminished and their health may be weakened
through trauma and a lack of sufficient food or clean water.
As the guidance notes in the 2004 edition highlight, programmes must be designed with local
conditions in mind. Additionally, the Sphere Minimum Standards can usefully demonstrate the
minimum level that should be available for all people all of the time. The chapter “What is
Sphere?” states that “it is recognised that in many cases not all of the indicators and standards
will be met – however, users of this book should strive to meet them as well as they can. In the
initial phase of a response, for examople, prioviding basic facilities for all the affected population
may be more important than reaching the Minimum Standards and indicators for only a
proportion of the population.” (English Handbook p. 14).

This Handbook does not give solutions to each problem. Rather, it provides a starting point, with
consensus-based standards and indicators derived from years of experience and good practice.
It will never replace aid workers’ common sense!

We are just a small organization, what if we can reach the Standards only
partially?
Standards require a mix of indicators (quantitative and qualitative) in order to be accurately
measured. Some indicators may not be attainable in a given context. This does not necessarily
mean that the organization is inefficient or irresponsible; however, the organization should be
able to explain the gap between the indicators listed in the handbook and the ones reached in
actual practice. One aspect of accountability entails explaining this gap; working towards
reaching the minimum standards implies working towards better quality in the programmes a
humanitarian actor is conducting.

Furthermore, the Handbook covers a very wider range of Minimum Standards. No one
organisation is meant to fulfill them all. Rather, each organisation should focus on the Standards
that relate to their expertise and, according to Common Standard 3 (“Response”), coordinate its
response with other agencies.

Is Sphere useful if my organization has limited funds?

Yes - Sphere is useful in two ways for organizations with a limited budget. First, many aspects of
the Standards define good practices without requiring additional expense. For example, many of
the process standards covering assessments, analysis and participation do not require much
additional expenditure, rather a better understanding of good quality humanitarian work. Second,
the Humanitarian Charter, together with the Standards, can be used to lobby for funding. They
help quantify what is needed to work towards life with dignity, making them a powerful advocacy
tool.

Our organization relies on government funding – will Sphere provide donors with
a means of control?
In a context where all NGOs depend on donor funding and where donors increasingly base
funding on evaluations of agencies’ performance, funding is fraught with political hazards. But
the Sphere standards pose no greater opportunity for misuse by donors than any other funding
criteria. Ideally the establishment of Sphere standards as a coherent and objective set of funding
criteria would help displace idiosyncratic and/or politically motivated decisions. Additionally,
agencies can use the Minimum Standards to advocate for increased funding.

What will be addressed in the 2010 edition of the Sphere Handbook?

As was the case with the 2004 Handbook, the revision process for the 2010 edition will bring to
the forth developments in humanitarian practice since the previous revision. Input and feedback
from practitioners in the field, national and international NGOs, the Red Cross & Red Crescent
Movement, UN agencies, donor and government ministries and academic institutions will be
gathered by numerous focal points. All four technical chapters will be updated (currently, those
chapters are Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion, Food Security, Nutrition and
Food Aid, Shelter, Settlement and Non-food Items, Health Services). Cross-cutting themes will
again include protection, gender, children, older people, disabled people, HIV/AIDS and the
environment. Additionally, climate change and disaster risk reduction will be considered. Other
tools, such as for example the INEE Minimum Standards for Emergency Education in
Emergencies, Chronic Crises and Early Reconstruction, will be referenced throughout the
Handbook.

As with the previous ones, the current Handbook revision represents an extensive collaborative
effort that reflects the collective will and shared experience of the humanitarian community, and
its determination to improve on current knowledge in humanitarian assistance programmes.

In which languages is the Sphere Handbook available?

Although the Sphere Handbook was compiled and written in English, contributions were provided
from all over the world. In order to acknowledge this and to enable the use of Sphere globally,
the Sphere Handbook has been translated into a number of different languages.

The Sphere Project Office has directly coordinated the translation and production of the 2004
Handbook in French, Spanish, Arabic and Russian. The 2000 Edition was translated by the
Sphere Project Office into Arabic, French, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Swahili.
However, most of the translated versions of the Handbook have been produced spontaneously in
response to local demands. The 2000 edition was translated into over 20 languages, including
Chinese, Indonesian, Turkish and Urdu. The 2004 edition currently exists in Arabic, Assamese,
Azeri, Bahasa, Bengali, Chinese, Croatian, Darsi, Farsi, French, Hindi, Japanese, Korean,
Malayalam, Marathi, Nepali, Pashtu, Russian, Sinhala, Somali, Spanish, Tamil, Telegu, Urdu and
Vietnamese.

For further information on the languages in which the Sphere Handbook is available please
consult our website.

If you are interested in translating the Sphere Handbook into your national or local language,
please contact the Office at: info@sphereproject.org.; also, please consult the translation
guidelines.

How do I order a copy of the Handbook?

Please note that the Sphere Project Office does NOT distribute the Sphere Handbook. To order
copies of the Handbook in English, Spanish or French, please contact a distributor near you.

Practical Action Stylus Publishing LLC (for orders from

(for materials in Eng, Fr, Sp, Russian and US only)
Portuguese): 22883 Quicksilver Drive,
c/o BEBC Distribution Sterling, VA 20166-2012- USA
www.developmentbookshop.com Tel. +1 (0) 800 232 0223
and search for “Sphere Handbook” Fax. +1 703 661 1547
or email: Email: styluspub@presswarehouse.com
publishinginfo@practicalaction.org.uk
Intermón Oxfam (for materials in Spanish Books for Change (for orders for India,
only) Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan,
Erika Sánchez - Comunicació Editorial Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the
C/Roger de Llúria, 15 Maldives only):
08010 - Barcelona Shoba Ramachandran (Publisher and Chief
Tel. : +34 93 482 08 09 Editor at Books for Change):
Fax: +34 93 482 07 07 shoba.ram@actionaid.org 139 Richmond
Email: esanchez@IntermonOxfam.org Road, Bangalore 560 025, Karnataka, India
Ph: +91-80-25580346
Fax: +91-80-25586284
Dar Al- Shorok (for materials in Arabic
only)
Email: shorokjo@nol.com.jo
www.shorok.com

There are also Oxfam’s local distributors in different parts of the world. For a comprehensive list,
please check the “how to order” page on our website.
The Handbook is also available in its entirety on our website.

How much does the Handbook cost and can I get a discount?

Regular Orders
From Practical Action
The Sphere Handbook costs £11.95. Postage/package must be added according to weight and
speed of delivery. Please allow ONE MONTH for delivery if you want to avoid expensive
delivery costs!

From Stylus Publishing LLC

The Sphere Handbook costs $19.00. Postage/package must be added as follows: $5.00 for the
first book, $1.00 for each additional book.

From Intermón Oxfam

The Sphere Handbook costs €15.00. Postage/package must be added as follows:
Spain - €3 for 1-4 copies, €5 for 5-10 copies, €7 for 11-20 copies
Europe – €7.5 per every 2 copies.
Latin America - €11 per every 2 copies

From Books for Change

Indian Rupees 210 for individual sales (Postage/package must be added)

From Dar Al-Shorok

USD $17.00 (Postage/package must be added)

Discounts and complimentary copies

Oxfam Press and Stylus discounts are available on orders of 20 or more items (Handbook or
other, independently from language) for humanitarian, non-profit organisations only. The
discount price per Handbook is £5/+ postage/package.

With Books for Change, a 50% bulk discount for orders over 50 and a 30% discount for 25 to 50
copies is applied for humanitarian, non-profit organisations.
Alternatively please check whether local reproductions of the Handbook are available in your
region, as these are usually cheaper.

The Sphere Project Office holds a small stock of Handbooks reserved for the occasional
distribution of complimentary copies to local humanitarian NGOs with very limited financial
resources. If you think your organisation falls into this category and would like to obtain a copy of
the Handbook, please write to: info@sphereproject.org

Where does the money from the Sphere Handbook sales go to?
No profit is made from selling the Sphere Handbook. The money raised by the sales is used to
pay our distributors and to cover reprint costs of all language versions produced by the Sphere
Office.

C. Sphere Products and Services

What other Sphere materials are available?

The Sphere Office has produced a range of different materials other than the Sphere Handbook
that can be used alongside it for further dissemination and training:
- Sphere Training Pack
- Sphere Orientation Film (DVD-45min)
- Sphere Introductory Video (9min)
- Sphere quarterly Newsletter
- Sphere Brochure

On our website, you will find a complete list of available materials, including prices and ordering
details.

The Sphere Office is not the only producer of Sphere materials; Sphere users around the world
produce their own, locally adapted, tools and materials. For more information on these, please
consult our Sphere in Practice page.

Can I translate, reproduce or adapt Sphere materials?

Sphere encourages the translation, reproduction and adaptation of the Handbook and other
Sphere materials where necessary, as this is seen as an important way of disseminating Sphere
and of ensuring ownership at the local level.
Nonetheless, a number of procedures need to be respected, particularly acknowledgement of the
authorship of the Sphere Project. If you are interested in translating the Sphere Handbook into
your national/local language, please contact the Office at: info@sphereproject.org.
Also, please consult the translation guidelines.

What Sphere Training is available?

Sphere training originally took the form of 3-4 day inter-agency workshops. In 2002 a shift was
made by the Project to focusing on 8-day Training of Trainers courses (ToTs), with a view to
developing a pool of trainers who would use their acquired skills to organise Sphere workshops.
For a list of people who have participated in a Sphere ToT, consult the “who is who” section on
our website.

Sphere training used to be organised exclusively by the Sphere Project Office. However, with
Sphere now widely disseminated, training on Sphere is now led by a wide variety of
organisations throughout the world. To find out more about training activities run by others,
please visit the “training news” page on the training section of the Sphere website.

An on-line database of active Sphere trainers will soon provide a user-friendly tool to find people
around the world with experience delivering Sphere training, workshops and learning activities. It
will also allow trainers to create and update their own training profile.

How can I find out about the next Sphere training / ToT?
All Sphere trainings are announced in advance on the website. A notice is also circulated
through our list-serve.
In the events calendar on the website you will also find information on Sphere training and
learning opportunities run by others worldwide.

How can I subscribe to the Sphere Newsletter?

If you would like to receive an electronic version of the Sphere newsletter, please send an email
to: lyris@lyris.ifrc.org with the subject line saying: “subscribe sphere-newsletter-english”. If you
would like to receive it in French, please type in the subject line: “subscribe sphere-newsletter-
french”, or in Spanish: “subscribe sphere-newsletter-spanish”.

D. THE SPHERE PROJECT AND I

How can I work for Sphere?

The Sphere Project Office consists of a small team based in Geneva, Switzerland, and therefore
does not have the means to provide internships. Vacancies are rare and are advertised when
they occur on the website. Occasionally, the Sphere Office locally recruits interns to carry out
specific tasks to support the office. Other specific tasks such as translation, research and training
are carried out by external consultants.

However, the Sphere Office is not the only way to work with Sphere. A great variety of
institutions work with Sphere throughout the world, from local NGOs to international
organizations. Further information on Sphere focal points in a number of countries can be found
under our Sphere in Practice page.

How can I keep abreast of Sphere news?

A Sphere Newsletter is prepared four times a year; it is posted on our website.
See above on how to subscribe to our Newsletter & listserve. Sphere-related news are also
circulated through the list serve. For any further information on Sphere, you can write to:
info@sphereproject.org.
E. CONTACT DETAILS

THE SPHERE PROJECT OFFICE

Postal Address Visiting Address

Sphere Project Sphere Project
P.O. Box 372 17, chemin des Crêts
CH - 1211 Geneva 19 CH-1209 Geneva
Switzerland

Tel: +41 22 730 4501 www.sphereproject.org

Fax: +41 22 730 4905
info@sphereproject.org