EXIT COURSE

Humanitarian Basics
23% COMPLETE
1. PART 1: ESSENTIAL CONTENT
1. Course Introduction
2. Global Humanitarian Context and the History of Humanitarianism
3. Types of Humanitarian Emergencies
4. Principles and Standards Supporting Humanitarian Work
2. PART 2: THE SCENARIO
1. Scenario and Team Introductions
2. Team Updates
3. Focus Group Meeting
4. Team Dinner Update (1)
5. Monitoring Trip 1
6. Monitoring Trip 2
7. Conversing with a Colleague
8. Team Dinner Update (2)
9. Course Summary
Section 1 - Course Introduction
Section 2 of 13
Global Humanitarian Context and the History of Humanitarianism

SECTION 2
Humanitarianism is an old idea. Its central belief that one should help save lives and alleviate
the suffering of crisis-affected people is rooted in all major religious traditions around the
world.

The Global Humanitarian Context

It is the role of the international humanitarian community, and humanitarians like you, to
support, empower, and promote locally-led responses to help crisis-affected communities
survive, recover, and eventually thrive in the face of serious challenges such as: Food
insecurity including the resurgence of famine, Forced displacement, Armed Conflict, Cycles
of recurring and protracted crises worsened by COVID-19 and climate change.

Global Trends

While each crisis is unique and demands that humanitarians invest the time and effort to fully
understand the local context, it is helpful to understand some global trends that could apply in
the situations in which you are likely to respond.

Click the plus signs to learn more.

Armed Conflict
–
 Conflicts are continuing longer than in the past and violence persists
in many societies year after year
 Most people in need of humanitarian assistance reside in situations of
protracted crisis, which are defined as countries for which the United
Nations has launched a coordinated appeal at least five years in a row
Changes in Warfare
–
 Civilians, rather than soldiers, bear the brunt of conflict-related
violence
 A proliferation of less structured, armed actors that are frequently
belligerents include...
o Organized criminal gangs
o Extremist organizations designated as “terrorists”
o Private security companies
 Wars involve a complex web of allies and partners that dilute
responsibility. This reinforces a trend of denying responsibility for
violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and creating a
climate of impunity
Urbanization
–
 An increasing number of crisis-affected people are found in the
world’s cities
 Today’s wars are also more often fought in urban areas, with
devasting impacts on civilian infrastructure like water and sanitation
systems
Forcibly Displaced Persons
orcibly Displaced Persons
–
 The number of forcibly displaced persons continues to rise
 Long-term (durable) solutions to their flight remain difficult to
achieve
 Opportunities for resettlement to a third country, to repatriate to their
country of origin, or to legally integrate into their current host
country are few and decreasing
 The decline of safe and legal migration pathways and the hardening
of borders have also made the act of seeking asylum more and more
challenging
 There are more people displaced within their own countries
(internally displaced persons-IDPs) than refugees who cross an
international border
Climate Change
–
 Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency and intensity
of natural disasters
 Disasters are likely to become worse in the future
 Floods, infectious disease outbreaks, and heatwaves will become
more unpredictable
Humanitarian system
The humanitarian system that exists today is relatively recent and, as the history of
humanitarianism section showed, is of distinctly European origin.
Exactly what is meant by the term “humanitarian system” is up for debate
and some people even question whether it really exists at all.

ALNAP (Active Learning Network for Accountability and Performance in Humanitarian

Action) provides this widely accepted definition...

“The network of inter-connected institutional and operational entities that receive funds,
directly or indirectly from public donors and private sources, to enhance, support or
substitute for in-country responses in the provision of humanitarian assistance and protection
to a population in crisis.”

Humanitarian Actors

Humanitarian actors share common goals, norms, and principles and are operationally or
financially related to each other.

Click the cards to view the actors.

Other Actors: There are other actors that play critical roles in humanitarian response
that may work with, in support of, or contrary to the goals of humanitarian actors. They may
have different funding mechanisms and objectives (that may/may not be humanitarian).

These actors include:

 National and international militaries and civil defense groups
 Development actors
 Private sectors
 Diaspora groups
 Civil society, faith-based, or spontaneous volunteer or mutual aid groups that do not
have an explicitly humanitarian function
 Media
 Academia

Responding to Humanitarian Emergencies

Most of the assistance received at the start of an emergency comes from local communities:
families, neighbors, fellow citizens, or religious organizations.

Depending on the scale of the crisis, national and international humanitarian responders
may get involved.

Click the plus sign to learn more about a national government's role.
National Government
 Has primary responsibility for responding to humanitarian
emergencies
 Can allow or prohibit international humanitarian agencies from
operating in the country
  If no functioning government exists or the government lacks the
necessary capacity to respond, they may request international
assistance

In certain cases, the international community has intervened to provide

assistance without explicit government consent under a concept referred to
as the “Responsibility to Protect (R2P).” Such cases are rare and not
without great controversy. They have occurred when host governments
have:
 Engaged in grave human rights abuses
 Been implicated in mass atrocities
 Actively obstructed the delivery of humanitarian aid

Humanitarian Coordination
National and international humanitarian response should be coordinated to address the most
urgent needs of the affected population.
Coordination improves the effectiveness of the response by reducing gaps and limiting
overlaps in the assistance being delivered.

The Cluster System

International humanitarian response is coordinated by the United Nations Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) on the basis of United Nations General
Assembly Resolution 46/182. Since 2005 humanitarian coordination has utilized the Cluster
System which is now a core part of any crisis response.

Clusters cover 11 technical sectors whose response efforts are managed by groups of UN and
non-UN organizations.

Click the cards to learn several goals of the cluster system.

Click the check marks to learn about each cluster and its lead organization
1. Health (WHO)
2.
The Principles of Partnership (POP)

Practicing good partnership is essential to the effective and successful coordination of

humanitarian response. The POP guide the way all organizations involved in humanitarian
response engage with each other.

Equality
Ensuring mutual respect regardless of size and power
Transparency
Engaging in dialogue with an emphasis on early consultation and early information sharing
Results-Oriented Approach
Humanitarian action should be reality-based and action-oriented
Responsibility
Each organization has an ethical obligation to the other to accomplish their tasks responsibly
and with integrity
Complementarity
Diversity is an asset and each organization’s comparative advantages should complement
each other’s contributions

Challenges to Humanitarian Action

These are some of the persistent challenges to humanitarian action.

 Coordination of Assistance
Lack of coordination between and among governments and humanitarian agencies is a big
challenge and criticism of the system.

 Lack of Funding

Generally, there is not enough money to meet everyone’s needs. Many UN emergency
appeals are significantly underfunded. The people in charge of aid efforts (government
officials, NGO and UN managers, and community leaders) must make hard decisions about
who gets help.

 Lack of Security

The risks humanitarians face in the field have increased.

National aid workers (those working in their home countries) are at greatest risk of attack.
State and non-state armed actors engaged in conflict with political, religious, strategic, or
ideological objectives have committed most of the major attacks.

Common criminals attacking for economic or opportunistic objectives is also a large risk to
humanitarians. In fact, such acts of violence surpassed conflict-related attacks on
humanitarians in 2020.

SOURCE | Aid Worker Security Report 2021: Crime Risks and Responses in Humanitarian
Operations

Accountability of Aid

Humanitarians must coordinate with local people to make sure their assistance meets the most
urgent needs in ways that are respectful of local customs and culture. Their feedback should
be incorporated into program designs and decisions. Typically this has been a challenge.

Localization

International humanitarian action should build on local capacities and empower local state,
civil society, and private sector actors.

Calls to decolonize humanitarian aid and shift the balance of power and funding away from
organizations in the global north to the global south reflect a recognition that the current
system is deeply unequal.

Keeping Aid Independent and Neutral

If humanitarians are believed to be the instruments of military or political actors, then their
work (and safety) can be put at risk. They aim to keep their efforts separate from political or
military goals of non-humanitarian actors. This can be difficult when military forces are
involved in disaster responses or belligerents view any aid to their enemies as providing an
unfair advantage to them.

SECTION 3
A humanitarian emergency is an event(s) that results in a serious, negative impact on the
health, safety, security, and overall function of a community as well as overwhelms its
capacity to cope and respond.
Emergencies are grouped into 3 categories. Click the plus signs to learn more.

NATURALLY OCCURRING
Natural hazards are naturally occurring physical phenomena.
Examples:
Geophysical (from the earth)
 Earthquakes
 Volcanic eruptions

Hydrological (caused by water movement)

 Floods
 Storm surges

Climatological (caused by climate)

 Droughts
 Extreme temperatures
 Wildfires

Meteorological (caused by weather)

 Storms
 Cyclones
 Hurricanes

Biological (caused by living organisms, toxic substances, disease)

 Epidemics
 Pandemics

MAN-MADE

Man-made hazards are events caused by humans.

 Armed conflicts
 Widespread, systemic criminal violence
 State or economic collapse
 Plane/train crashes
 Fires, industrial accidents, pollution
 Environmental degradation
 Nuclear accidents

COMPLEX
–
A complex humanitarian emergency (CHE) has been defined by the UN High Commissioner
for Refugees as a crisis...

“Where there is a total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or

external conflict and which requires an international response that goes beyond the mandate
or capacity of any single agency and/or the ongoing UN country program."

Characteristics of CHE:
 Large-scale violence, death, and displacement of populations
 Extensive damage to the society and its economy
 Obstruction or denial of humanitarian assistance by one or more parties to the conflict
 Significant security risks for humanitarians
  Rapid involvement of very large numbers of local, national, and international
humanitarian actors
 High levels of food insecurity
 Populations with high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change

Level 3 Humanitarian System-Wide Emergency Response

 When a humanitarian situation suddenly and significantly changes in scale or urgency
such that existing emergency response capacities are overwhelmed
 Designated by the UN
 The entire humanitarian community must...
o Escalate its collective response and resources
o Establish enhanced coordination and leadership capacities
 Examples:
o Crises in Afghanistan, Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine
o COVID-19 pandemic

Onset of Emergencies
Humanitarian emergencies can have a rapid or slow onset.

Rapid onset

Crises brought about by catastrophic, sudden events that create destruction through immediate
physical impacts.
Examples:
 Tsunami
 Hurricane
 Earthquake

Slow Onset

 Crises brought about by an event that emerges over time

 Often caused by the interaction of several different events
 Create hardship through their social and economic impacts over a long period of time

Examples:

 Drought
 Desertification
 Sea level rise

Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR)

Predicting exactly when or where a rapid or slow onset emergency will occur is sometimes
difficult. Yet, action can be taken to limit the risks they pose to a community or mitigate the
resulting harm.

The humanitarian community is dedicating more attention to the mitigation of and

preparedness for emergencies, yet work remains to be done.
DRR aims to prevent new and reduce existing disaster risks by contributing to the resilience
of a community.

The disaster cycle shows the major phases that come before and after an emergency.
Your focus is primarily on the two phases that follow an emergency - response and recovery.

SECTION 4- Principles and Standards Supporting Humanitarian Work

Humanitarian organizations rely on several key principles and standards that guide and
support their work.

The Sphere Project and Sphere Handbook

The Sphere Project (Sphere) is part of several initiatives, The Humanitarian Standards
Partnership, working to improve the quality and accountability of humanitarian action.

The Sphere Handbook encompasses the:

• Sphere Standards

• Humanitarian Charter

• Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS)

The handbook has become the most widely known and internationally recognized set of
common principles and minimum standards for humanitarian response.

Minimum Standards and Sphere Standards

Minimum Standards

Humanitarian standards are statements that describe the sets of actions needed so that crisis-
affected people can enjoy their basic right to receive protection and assistance and to ensure
the conditions for life with dignity.

They were developed by practitioners from various areas of technical expertise and based on
evidence, experience, and learning.
Sphere Standards
Sphere standards are a set of principles and minimum standards in 4 technical

areas of humanitarian response:

Water supply, sanitation, and hygiene promotion (WASH)
Food security and nutrition
Shelter and settlement
Health

The standards provide key indicators against which successful achievement of the standard
can be monitored and assessed.

Water Supply Standard 2.1: Access and Water Quantity

People have equitable and affordable access to a sufficient quantity of safe water to meet their
daily drinking and domestic needs.

Some of the key indicators established for this standard are:

1. There is a minimum of 15 liters of water per person per day for drinking and domestic
hygiene
2. 5% or less of a household’s income is used to buy water for drinking and domestic
hygiene
3. The distance from any household to the nearest waterpoint is less than 500 meters

Must You Meet All Sphere Standards?

Conforming with Sphere does NOT mean meeting all the standards and indicators. At times,
various factors such as access to the affected population or lack of cooperation from
authorities may make this impossible. Standards always need to be applied in the context of
the situation.

Example

The amount of water needed for domestic use is context-based and may vary based on factors
as climate and local cooking customs. Therefore, the required amount of liters per person per
day can be exceeded to conform with local standards when that standard is higher.

The Humanitarian Charter

The Humanitarian Charter is the cornerstone of the Sphere Handbook. It contains the
principles that guide the behavior of humanitarian organizations. The charter states that crisis-
affected populations have the right to:

 Life with dignity

 Humanitarian assistance
 Protection and security

By respecting and upholding these rights, humanitarian programs help to protect the safety
and dignity of those being assisted.
Click the plus signs for a summary of key elements of the charter which all humanitarians
endorse.
Right to Assistance and Protection

Crisis-affected persons have a right to receive protection and assistance to ensure the basic
conditions of life with dignity.

Minimizing Negative Effects

–
 Attempts to provide humanitarian assistance may have unintended adverse effects.
 Collaborating with communities and authorities helps minimize the negative effects of
humanitarian action on the local community/environment.

Affected Population at the Center of Humanitarian Action

–
 Ensuring the active participation of crisis-affected persons is essential to providing
assistance that best meet their needs. Fundamental accountability must be to them.
 Supporting local efforts to prevent, prepare for, and respond to disasters and the
effects of conflict is crucial.
 Reinforcing the capacities of local actors at all levels is vital.

Humanity and the Humanitarian Imperative

–
Affirming the...
 Fundamental moral principle of humanity: all human beings are born free and
equal in dignity and rights.
 Humanitarian imperative: action must be taken to prevent or alleviate human
suffering due to disaster or conflict, and nothing should override this principle.

Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS)

Humanitarians are motivated by the intrinsic need to respond to emergencies and alleviate
suffering. The Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS) sets
out 9 Commitments that humanitarians can use to improve the quality and effectiveness of
the response. Communities and people impacted by an emergency are the focus of CHS.

As humanitarians, we must attempt to:

1. Understand and meet your needs.
2. Give support when you need it.
3. Provide support that helps you to recover and prepares you to respond to a similar
emergency in the future. We should not harm you.
4. Inform you about the support you can expect and how you should be treated. We will
do our best to give you a say in decisions about the support provided.
5. Ensure that you can report problems if you are unhappy with the support we provide
or with the way our staff treats you. No one should harm you if you make a
complaint. We will take action in response to complaints.
6. Work together with other organizations that provide support. We try to combine our
knowledge and resources to better meet your needs.
7. Learn from experience so that the support we give you improves over time.
8. Ensure that the people who work for us have the skills and experience to support you.
 9. Manage resources in a way that is responsible, limits waste, and has the best result.
Resources include money, materials, etc. used to support people affected by an
emergency.

SOURCE | https://corehumanitarianstandard.org/files/files/CHS_Plain_Language_English.pdf

Sphere Protection Principles

In the humanitarian context, protection is concerned with the safety, dignity, and rights of
people affected by disaster or armed conflict.

The principles support the rights set out in the Humanitarian Charter:

 Right to life with dignity

 Right to humanitarian assistance
 Right to protection and security

Click the plus signs to review the 4 protection principles which apply to all humanitarian
actions and actors.

Principles 1
Enhance the safety, dignity, and rights of people, and avoid exposing them to harm.
Principle 2
Ensure people’s access to assistance, according to need and without discrimination.
Principle 3
Assist people to recover from the physical and psychological effects of threatened or actual
violence, coercion, or deliberate deprivation.
Principle 4
Help people claim their rights.

Finding Balance

Striking a realistic and safe balance between assistance and protection activities can be
challenging.

The Sphere Handbook acknowledges ‘speaking out’ against abuses and the need to maintain
an operational presence may cause tension. This may dictate whether and how agencies can
undertake advocacy on a given issue.

The Principle of Do No Harm (Conflict Sensitive Programming)

In the early 1990s, international and local NGOs came together through the Do No Harm
project to learn more about assisting people in conflict situations without making those
conflicts worse.

The basic lessons of the Do No Harm project highlight that:

Assistance always becomes part of the context in which it is given

Conflict situations are characterized by Dividers and Connectors

Dividers are factors that divide people and increase tensions.

 Connectors are factors that connect people and reduce tensions.
What is The Goal of DNH?

The goal is to help aid workers understand how their actions can either increase or decrease
conflict.

What can you do to adopt a conflict-sensitive approach? Click the cards to find out.
Understand the context in which you operate
Understand the interaction between your program and that context
Apply this knowledge to avoid negative impacts and maximize positive impacts

Code of Conduct and Humanitarian Principles

Code of Conduct
The Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs
in Disaster Relief is a voluntary code to help signatory agencies deliver principled and
effective humanitarian action.

Adherence to the code is an important way for organizations to define themselves as

humanitarians.

Click play to watch the video.

Play Video
Review the humanitarian principles shown in the video.

1. The Humanitarian Imperative comes first. The prime motivation of response to

disaster is to alleviate human suffering
2. Aid is given regardless of the race, creed, or nationality of the recipients and without
adverse distinction of any kind. Aid priorities are calculated on the basis of need
alone
3. Aid will not be used to further a particular political or religious standpoint
4. Every effort will be made to not act as instruments of government foreign policy
5. Always respect culture and custom
6. Always attempt to build disaster response on local capacities
7. Involve crisis-affected people in the management of relief aid
8. Relief aid must strive to reduce future vulnerabilities to disaster as well as meet basic
needs
9. Be accountable to both those we seek to assist and those from whom we accept
resources
10. Always recognize disaster victims as dignified humans, not hopeless objects within
your information, publicity, and advertising activities

Humanitarian Principles

Humanitarian principles typically refer to the first 4 principles of the Code of Conduct.
They...

 Form the ethical framework of the humanitarian system

 Provide the foundation for what it means for actions to be considered “humanitarian”
  Recognized by the UN General Assembly resolutions 46/182 and 58/114 and are
reflected in the Humanitarian Charter and the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)

Click the plus signs to examine each.

Humanity

 Human suffering must be addressed wherever it is found.

 The purpose of humanitarian action is to protect life and health and ensure respect for
human beings.
Impartiality

 Humanitarian action must be provided solely upon need.

 Priority goes to the most urgent cases of distress and making no distinctions on the
basis of...
o Nationality
o Race
o Gender
o Religious belief
o Class
o Political opinions

Neutrality

Humanitarian actors must not participate in hostilities or engage in controversies of a

political, racial, religious, or ideological nature.

Independence

Humanitarian action must be separate from the political, economic, military, or other
objectives that actors may hold related to areas where humanitarian action is being
implemented.

Yet...Different Interpretations Exist

Not all organizations understand, interpret, or agree with the humanitarian principles in the
same way or in every crisis context.

Example | Neutrality

An agency with a strong poverty relief mandate may NOT fully endorse the principle of
neutrality. As a result, they may...

 View speaking out against unjust systems of oppression or inequality as central to

their work.
 Take a political position that calls out actors perceived to be causing such harm.

Example | Independence

Humanitarian agencies also approach funding differently. Some...

  Accept donations from governments, including those whose military forces are
belligerents in the conflict settings where the agency operates
 Refuse or limit the amount of government assistance they take

The extent to which accepting funding from certain governments represents a limitation to a
recipient organization’s independence is widely debated.

Transparency and Feedback

Transparency and feedback mechanisms are essential components of accountable

humanitarian programming.

Click the plus signs to learn more.

Transparency
Ensuring that the people being helped have access to timely, relevant,
and clear information about your organization and activities.

Feedback
Information obtained from crisis-affected people allows progress to be assessed and timely
corrections to be made. Feedback can be positive or negative.
 Negative feedback is often a complaint, or something has gone wrong
 Receiving, managing, and responding to complaints is central to
accountability, impact, and learning
 Humanitarian organizations must have an accessible, safe, and effective
complaints mechanism

You have completed the first section. Now, continue on to the scenario that illustrates many
of the humanitarian concepts you have just examined.

The international legal framework applies to disasters and armed conflict as well as The
international legal framework applies to disasters and armed conflict as well as guides
humanitarian principles and practice.
It is composed of 4 interrelated and mutually reinforcing branches of international law that
govern relations between states.

PART 2: The scenario

SECTION 5: Scenarios and Teams Introductions

You will now read the situation report and then meet your WAI teammates.

Situation Report

Emergency Highlights

 The estimated number of people killed due to the earthquake is 12,000 with 40,000
injured.
  Damage is most widespread in and around the city of Rojan. Areas north and west of
the city also experienced damage.

 Internally displaced persons (IDPs) total 250,000 and are scattered across multiple
locations, including official camp settings, host family accommodations, and
spontaneously settled "open spaces" in and around Rojan.

 Mild aftershocks continue to affect the area in and around Rojan causing additional
damage and disrupting relief operations.

 Ethnic tensions have occurred in several areas in and around IDP settlements.
Daryastani authorities have pledged to deploy additional security forces.
High levels of casualties sustained by government civil servants and damage to public
buildings have reduced the capacity of national authorities to lead and coordinate the
response.

Key Priorities

 Logistics and lack of adequate transport is a key constraint to the delivery of aid.

 While the flow of supply is improving, shelter and sanitation remain issues of great
concern.

 Daryastan Government has formally requested international assistance and is now

attempting to set up coordination mechanisms in cooperation with UNOCHA. There
has been a massive influx of foreign humanitarian workers, organizations, and relief
supplies. This is burdening logistical capacities and negatively affecting the timely
delivery of assistance.

 Contributions towards the UN-organized Flash Appeal of $150 million USD continue
to lag. The total amount pledged so far is $60 million USD.

Team Introductions

WAI has a strong team in Daryastan, where everyone has experience in providing aid in
disaster-affected areas. Together they are doing their best to design and manage programs to
assist after the earthquake. They will now introduce themselves.

SECTION 6 : Team Updates

Section 6 of 13

Team Updates
Before embarking on your assignment, listen to Ravi, Omar, and Nancy provide
updates on three important program focus areas.

Impartiality of Aid
Conflict-Sensitive Programming
Building on Local Capacities
Ravi's Update on Impartiality of Aid
Click PLAY to watch the video.
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The Team's Response
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Play Video
Omar's Update on Conflict-Sensitive Programming
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video
The Team's Response
Click PLAY to watch the video of the team's response.
Play Video

What Do You Think?

Which of the following recommendations do you believe will be most effective in helping

WAI to adopt a more conflict-sensitive approach?

 Install more police

 Assist host families
 Include host community
 Engage local leaders
 Write to the local paper
 Coordinate with aid groups
SUBMIT

Analysis of Conflict Sensitive Approach Recommendations

Click the plus signs to get feedback for each recommendation.

Install More Police

LESS EFFECTIVE. Installing more police at camp entrances may help decrease violence in
the short term. It will likely do nothing to help address the basic causes of tension between
communities. Those causes must ultimately be addressed to reduce tensions.

Assist Host Families

GOOD IDEA. Host families play an important role in the ability of communities to deal with
displaced persons. Increasing assistance to host families lets them better cope with the
burdens they are experiencing and helps lower the level of need in the camps.

Include Host Community

GOOD IDEA. Including host community representatives in camp planning sessions helps
build understanding and support as well as prevent decision-making that could mistakenly
create more conflict.

Engage Local Leaders

GOOD IDEA. Engaging with local community leaders lets you hear their ideas for
decreasing conflict between camp and city residents. It is important to regularly discuss
potential problem areas with local leaders. It is also necessary to help prioritize those local
populations most in need of assistance.

Write to the Local Paper

LESS EFFECTIVE. Writing to local papers suggesting that city residents should show
greater compassion and patience with ongoing aid efforts is not likely to improve relations.

GOOD IDEA. On the other hand, helping the local press better explain the goals and limits
of current assistance may help to improve understanding and prevent the spread of rumors
about aid efforts.

Coordinate with Aid Groups

GOOD IDEA. Coordinating with other aid groups ensures a consistent and thoughtful
approach to local communities. However, uncoordinated efforts by individual agencies may
lead to more inconsistency and conflict.

Nancy's Update on Building on Local Capacities

Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video
The Team's Response
Click PLAY to watch the video of the team's response.
Play Video

Section 7
Focus Group Meeting
It is time to learn about and conduct your first assignment as well as meet another
teammate - Jemilah.
Jemilah's Update on Promoting Participation
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

The Focus Group Conversation

Click PLAY to watch the video of the conversation at Camp C.
Play Video
CONCLUSION
You have learned a lot from today’s meeting. Tonight, you will have
dinner with the team, after which Helen will summarize the day’s key
challenges.

Section 8 of 13
 Team Dinner Update (1)

After having dinner with the team, everyone listens to Helen's response to the focus
group meetings and the key challenges they face.
Helen's Comments
Impartiality of Assistance and Conflict Sensitive Programming
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

Building on Local Capacities and Final Comments

Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

Humanitarian principles do the following:

 bullet

Keep the rights of crisis-affected people at the center of our work

 bullet

Guide actions in challenging situations

 bullet

Inform decisions when there is no obviously correct answer

 bullet

Enable us to build consensus with other aid agencies on the most urgent
needs
 bullet
Provide a platform for advocacy with governments and donors
Section 9 of 13

Monitoring Trip 1

You will now meet two additional teammates -

Ahmed and Nisha - who you will join as they
conduct conversations with several camp
members regarding WAI's water programs.
Meet Ahmed and Nisha
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

Camp Conversation with Young Mother

Click PLAY to watch the video of Ahmed and Nisha gathering feedback
on WAI's efforts to provide water and Sphere Standards.
Play Video

Reflect on the Meeting

Answer the following questions based on Ahmed and Nisha’s interview.
Select the most appropriate answer.
QUESTION 1: Understanding Sphere Minimum Standards

How should WAI respond to the mother’s request that WAI provide

additional water to help with cooking?

All people should have safe and equitable access to a sufficient

quantity of water for drinking, cooking, and personal and domestic
hygiene. The standard is universal and applicable to all emergency
situations.
Your main responsibility is to provide access to enough drinking
water to meet the emergency, lifesaving needs of crisis-affected
people. In a situation like this earthquake response, one cannot be
expected to provide additional water for other purposes such as
cooking and hygiene.
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

QUESTION 2: Satisfying Sphere Minimum Standards

WAI is already providing an average of 15-liters of water per person

per day in the camps. This satisfies the minimum standard. Does

WAI need to provide additional water?

As long as WAI provides 15-liters of water, it has met the minimum

standard.
WAI should also assess local practices and customs to determine if
there is a need for more water.
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

QUESTION 3: Going Beyond Minimum Standards

Can WAI justify going beyond the minimum standard?

 Although Jinta (food) is important to Daryastanis, there must be
other food options that require less water. No one is dying from lack
of water in the camps, so WAI should not increase the water.
Water needs are context-based and should be adjusted according
to climate, religious and cultural practices, and the food people
cook. WAI should increase the water.
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

Post-Meeting Discussion
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

Camp Conversation with Female Head of Household

Click PLAY to watch the video of Ahmed and Nisha learning about
protection standards.
Play Video

Reflect on Meeting
Answer the following question based on Ahmed and Nisha’s interview.
Select the most appropriate answer.
Addressing the Problem. Which of the following steps should be

considered to address the problem? Select all that apply.

 Establish a new water point within the camp boundaries, if possible

 Work with the local community to reduce tensions at the water point
 Ask the police to maintain security around the waterpoint
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

Post-Meeting Discussion
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

Next, you will accompany Ahmed and Nisha on their final

monitoring interviews.
Section 10 of 13

Monitoring Trip 2

You, Ahmed, and Nisha will depart for the final

monitoring trip that involves conversations with
villagers regarding shelter kits.
Camp Conversation with Villagers
You are visiting with a small group of villagers from Babar located on the
outskirts of Rojan to gather their feedback on shelter kits provided by
WAI.

Although the village was devastated by the earthquake, many residents

have chosen to continue living in or next to their damaged homes.

WAI and other humanitarian agencies have provided families with shelter
assistance so they can continue living on their land, grow crops, and
manage their livestock.

Click PLAY to watch the video.

Play Video
Reflect on the Meeting

Assessing the NGO’s Impact. WAI has worked hard to coordinate its
shelter activities with other humanitarian agencies and the local authorities
in Babar.

The new NGO that distributed shelter kits in the town has not done the
same. Click each plus sign to view the impact of the NGO’s actions.
Waste
–
Failing to carefully target their assistance created duplication and wasted
valuable resources.
Resentment
–
Failing to conform to agreed-upon standards or local preferences when
developing the shelter kits may cause resentment among villages and the
kits to be under-utilized.
Uneven Coverage
–
Failing to coordinate their activities may result in unnecessary gaps in
coverage leaving some areas without assistance

Ensuring a Coordinated Response. The aftermath of a humanitarian

emergency is chaotic.

How can humanitarian agencies voluntarily coordinate their efforts under

such difficult circumstances?
Collaborate and Share
–
Collaborate with other aid groups, local authorities, and community
leaders during key moments of the project cycle. This is especially
important during the assessment and design stages.

It is important to share information, data, and lessons learned.

Participate
–
Participate in relevant Cluster group meetings.

Determining Responsibility. Building homes in a flood plain is not

advisable or safe.

What is WAI’s responsibility toward preventing further devastation of

villages resulting from potential flooding?

Advocate
–
Governments are responsible for regulating where people can and cannot
build. WAI must inform them of the situation and advise against
construction in unsafe areas.
Coordinate
–
WAI must inform the Shelter Cluster to support a common shelter and
settlement strategy. This is key to anticipating and preventing negative
actions.
Post-Meeting Discussion
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

Coordinating with other humanitarian agencies is essential. Next,

you will learn even more about the vital work humanitarians do by
speaking with a colleague from another organization.
Section 11 of 13

Conversing with a Colleague

Before Ahmed and Nisha return to WAI’s office in
Rojan, they see a colleague named Mark who works
for HealthWorks Worldwide - an international aid
agency specializing in health.
Meet Mark

Mark shares some frustrating events that occurred during his day. Ahmed
and Nisha respond to suggest how accountable and transparent
programming can prevent or minimize frustration.
The Conversations
Conversation About Communicating Actively (Transparency)
Click PLAY to watch the video.
 Play Video
Conversation About Managing Complaints (Feedback Mechanisms)
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

After leaving Mark, Ahmed and Nisha travel to WAI’s office and
get ready for the evening's team dinner. In the next section, they
report their key findings from the monitoring trip.
Section 12 of 13

Team Dinner Update (2)

Before dinner, Ahmed and Nisha brief the group on what the monitoring team
learned.
Ahmed's Updates
Click PLAY to watch the video of Ahmed providing updates on meeting
minimum standards as well as transparency and feedback.
Play Video

Nisha's Updates
Click PLAY to watch the video of Nisha providing updates on protection
related concerns and inter-agency coordination.
Play Video

While there is still much to be done to help Daryastanis recover

from the earthquake, WAI is clearly attempting to apply key
humanitarian principles and standards to its aid efforts.
Humanitarian principles and standards help organizations to protect
and assist crisis-affected people. As humanitarians, we owe them
nothing less.
Section 13 of 13

Course Summary

You’ve reached the end of the course.

Let’s review what you should now
understand.
 1

Humanitarianism is an old yet vital act aimed at helping disaster and crisis-
affected people throughout the world.
 2

2
 National and international actors share responsibilities for humanitarian
response.
 3

Humanitarian work is guided by several resources and principles such as

the Sphere Handbook and Do No Harm.
 4

Humanitarian agencies must coordinate their response efforts to strengthen

predictability, capacity, accountability, and partnership.
 5
5

Humanitarian programs should focus on meeting minimum standards,

protecting all persons, ensuring transparency, and obtaining feedback.
Section 1 : Course Introduction

Welcome to the course. Watch the video to get started.

Click the Play icon.
Play Video

Section 2: The International Legal Framework

The international legal framework applies to disasters and armed conflict as well as guides
humanitarian principles and practice.

It is composed of 4 interrelated and mutually reinforcing branches of international law that

govern relations between states:

 International Humanitarian Law

 International Human Rights Law
 International Refugee Law
 International Disaster Response Law

International Law
The body of rules and principles recognized by states as binding in their relationships with
one another, international organizations, and/or non-state groups or individuals.
IHL:
 Regulates actions of state and non-state actors as well as how they must behave in
certain situations
 Establishes a state’s sovereignty or complete and exclusive legal authority and
responsibility to govern and regulate the people and property within their borders
 Addresses other areas including the regulation of international trade, the testing of
nuclear weapons, and even the harvesting of wildlife

Treaties and Customary Law

International law is established by a complex web of treaties and customary law.

Treaties
 First main source of International Law
 Written, legally binding instruments that detail the rights and obligations of states on
specific issues
 Also known as: conventions / covenants / protocols
  Types of treaties:
o Bilateral - signed by two states
o Multilateral - signed by more than two states
 Treaties are referred to as ratified when signed by states

EXAMPLE (Multilateral Treaty)

The UN Charter of 1945 and the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their 1977 Additional
Protocols.

Customary Law

 Second main source of International Law

 Unwritten rules established by repeated practice and adhered to by states out of a
sense of legal obligation
 Considered to be legally binding on all states, even if a state has not consented to the
customary law via treaty ratification

EXAMPLES
The prohibition of slavery, torture, and genocide.

Section3: International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

International humanitarian law is known as the law of war because it is concerned with
limiting and preventing human suffering during armed conflict.

The purposes of IHL are

Govern the conduct of belligerents and use of weapons during armed conflict
Protect combatants and non-combatants from illegitimate or unnecessary forms of violence
Regulate hostilities based on a balance between humanity and military necessity

Guiding Principles

IHL is guided by 3 overarching principles that have been reinforced as law throughout the
years via key conventions and protocols. They help regulate the methods and means of
warfare.
Govern the conduct of belligerents and use of weapons during armed conflict
Protect combatants and non-combatants from illegitimate or unnecessary forms of violence
Regulate hostilities based on a balance between humanity and military necessity

Guiding Principles
IHL is guided by 3 overarching principles that have been reinforced as law throughout the
years via key conventions and protocols. They help regulate the methods and means of
warfare.

Distinction

Requires parties to an armed conflict to distinguish between:

 Non-combatants and combatants
  Civilian objects and military objectives

Attacks may ONLY be directed against combatants or military objectives.

Proportionality

Prohibits attacks against military objectives which are expected to cause:

 Incidental loss of civilian life
 Injury to civilians
 Damage to civilian objects
 Combination of the above that would be excessive in relation to the concrete and
direct military advantage anticipated

Precaution

Requires parties to an armed conflict to spare non-combatants or civilian objects in the

conduct of military operations.

EXAMPLE
In response to an airstrike against their military base, an armed group attacks the military
ammunition factory of their opponents. There are significant civilian casualties because
factory workers were present during the attack.

While it could be argued that the factory workers were incidental to the attack of a legitimate
and distinct military target (military ammunition factory), precautions could have been taken
to limit non-combatant suffering by attacking at night, when the factory workers were not
present. As a result, this military operation does not uphold the principle of precaution and is
in violation of IHL.

The targeting of civilians is against international law. We have a moral responsibility to

raise our voices and make our views known - that civilians must be protected.

- Baroness Valerie Amos

Former UN Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief

Coordinator
Branches of IHL

Law of the Hague

A branch of IHL that provides rules about the conduct of hostilities. It establishes limitations
or prohibitions on means and methods of warfare.

Means relate to weapons. Methods relate to tactics and strategies used against an enemy
during a conflict.
Click/tap the images to learn more about the law's intent.
 Focuses on the nature of weapons used and not the intention of the person using them
 Requires that weapons must be able to discriminate between civilian and military
targets
 Prohibits the use of indiscriminate weapons (chemicals, anti-personnel mines)
 that cannot be directed specifically at a military target
 Permits use of some weapons with limits and when used solely against military targets
(booby traps, incendiary devices)
 Prohibits warfare that causes unnecessary suffering such as civilian starvation
 Prohibits attacks designed to leave no survivors such as using human shields

Law of Geneva

A branch of IHL known as the Law of Geneva provides protection to a range of people and
objects during armed conflict.
People

 Non-combatants such as civilians

 Medical and religious personnel
 Armed group members that attempt to surrender or are taken prisoner

Objects

Examples can include...

 Schools
 Hospitals
 Shopping malls
 Places of religious worship
 Cultural property

The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols

IHL is comprised of many international treaties developed over the past 150 years. It began
with the 1864 Geneva Convention for the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded in
Armies in the Field.
It is primarily derived from the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional
Protocols of 1977.

Geneva Conventions state that persons who have never engaged in fighting or that have
ceased fighting must be treated humanely and without discrimination in all circumstances.

Such people are protected from these acts:

 Violence to life and person such as murder, mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture
 Taking of hostages
 Abuses of personal dignity such as humiliating and degrading treatment
 Passing of sentences and the carrying out of executions without a judgment
pronounced by a regularly constituted court providing all judicial guarantee

Enforcement of Geneva Convention

 Article 1 of the Geneva Convention specifies that states have the primary
responsibility of ensuring commitments are met from ratified treaties, conventions,
and customary laws.

 International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has special mandate under
international law to uphold the Geneva Conventions and ensure they are followed.
Additional Protocols

The two additional protocols achieved the following:

 Strengthened protection for victims of international and non-international conflicts
 Placed further restrictions on the conduct of hostilities
 Considered as a merging of Geneva Law and Law of the Hague

International Criminal Law and Prosecutable Crimes

 Individuals violating international law can be prosecuted for 4 crimes established by

the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

War Crimes (WC)

Involves such acts as:

 Willful killing of protected persons
 Torture
 Unlawful deportation
 Taking hostages
 Using children as soldiers (under the age of 15)

Crimes Against Humanity (CAH)

Prohibits acts committed in a widespread or systematic manner against persons in a civilian

population during war or peacetime:
 Murder
 Extermination
 Enslavement
 Imprisonment
 Sexual violence

What is the difference between crimes against humanity (CAH) and war crimes?
CAH is a widespread or systematic attack. A war crime is not.

Genocide

 Established as a crime by the 1948 Genocide Convention

 May be committed during war and peacetime
 Acts intended to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious
group:
o Killing members of the group
o Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
o Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life designed to bring about
its physical destruction in whole or in part
o Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group
o Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group

What is the difference between crimes against humanity (CAH) and Genocide?
CAH typically targets individuals. Genocide intentionally targets a group of people as a
whole with the intent to destroy the group (double-intent).

Act of Aggression

Use of armed force by a state against the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political
independence of another state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the Charter of the
United Nations.

Who is Responsible for Enforcement and Prosecution?

States
States are primarily responsible for enacting legislation to:
 Punish individuals guilty of international crimes
 Investigate suspected crimes

International Criminal Court

 Established by Rome Statute
 Only permanent judicial body that can prosecute individuals for
international crimes committed after July 1, 2002
 Becomes involved when states are unable/unwilling to prosecute

International and Hybrid Tribunals

International and Hybrid Tribunals can be created to prosecute crimes during specific
conflicts, generally established by the state where the conflict occurred with the support of the
United Nations

EXAMPLE
The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was established by a
United Nations Security Council resolution to prosecute war crimes that took place during the
conflicts in the Balkans in the 1990s. Other examples include:
 Special Court for Sierra Leone
 Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia
 International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)

I think it's for sure that humanitarian workers have a good knowledge of the legal framework
in which they will be involved when they are in armed conflict. Julia Grignon

WORDS TO CONSIDER | Julia Grignon

Professor at Laval University (Quebec)
Click Play to watch the video of Julia discussing the importance of international humanitarian
law.
Play Video
KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Take a few moments to check your understanding. Click/tap the correct answer to each
question.

QUESTION 1
Which principle of IHL requires parties to an armed conflict to take constant care to spare
non-combatants or civilian objects when conducting military operations?

o Distinction
o Precaution
o Proportionality

QUESTION 2
Which crime is a serious violation of international humanitarian law?

o Genocide
o War
o Act of Aggression

QUESTION 3
Which branch of IHL establishes rules about the methods of all those engaged in conflict and
the types of weapons considered to be lawful during armed conflict?

o Rome Statute
o Geneva Law
o Law of the Hague

QUESTION 4
Which branch of IHL provides legal protection to a range of people and objects during armed
conflict?

o Rome Statute
o Geneva Law
o Law of Hague

QUESTION 5
What established the International Criminal Court and defined internationally prosecutable
crimes?

o Rome Statute
o Treaty Law
o Geneva Conventions

SECTION 4: International Human Rights Law

International human rights law is a set of international rules that allow individuals and groups
to expect and claim certain responsibilities from states.
States are obligated to refrain from acts considered to be inhumane or in violation of an
individual’s human rights.

- The rules are established by treaty or custom

- Provides individuals a means of for taking action should one’s internationally
recognized human rights be violated
 - Applies in all circumstances and at all times of war and peace

Are there times when IHRL may not apply?

States may temporarily suspend their obligations from certain civil and political rights if it
faces a situation of emergency and within defined situations.
EXAMPLE: During an armed conflict, a state could pass laws to detain people indefinitely
without charging them for a criminal offense.

IHRL Legal Instruments

There are 2 important legal instruments related to IHRL.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

 Foundation for IHRL

 Adopted in 1948 by UN General Assembly
 Comprised of non-treaty text, complemented by a series of adopted, legally binding
international and regional treaties and national constitutions
 Some of the protected rights include:
o Right to life, liberty, and security of person
o Freedom from torture or cruelty, inhumane, or degrading treatment or
punishment
o Right to a fair trial
o Right to seek and enjoy asylum
o Right to an adequate standard of living; to education and work

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Regardless or wartime/emergency situations, the covenant ensures that states can never
suspend their obligations to ensuring these rights.
 Right to life
 Prohibition of torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading; treatment or punishment
 Prohibition of slavery and servitude
 Prohibition of retroactive application of criminal law
 Right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion

SECTION 5: International Refugee Law

The International refugee law protects the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers that have fled
their country and crossed an international border due to armed conflict, persecution, or
violation of their human rights.

What is the definition of a Refugee?

1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol

Refugee Definition
Person who “….owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race,
religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion, is outside
the country of his nationality and is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to avail
himself of the protection of that country; or who, not having a nationality and being outside
the country of his former habitual residence, is unable or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to
return to it.”

Background
 Provides the most universally applied definition
 Criticized slightly for its failure to address modern realities of forced displacement
that extend beyond “fear of persecution”
 Established the duties of refugees and States’ responsibilities toward them, including
the principle of non-refoulement

1969 OAU Convention Governing Specific Aspects of Refugee Problems

Refugee Definition
Extends the refugee definition to include “…every person who, owing to external aggression,
occupation, foreign domination or events seriously disturbing public order in either part or
the whole of his country of origin or nationality is compelled to leave his place of habitual
residence in order to seek refuge in another place outside his country of origin or
nationality.”

Background
 Legally binding
 Open to all Member States of the African Union

1984 Cartagena Declaration

Refugee Definition
In Latin America, it extends the refugee definition to include “…persons who have fled their
country because their lives, safety or freedom have been threatened by generalized violence,
foreign aggression, internal conflicts, massive violation of human rights or other
circumstances which have seriously disturbed public order."

Background
 Legally binding

IRL adheres to the Principle of Non-Refoulement.

 Prohibits the forcible return of a refugee to their country of origin if it is believed they
will be persecuted
 Provides basic human rights guarantees during their stay in country of asylum
 Became a customary law due to its international recognition and application and is
binding on all states

Climate Migrants

Who are Climate Migrants?

People forced to flee their homes due to the sudden or gradual effects of climate change and
global warming such as increased rainfall, flooding, and sea level rise.
Other factors may occur along with climate issues to force their displacement. These can
include...

• Armed conflict

• Poor governance

• Political instability

 Human rights abuses

Legal protection is lacking as climate-related risks are usually not included in legally binding
definitions of refugee status.

What is Being Done to Help?

The 2015 Nansen Initiative

State-led initiative to build consensus on key principles and elements to protect those
displaced due to the impacts of climate change.

Unfortunately, NO legal frameworks exist to protect these persons of concern.

Climate migration has displaced hundreds of millions of individuals around the globe and the
scale of this displacement is only going to grow. Rachel Bryce

WORDS TO CONSIDER | Rachel Bryce

Associate at Landings Law (Toronto, Canada)
Click Play to watch the video of Rachel's comments regarding climate migrants.
Play Video

Protection for Internally Displaced People (IDPs)

Who are IDPs?

People within their own country forced to flee their homes due to serious threats to their life
or freedom. These people exposed to unique vulnerabilities such as:

• Deprivation

• Further displacement

• Physical harm

• Unlike refugees, who enjoy international protection under the 1951 Refugee Conventions,
IDPs are rarely provided broader legal protection than citizens in the country who are not
displaced

SOURCE | UNHCR Refugee Data Finder, (date accessed: May 2022)

These efforts have been undertaken to provide legal support and protection for IDPs.
These efforts have been undertaken to provide legal support and protection for IDPs.

Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement

 Developed in 1998 to strengthen protection for and raise awareness of challenges

facing IDPs
 Not legally binding itself

African Union’s 2009 Kampala Convention

The African Union’s 2009 Kampala Convention produced the first legally binding regional
treaty defining a state’s obligations towards IDPs

SECTION 6: International Disaster Response Law (IDRL)

International disaster response law is an emerging branch of international law designed to
improve response to natural disasters.
It:
 Aims to address gap created by IHL's focus on armed conflict
 Establishes guidelines for the domestic facilitation and regulation of international
disaster relief as well as initial recovery assistance.
IMPORTANT
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has lead
development of IDRL believing that the increased frequency of natural disasters requires
more effective regulation and oversight of disaster response.
IDRL is based upon the...
Guidelines for the Domestic Facilitation and Regulation of International Disaster Relief
and Initial Recovery Assistance

 It was developed in 2007

 It is not legally enforceable
 Provides guidelines to governments on preparing their disaster laws and plans for the
common regulatory problems in international disaster relief operations

GUIDELINE 1

 Domestic actors have the primary role in disaster relief

 International humanitarian assistance should not replace or displace local authorities
but instead, complement them

GUIDELINES 2

International relief providers must uphold minimum humanitarian standards involving…

 Principle of Humanity
 Principle of Neutrality
 Principle of Impartiality
 Coordination
 Quality
GUIDELINES 3

Governments of the affected state should help expedite the delivery of humanitarian
assistance such as…

 Processing visas
 Facilitating relief transport
 Removing taxes and duties on relief activities

GUIDELINES 4

Support and appropriate legal status should only be granted to organizations that hold
themselves accountable according to the minimum standards.

SECTION 7: Knowledge Check: The Srebenica Massacre

Here is an opportunity to apply what you have learned.

Read about the situation then answer the questions.
The Situation

QUESTION 1

o Which branch of international law is the most applicable?

o International humanitarian law (IHL)
 o International refugee law (IRL)
o International disaster response law (IDRL)
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 2

o Which of these specific legal instruments is the most relevant for this situation?
o The International Disaster Response Law Guidelines
o The Geneva Conventions and Additional Protocols
o The 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

QUESTION 3

o Why is the slaughtering of men and boys in Srebrenica considered an act of genocide?
o It intentionally targeted an ethnic group and was committed during wartime
o It intentionally targeted a group and was not committed proportionally
o It intentionally targeted an ethnic group with the intent to destroy that group

SUBMIT

SECTION 8: Course Summary

You’ve reached the end of the course. Let’s review what you should now understand.
1. IHL is constantly evolving and serves to regulate how state and non-state actors must
behave in certain situations.

2. It has been established by customary laws and treaties.

3. IHL applies to all humanitarian emergencies such as armed conflict and also guides
humanitarian principles and practice.

4. IHL is composed of 4 branches of law:

 International Humanitarian Law

 International Human Rights Law
 International Refugee Law
 International Disaster Response Law

5. Humanitarians need to know the...

 Legal framework in which they operate

 Protections and provisions of those they help
 Rules and limits imposed on parties during war

6. Violations of laws will and do occur. The intent of the laws and how they are violated
define the environment in which you work.
Play Video
Cross-Cutting Issues and Mainstreaming

SECTION 1: Cross-Cutting Issues and Mainstreaming

Cross-cutting issues are relevant to all operational sectors during a humanitarian emergency
Enhance the quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the aid response
Should be mainstreamed (incorporated) into your project planning and implementation across
all technical sectors to prioritize affected populations

SECTION 2: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)

This section will examine how applying principles of DEI to your project cycle can produce
more effective programming.
Pause and Reflect
Before starting this section, watch this video.
Play Video
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Closer Look
So, what do we mean by diversity, equity, and inclusion? Click the plus signs to learn more.

Diversity
The innate and acquired differences that make people unique such as…
 Age
 Disability
 Education
 Ethnicity
 Race
 Gender identity and expression
 Immigrant and newcomer status
 Religion
 Sexual orientation
 Socioeconomic status

Equity

 The process of being fair to all people according to their respective needs
 Removing barriers and biases to allow people equal opportunity to access and benefit
from programming

Inclusion

 The practice of ensuring all people are valued and empowered to contribute their
unique perspectives
 Creates an environment where all people are welcomed, respected, and supported
Who Suffers the Most in Humanitarian Emergencies?

People that typically suffer the most from exclusion and inequality during a humanitarian
emergency are the same ones suffering the most prior to the emergency. Such persons
include…

 Women and girls

 Older persons
 LGBTQIA+ individuals
 Persons with disabilities

Mainstreaming DEI within Programming

 Understanding and incorporating principles of DEI into your programming positively

impacts both affected populations and humanitarian workers.
 Consider these 7 benefits:

Section 3: Age, Disability, and Gender

Humanitarian emergencies impact people in many different ways depending upon their age,
any disabilities, as well as gender and gender identity.

Age
Various cultures define a person’s age according to different criteria such as physical changes,
specific circumstances, and the year they were born.
Consider this example...
An older person might be considered someone that has grey hair or is a grandparent. Or,
someone becomes an adult once they leave the parental home or get married.
It is important to consider a culture’s concept of age as their needs and capacities change
when transitioning from childhood to adulthood.

Mainstreaming Age within Programming

Mainstreaming age helps ensure that we address the safety, rights, and wellbeing of
underrepresented groups such as children, adolescents, and older persons.

Children/Adolescents

 Afforded special protection and assistance during humanitarian emergencies for being
highly vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and other violence

 Must obtain their opinions, perspectives, and feelings about their life situations and
future concerns. Include them in your project plans and implementation.

HELPFUL RESOURCE
Consider using UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children document to guide your work
(available at UNICEF.org)

Older Persons

 Afforded special protection and assistance during humanitarian emergencies due to

physical and psychological impacts associated with normal aging:
o Health ailments (decreased sight, hearing, mobility, and muscle strength)
o Chronic disease (heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, etc.)
o Vulnerability to heat and cold
o Reluctance or inability to flee dangerous situations
o Difficulty accessing aid
o Feeling isolated
o Managing grief and loss

 Crucial members of the social fabric with important abilities and talents such as caring
for children and families
 Referred to as the “invisible” population because of the lack of services that address
their needs and involve their participation
o May increase feelings of isolation and distress

Ageism harms everyone...it is so widespread and accepted – in our attitudes and in policies,
laws, and institutions – that we do not even recognize its detrimental effect on our dignity and
rights...We need to fight ageism head-on, as a deep-rooted human rights violation."
- Michelle Bachelet, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

Persons with Disabilities

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities refers to persons
with disabilities as those who...
“…have long-term physical, cognitive, intellectual or sensory impairments which in
interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society
on an equal basis with others.”
Persons with disabilities have various capacities and must confront unique challenges during
humanitarian emergencies and when attempting to access aid.

Consider this Example...

Constructing latrines and handwashing stations that are not accessible for people in
wheelchairs is an example of accidental discrimination and ableism.

Mainstreaming Disability within Programming

Humanitarian programming must be equally accessible to persons with disabilities. You

should:
 Consider how various types of mental and physical disabilities impact accessibility at
each stage of project planning and implementation
 Include the feedback of persons with disabilities in decisions impacting their lives and
communities

Mainstreaming | IN ACTION. Click Play to watch the video for an example of

mainstreaming disability.
Play Video

Gender and Gender Identity

An understanding of the difference between sex and gender is important for mainstreaming
gender across your program sectors.

Sex
A set of biological and physiological criteria used to classify someone as male, female, or
intersex (having reproductive or sexual anatomy that is not strictly male or female).
 Sex chromosomes
 Hormones
 Internal reproductive organs
 External genitalia

Sex does NOT determine gender expression or identity.

Gender
The roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society at a given time considers
appropriate for…
 Men
 Women
 Non-binary (neither male or female)
 Transgender

Gender and Gender Equality

While the international legal framework guarantees equal rights to people of all genders,
significant inequality continues to exist between them, especially within traditional gender
roles.
Consider this...
 The farther outside of traditional gender roles someone exists, the more risks they
encounter. Many of these inequalities are made worse during humanitarian
emergencies.

Men/Boys (Traditionally Defined)

 Afforded more economic and social influence overall

 Increased likelihood of being abducted, threatened, or coerced in participating in
armed groups (young boys)
 Increased incidents of forced labor (young boys)

Women/Girls (Traditionally Defined)

 Increased incidents of gender-based violence

 Increased responsibility for caregiving
 Decreased access to essential health services
 Disrupted access to education (often removed from school to financially support
family during a crisis)

LGBTQIA+

 Increased incidents of violence

 Exclusion from aid distribution and gender-affirming services

Mainstreaming Gender and Gender Equality within Programming

It is important that mainstreaming achieves the following:
 Ensures that we address the safety, rights, and wellbeing of all gender identities

 Incorporates their feedback in decisions impacting their lives and communities as well
as project planning and implementation
Mainstreaming | IN ACTION. Click Play to watch the video for an example of
mainstreaming gender identity.
Play Video
‘’Humanitarian crises affect both women and men differently and as such, we need to
respond adequately to their specific needs’’.

- Melanie Coutu

WORDS TO CONSIDER | Melanie Coutu

Gender in Emergencies Specialist
Click Play to watch the video of Melanie discussing gender inequality within humanitarian
emergencies.
Play Video

Final Thoughts on Mainstreaming Age, Disability, and Gender...

The success of humanitarian interventions requires mainstreaming these categories at ALL

stages of the project cycle. Inclusivity and data are important to programming success.

Importance of Inclusion

Diverse people within these groups must be a primary focus of your work.
 Their insights cannot be considered as an afterthought, but rather included in all stages
of planning and implementation
 Their input allows humanitarian actors to address the various dimensions of inequality
that restrict access to programs, and adjust project objectives accordingly

EXAMPLE
A healthy, employed person that identifies as female will be more resilient to a crisis than one
who is unemployed and has disabilities. While both individuals identify as female, other
social factors such as disability and employment status impact their experience of disaster.
Humanitarian actors must examine layers of discrimination and oppression to access those
most in need of assistance.

Importance of Data

Age, disability, and gender analysis are critical tools of an evidence-informed intervention
and ensure that people remain at the center of responses.
 Disaggregated data collection allows humanitarian actors to consider the implications
of interventions for segments of the affected population
 Data is then used to create specific outcomes as well as avoid generic language and
assumptions about crisis-affected populations

Helpful Resources
Consider these resources for supporting your mainstreaming efforts:

Help Age International - Minimum Standards for Age and Disability (2016)
Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) - Gender Handbook for Humanitarian
Action (2018)

Sphere - Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (2019)

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Take a few moments to check your understanding.

QUESTION 1

True or False. Nonbinary is a term that refers to a person's sex.

o True
o False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

QUESTION 2

o Which action could be performed to mainstream disability within your programming

for a community devastated by a flood?
o Ensure there is sufficient drinking water available
o Consult the IASC’s Gender Handbook for Humanitarian Action
o Conduct a focus group with a diverse group of crisis-affected persons
o Build raised platforms from which to distribute supplies

SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 3

Which group is often subject to forced labor?

o Traditionally defined boys
o LGBTQIA+ persons
o Traditionally defined girls
o Older persons
SUBMIT

SECTION 4: Protection

Protection activities focus on ensuring the safety, wellbeing, and dignity of crisis-affected
people in accordance with their rights.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) refers to protection as “activities
aimed at obtaining full respect for the rights of the individual in accordance with the letter
and the spirit of the relevant bodies of law.”

Principles of Protection
The Sphere - Minimum Standards for Humanitarian Assistance establish 4 core principles of

protection:

1. Avoid exposing people to further harm as a result of your actions

2. Ensure people’s access to impartial assistance

3. Protect people from physical and psychological harm due to violence or coercion

4. Assist with rights claims, access to remedies, and recovery from abuse

What Are Protection Issues?

Some of the issues crisis-affected people confront are:

• Abuse

• Deliberate deprivation and neglect

• Discrimination

• Exploitation

• Violence

Responsibility for Protection in Humanitarian Emergencies

Different entities share responsibility for protecting crisis-affected persons.

States/National Authorities

Have the primary responsibility to respect and protect crisis-affected populations

Humanitarian Organizations

 Ensure rights are understood, respected, and protected without discrimination

 Ensure protection principles are incorporated at all stages of project planning and
implementation
 Intervene when states/national authorities are unable/unwilling to protect. Requires
permission of the state or other parties to the conflict
 Advocate for policy and behavioral changes

All Other Parties

Must respect and protect civilians

Protection Activities
There are 3 main forms of protection activities.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Take a few moments to check your understanding.

QUESTION 1

A state or national authority is rarely expected to take part in protection-related activities.

True or False.

o True
 o False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

QUESTION 2

Which type of protection activity is best illustrated by the distribution of information on

domestic rights and law to a community?

o Preventive
o Responsive
o Remedial

Section 5: Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)

AAP is an active commitment by humanitarian actors to use power responsibly.

AAP involves considering as well as being transparent and accountable to the people they
assist. To achieve this, humanitarian actors must recognize the following:

 Aid creates an unequal balance of power in favor of aid workers

 Accountability extends beyond the donors' funding humanitarian interventions to

activities that foster inclusion of affected communities in decision-making and
programming

 AAP and Protection are linked and mutually reinforcing components of effective
humanitarian response

Mainstreaming AAP within Programming

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
provides 3 methods for ensuring accountability to affected communities.

Method 1

Systematically sharing timely, relevant and actionable information with communities

Method 2

Supporting the meaningful participation and leadership of affected people in decision-making

regardless of gender, age, ability and other diversities

Method 3

Ensuring community feedback systems are in place to allow affected people to assess and
comment on the performance of humanitarian action, especially on sensitive matters such as:
  Sexual exploitation
 Fraud and corruption
 Racism and discrimination

APP and Trust

AAP is essential for building trust with humanitarian actors and achieving acceptance of its
interventions. Interventions will not be effective and efficient when communities experience
violations of trust and abuse.

A culture of accountability is achieved when affected people understand:

 Their rights
 The behavior to expect from an aid worker
 Where to seek support and justice

Consider this example...

The involvement of humanitarian actors in acts of sexual exploitation and abuse of crisis
affected people is an example of a serious violation of the responsibility to protect vulnerable
populations.

Strong AAP implementation including community engagement, establishing feedback and

complaint mechanisms, and other trust building actions help to ensure perpetrators of sexual
exploitation and abuse are held accountable.

Section 6: Livelihoods Programming

Livelihoods are the capabilities, assets, and activities required for people to create income and
acquire a means of living.
In simple terms, people need a means of securing such basics as food and water, shelter,
health resources, and more.
Humanitarian emergencies disrupt the assets and resources that support people’s livelihoods.

For example, a vendor’s stall at the market could be destroyed by flooding.

Mainstreaming Livelihoods within Programming

Humanitarian programming should help people to achieve sustainable livelihoods.

This involves creating support systems that allow livelihoods to withstand and recover from

the negative impacts of disasters and conflict.

More safety and resilience mean less vulnerability.

Efforts should focus on…

 Stimulating local economies and helping people recover basic needs and other assets
 Producing self-sufficient populations and economies
 Involving community members as well as public/private sector actors

Mainstreaming| IN ACTION
Click Play to watch the video for an example of mainstreaming livelihoods programming as
well as gender and cash and voucher assistance.
Play Video

Section 7 - Cash and Voucher Assistance

Cash and voucher assistance (CVA) refers to humanitarian aid programs that provide people
with cash or vouchers in exchange for goods and services.

CVA has emerged as an effective, flexible, and evidence-based method of meeting urgent
needs during a humanitarian emergency.

What are some benefits of a CVA program?

Benefits of CVA
CVA:
 May stimulate local economy
 Helps foster dignity
 Reduces a humanitarian organization’s procurement; transportation and storage costs
 May be implemented in innovative ways to increase accessibility and efficacy of
responses
 Serves as an alternative of companion to in-kind assistance (resources other than
money such as donated medical supplies

Consider this innovative use...

CVA was used by many humanitarian aid agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic to
transfer funds urgently needed by women and girls to access menstrual health products.

How do you know if a CVA program is needed?

The need for a CVA program is determined by conducting both a situational and local market
analysis. It allows you to:
 Determine the needs of the affected population
 Determine the conditions of the local economy
 Identify safety and security issues by consulting community members and other
humanitarian actors
 Identify which method of assistance is most effective by examining the:

• Market constraints
• Policies
• Norms
• Rules
• Infrastructure
that may limit marketing functioning

Example - Market Analysis

If market analysis reveals that the cause of food insecurity in a region is caused by a supply
problem such as food scarcity in neighboring markets, then food aid would likely be more
effective than providing cash.

Example - Market Analysis

If a market analysis reveals that food vendors are unable to meet demand within a community
because their stocks have been destroyed by a storm, a cash infusion that allows vendors to
recover their losses would be an ideal intervention that encourages livelihoods and food
security.
Example - Situational Analysis

If a situational analysis reveals that the people live within a primarily patriarchal society, then
offering cash could worsen incidents of gender-based violence.

Cash Transfers and Vouchers: A Closer Look

Let us examine cash transfers and vouchers more closely.

Cash Transfers
Humanitarian emergencies typically displace people from their homes, communities, and
sometimes countries. They lose their ability to earn and spend in market economies.

Providing money to individuals or households can be essential for the recovery of their
livelihoods in a dignified manner. Money may be used to meet their basic needs (food and
non-food items), obtain services, or buy assets.

Cash is provided to people via various methods are:

• Paper money

• Prepaid debit cards

• Mobile transfers

• Bank deposits

• Cash-for-work

Conditional or Unconditional Distribution. Cash distributions may be given conditionally or

unconditionally.
Conditional

Cash must be used for specific purposes such as…

 Transportation-related expenses
 Rebuilding a family home
 Enrolling children in school
 Getting a vaccination
 Preparing for a humanitarian emergency such as building a retaining wall in
anticipation of flooding

Unconditional

Cash has no restriction on how it is used and does not have to be repaid

Vouchers
Provide people with a paper document that is exchanged for pre-defined goods or services
such as seeds and food.

Helpful Resources

Cash Learning Partnership's, Minimum Standard for Market Analysis provides guidance on
analyzing market conditions in humanitarian contexts.
Sphere Handbook provides checklists for assessing CVA’s applicability in any given context.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK

Take a few moments to check your understanding.

QUESTION 1

What are cash transfers intended to fix?

o Inaccurate economic analysis

o Mistrust of a humanitarian organization
o Loss of earning and spending potential
o Build raised platforms from which to distribute supplies
o Marginalization of older people

SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 2

In what situation might a humanitarian organization benefit from using a cash and voucher
assistance program?

o To slow a country’s urban growth

o To discourage in-kind assistance
o When the local economy is stable
o When procurement costs are high

SUBMIT

Section 8: Urban Programming

Disasters and conflict are increasing the migration of people from rural to urban settings.

https://www.migrationdataportal.org/themes/urbanization-and-migration
https://www.un.org/en/chronicle/article/scope-and-limits-humanitarian-action-urban-areas-
global-south

The Challenges of Urbanization

Urbanization creates several challenges for humanitarian actors and programs due
to density, diversity, and dynamics.

Density

Higher concentration of:

 People
 Buildings
 Infrastructures
 Laws
Diversity

Greater variety of:

 Social values
 Ethnicities
 Political and religious views
 Economies

Dynamics

Incidences of:
 High mobility
 Changing environments
 Rapidly shifting power relationships (local government and private sector)
 New and aging infrastructure

Mainstreaming Urbanization within Programming

Humanitarian organizations must:

 Mainstream urbanization across all technical sectors when relevant

 Collaborate with local actors (local/national authorities, utilities, civil society, and
private sector) to reinforce local capacities
 Establish practices suited for urban settings in addition to ones focused on rural areas
 Create a connection between emergency response and longer-term development
 Develop a thorough understanding of legal and political constraints
 Utilize the support of groups with shared interests (schools, athletic teams, etc.)
 Use appropriate intervention mechanisms

Consider this example...

To meet the needs of refugee children in cities, humanitarian organizations can utilize the
existing educational infrastructure to advocate for refugee enrollment.

Consider this example...

To help revitalize an urban economy with active markets and existing supply chains,
humanitarian actors could utilize a cash-based or market-based intervention such as during the
2010 earthquake in Haiti.
Food vendors could not restock their stalls due to the collapse of warehousing infrastructure.
Cash grants allowed them to obtain temporary warehousing so they could restock and provide
food again.

Helpful Resource
For sector-specific best practices in urban contexts, consult the Humanitarian Practice
Network's - Humanitarian Response in Urban Contexts.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding.
Which situation can make a humanitarian organization's analysis of a city's infrastructure
needs more difficult?

o People living in single-family homes and apartment buildings

o Community members practicing one religion
o A respected and enforced system of laws
o A single system of mass transportation (buses)

SUBMIT

Section 9: Course Summary

You’ve reached the end of the course. Let’s review what you should now understand about
cross-cutting issues.

1. Cross-cutting issues are relevant to and should be mainstreamed across all

operational sectors during a humanitarian emergency. They enhance the
quality, efficiency, and effectiveness of the response.

2. It is essential to obtain the input of all people involved in an aid response at all
stages of project planning, especially members of the crisis-affected
community.

3. Cross-cutting issues ensure that the needs and capacities of affected

populations are the primary focus of humanitarian action.

4. Several resources exist and should be considered for helping to mainstream

issues mentioned in this course.

5. Cross-cutting issues other than those mentioned in this course can be

considered cross-cutting (ex. HIV/AIDS, environment/climate change).
FUNDING AND FINANCING HUMANITARIAN AIDS
Section 1: Course Introduction

Welcome to the course. Begin by watching the video.

Course Introduction
Click PLAY to watch the video.
Play Video

Essential Vocabulary
Spend a few moments reviewing any of these key course terms with which you are not
familiar.

Allocate
Distribute for a particular purpose

Diaspora community
Community of people from the same country or region living in another country (or countries)

Multilateral
Agreed upon or participated in by three or more parties, especially the governments of
different countries

Remittances
Money or goods that migrants send back to family or friends in their country of origin

Section 2: The Humanitarian System Funding Environment

The humanitarian system is composed of many groups that require significant funding to
function.
The Funding Environment
The humanitarian system is considered a self-governing body made up of:

 Governmental donors
- United States
- European Union
- United Kingdom
- Saudi Arabia

 Operational US Agencies
- UNHCR
- WHO

 International NGO’s
- Save the children
- Medecins Sans Frontière
- International Rescue Committee

 National Local NGO’

- Coast Foundation
- Adeso
- Right to Protection
An Ever Increasing Need...
The numerous humanitarian groups require significant funding to function. In recent years,
both the number of people requiring humanitarian assistance and the demand for funding for
aid interventions have surged.

Yet a Funding Shortfall

While the total amount of aid has increased greatly, it consistently falls short of what is
needed.
UN humanitarian appeals are routinely underfunded, often receiving less than 60% of their
identified requirements.

Sources of Funding

The humanitarian financing system has a small base of public and private donors and hasn't
changed much over the years. The system has well-established problems and weaknesses
such as tracking and reporting.

 Tracking exactly how much money is contributed to and spent on humanitarian

assistance every year is very difficult.

 No universal system, or requirement, for donors to report their giving exists. The
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI) attempts to remedy the issue.

Public Donors
Public donors account for approximately 80% of financing and include 2 main groups.

1. Governments

The three largest government donors are the United States, Germany, and the United
Kingdom.
 Account for 60% of public aid
 US has typically donated the most

New donors have recently emerged that collectively donate billions of USD.
 Two examples are Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates (UAE):
o Donations are inconsistent often increasing and decreasing yearly
o Typically provided to countries with cultural connections to the Middle East

Eastern Europe and Latin America, India, and China are also regular donors.

Most countries provide aid through specialized bureaucracies:

 United States Agency for International Development Bureau of Humanitarian

Assistance (USAID/BHA)
 Global Affairs Canada (GAC)
 United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

2. Multilateral Agencies (members are donor governments)

An example of this group is the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European

Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO)

Private Donors
Private donors account for approximately 20% of financing and come from:
 Individuals (account for 70% of the total 20%)
 Foundations
 Trusts
 Corporations

Public and Private Collaboration

Public and private donors also collaborate to generate resources for humanitarian assistance.
International NGOs in countries such as the UK and Canada partner with their respective
governments to form consortia.

CONSORTIA EXAMPLES
 Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) - United Kingdom (government)
 Humanitarian Coalition – Canada (government)

Governments match dollar-for-dollar contributions those NGOs raise from the private sector
through their emergency appeals.

Less Official Sources of Funding

Many sources of funding that support humanitarian action are not tracked, reported, or
captured in official statistics.
Diaspora Communities

Provide direct assistance to conflict-affected people through the return of remittances.

Remittances may significantly exceed official humanitarian funding

Religious Organizations

 Act independently of the humanitarian system

 Have networks for financially supporting crisis-affected people

Local Communities/Neighbors

Respond their own resources and generosity

Recipients of Funding

There is an inequality in funding with only a few organizations and countries receiving the
bulk of humanitarian funding.

Approximately 60% of all aid goes to just the top 10 recipient crisis-affected countries.

Country Funding

Protracted conflicts, worsening food insecurity, and climate change have made 5 countries the
top recipients year after year.
 Yemen (12% of humanitarian funding disbursed in 2021*)
 Syria
 Afghanistan
 Ethiopia
 South Sudan
A massive sudden onset natural disaster or large-scale conflict such as the Russian invasion of
Ukraine in 2022 may elevate a country onto the list of the world’s largest recipients of
humanitarian aid for a time.

SOURCE: Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2022

Organizational Funding

Public funding is generally allocated to a few organizations and in an unequal manner.

Multilateral organizations such as the UN’s operational agencies typically receive 50-60%
of total international humanitarian assistance.

NGOs typically receive around 20%.

Public sector agencies such as national governments in crisis-affected countries receive less
than 5%.

Other recipients such as pooled funds or the International Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies receive the remaining 15% balance.

Program Sector Funding

People experiencing crisis have wide and varying needs across many programmatic sectors
such as health, food security, or education.

Food Security
Recipient of the largest amount of funding of any sector for the past decade.

Education Sector
Very underfunded and does not appear to be changing.

Cash Transfer Programming (CTP)

The amount spent on cash and voucher assistance continues to increase every year.

CTP refers to all programs, regardless of technical sector, where cash or vouchers (a form that
can be exchanged for goods/services) is provided directly to people to meet their basic
humanitarian needs.

Cash:
 Is generally preferred over other forms of in-kind goods or service provision
 Increases crisis-affected populations’ dignity and autonomy by allowing them to
decide how best to respond to their needs
 Can be a more effective and efficient means of delivering aid in areas with functioning
markets

Humanitarian NGOs: A Closer Look

Let’s look at a few statistics on NGOs*.

1% of NGOs control as much as 70% of the resources allocated to them.

NGOs receive the majority of private donations

Direct funding to local actors and local/national NGOs is extremely low despite pressure to
increase it.
The share of direct international humanitarian funding to local and national NGOs dropped
from 2.8% to 1.2% from 2017-2021.

*SOURCE | Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2022

Delivery of Funding

There are 3 main channels through which funding is delivered to humanitarian organizations:
direct, indirect and pooled.

1 – Direct

A single donor provides assistance to a single organization that directly delivers aid to a
crisis-affected community.

EXAMPLE | USAID/BHA provides a grant to the International NGO, Islamic Relief which
uses the funds to implement a health program serving Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

2 - Indirect

1. A single donor provides assistance to a single organization.

2. The organization disburses the funds (in whole or part) to one or more
organizations to deliver aid to a crisis-affected community.

EXAMPLE | USAID/BHA provides a grant to UNICEF that disperses the funds to Islamic
Relief and local NGO Coast Foundation that uses the funds to implement a health program
serving Rohingya refugees.

3 - Pooled

1. Multiple donors contribute to a common fund (pool) managed by another

organization (typically a UN agency such as OCHA).

2. The agency’s fund manager disburses the money to multiple organizations

to deliver aid to a crisis affected-community.

EXAMPLE | The Netherlands, Canada, Sweden and Belgium, and others donate to the
Yemen Humanitarian Fund. UN OCHA manages the fund and disperses its resources to
local, national, and international NGOs and other UN agencies delivering aid in Yemen.

Pooled funding is increasingly important for providing support to local and national
humanitarian actors.

Other Funding Channels

There are non-traditional channels to funding aid in crisis-affected countries such as

crowdfunding and direct-giving platforms.

EXAMPLE | GiveDirectly allow individuals to send money to families in places like Yemen
without going through any NGO or UN agency intermediary.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding. Select the correct answer to each question.

QUESTION 1

Which type of donor contributes the most to humanitarian aid funding?

Private
Public
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 2

Which funding channel involves multiple donors contributing to one source of available

funding?

Indirect
Direct
Pooled
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 3

Which type of donor contributes the greatest percentage of private donations?

Individuals
Foundations
Trusts
Corporations
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

Section 3: Improving the Quality of Humanitarian Funding

Quality funding helps to ensure the design and delivery of effective aid to those in need.

Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative (GHDI)

Humanitarian aid should be effective, efficient, respectful, and attractive to its recipients. The
Good Humanitarian Donorship Initiative (GHDI) was created to ensure effective aid and
a productive funding system.

It has been developed in 2003.

It is composed of an informal network of 42 current donor countries

It created a set of 24 principles and practices that...

• Guide official humanitarian aid

• Increase the effectiveness and efficiency of their giving

• Improve donor accountability

These are the 5 effective donor practices GHDI seeks to establish:

 . Ensuring funding of new crises does not adversely affect meeting the needs of
ongoing crises
 Ensuring predictability and flexibility in humanitarian funding
 Reducing the amount of earmarking
 Extending the duration of humanitarian funding arrangements
 Considering the funding of cash transfer programming in every crisis

The Grand Bargain (GB)

The GB is an agreement between several of the largest donors and humanitarian organizations
on ways to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian action.
It was created in 2016 and it includes several GHDI practices.

Its states that donors should provide higher quality funding that is:

• Multi-year (2+ years)

• Unearmarked or softly earmarked
• Dispersed rapidly during a crisis

Earmarked and Unearmarked Funding

The extent to which funds are earmarked is an important aspect of quality humanitarian
funding.

Earmarked (Restricted) Funds

Donations made to an organization with a set of restrictions that dictate where, how, and
when funds are used. Earmarking may be soft or tight.
soft and tight earmarking.

Soft earmarking

 Donor may stipulate that funding be used in one or several countries (East
Africa) or for a specific program sector (health).
 Imposes no other limitations on how or when the funds may be used.

Tight earmarking

Donor stipulates funding be used...

 To achieve a very specific project
 In a pre-defined location
 According to an agreed-upon set of concrete objectives against which
formal monitoring and reporting back to the donor is expected

Extremely tight earmarking can obscure the focus of aid.

The donor transforms the recipient humanitarian organization’s program into a means for
achieving their specific objectives instead of achieving the objectives of the affected
population.

Unearmarked (Unrestricted) Funds

Donations made to an organization without restrictions. Funding can support any and all of
the organization’s activities in line with its mandate.

 Organizations have full flexibility in where, when, and how the funds are
used
 Private donors are more likely to offer this funding

Despite efforts to reduce earmarked funding, only 13% of public donations to UN agencies
were unearmarked in 2021.

SOURCE | Global Humanitarian Assistance Report 2022

We need to enact reforms that accelerate the disbursement of funding to implementing

agencies on the ground. - Farida Bena

WORDS TO CONSIDER | Farida Bena

Director of Policy and Advocacy - International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Click Play to watch the video of Farida discussing how institutional donor giving should be
reformed to be more effective in humanitarian response.
Play Video

KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding. Click/tap the correct answer to each
question.

QUESTION 1

True or False.

Humanitarian organizations would prefer unearmarked funding.

o True
o False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 2

Which type of earmarking allows humanitarian organizations more flexibility in using funds?

o Tight
o Soft
SUBMIT

You’ve reached the end of the course. Let’s review what you should now understand about
funding and financing humanitarian aid.

1. Humanitarian programming is consistently underfunded. Funding is poorly tracked.

Donors are not required to report donations. No universal reporting system exists.
2. The system is composed of a small base of private and public donors. Public
donations account for most humanitarian funding.
3. Funding inequality exists with most going to only a few organizations and countries.
4. Funding may be delivered through direct, indirect, and pooled channels.
 5. Funding may be earmarked (restricted use) or unearmarked (unrestricted use).
Unearmarked funds offer the greatest flexibility for delivering aid where it is needed
most.

GRANT PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

SECTION 1
Proposals are used to request funding for implementing a humanitarian project as well as
other important functions.

SECTION 2: Purpose of a Proposal?

What is the Purpose of a Proposal?

Proposals serve 3 important functions besides raising funds.

 Establish a Project’s Design

Proposals outline how the organization intends to achieve specific outcomes that will meet the
identified needs of a crisis-affected community.
Achieving outcomes depends on the design and documentation of a clear project plan.

 Guide a Project’s Implementation Strategy

Proposals use the intended activities, timelines, outputs, and inputs to inform project planning
and implementation.

 Contribute to a Humanitarian Organization’s Accountability

Proposals define deliverables to be achieved and indicators to be used to measure a

project’s progress and success.

• The humanitarian organization is held accountable by the community receiving support and
the donor providing the funds.

• The project team reports on the progress that is used to assess their performance.

SECTION 3: Parts of a Proposal

A proposal contains a narrative and budget that together clarifies a project's focus and
provides key information to potential donors.

The Narrative
A narrative is composed of 3 sections that are: Basic Organizational Information, Justification
for the Intervention and the Technical Description.

1. Basic Organizational Information

It contains the basic administrative details of your organization. It demonstrates eligibility for
funding and reinforces its credibility.

 Legal status (for-profit, nonprofit, countries in which legally registered to operate)

  Contact information

 Leadership team, board of director

2. Justification for the Intervention

It explains why the proposal is being submitted and why the program should receive funding.
It contains a version of these 3 section.

Problem Statement or Analysis

 Summarizes the entire project succinctly

 Describes the crisis and the major causes of the problem to be addressed,
and the populations affected
 Provides the source and date of this information and any relevant
background data

Needs Assessment

 Connects the project to the needs of the population you are proposing to
assist
 Summarizes work already done such as conducting surveys and/or a rapid
needs assessment

IMPORTANT: Publicly available needs assessments of other organizations related to your

findings should be included.

Organizational Capacity

 Demonstrates your organization’s project management capability and why

it is well-equipped to undertake this project
 Highlights these factors:
o Technical expertise
o Prior program performance
o Existing or past experience successfully working with the donor
o History in the country including strong relationships with the
community or host government
o Skilled personnel associated with the proposed project

3. Technical Description

It outlines how you will respond to the affected population's needs identified in the problem
statement.

It demonstrates how your intervention adheres to sector-wide standards (such as Sphere

principles) and best practices.

It includes evidence of how your approach is appropriate for a specific humanitarian context.
This may be summarized in your project’s Theory of Change (if created).

It includes the project’s logical framework (logframe) used for planning and managing
projects. It has four components: goal, outcome, outputs, and activities.
It also addresses these questions:

Questions

 Who is being targeted for assistance (communities or groups)?

  What is the goal and objectives of the project?
 Where will the project be implemented (country(ies) or sub-national parts thereof)?
 When will the project be implemented and what is its duration?
 How will the project be implemented?
o Program strategies and approaches?
o Directly implemented by the humanitarian agency or in partnership with local
NGOs?

The Budget

The budget defines the cost (all expenses) to implement the project and achieve intended
results. It must achieve the following goals:

State how much money will be spent and on what

Define the period over which spending will take place

Budget Submission and Budget Narrative

Donors have different formats for submitting budgets. It is vital that you…
Use the correct format

Understand exactly how each donor defines (categorizes) each expense type to ensure it is
placed in the correct part of the budget

Budget narrative.

It provides detailed explanations of the types of expenses included in each cost category and
how they were calculated.

A written description of the numerical spreadsheet line items

Required by most donors

Cost Categories
Most budgets will contain the following cost categories.

 Personnel costs, including salaries, benefits, and possibly training or professional

development

 Travel and accommodations

 Equipment and supplies

 Other operational costs (rent, warehousing, transportation, vehicle operations, fuel,

telecommunications, security)

 Sub-contracts to other organizations or individuals

Costs are labeled as direct or indirect.

 NO standard definition/universal agreement exists among humanitarian

donors and agencies as to which costs should be considered direct vs.
indirect
 Consult the donor to ensure there is agreement on how expenses should be
categorized
Direct Costs

Expenses that can be traced directly to a cost required for implementing the project.

EXAMPLE
The salary costs to hire a doctor, the cost of medical supplies, and the expense for flights for
the doctor to travel from their home to the remote location are considered direct costs for a
humanitarian health program.

Indirect Costs (Overheads)

Expenses that cannot be traced directly to a cost required for implementing the project.
 Usually related to basic operating expenses (at organization’s headquarters) related to
finance, human resources, fundraising, or executive leadership
 Such expenses are difficult to directly assign to several concurrent projects across the
organization
 Typically set by the donor as a flat percentage of direct costs.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding. Select the correct answer to each
question.

QUESTION 1

In which section would a humanitarian agency describe its qualifications for managing
a proposed project?
o Problem Statement
o Needs Assessment
o Organizational Capacity
SUBMIT

QUESTION 2

Which of the following is included in the Justification for Intervention?

o Logframe
o Needs Assessment
o Cost Categories
 SUBMIT


Section 4: Proposal Development Process

Humanitarian organizations must take an organized approach to creating a proposal

regardless of whether it's in response to a donor's solicited request or its own
unsolicited search for funding.

Solicited and Unsolicited Funding

 Proposals are prepared to obtain either solicited or unsolicited funding.

Solicited Funding

The donor asks (solicits) identified humanitarian organizations to apply for their funding.

 Funding must be used to achieve a set of objectives or priorities defined by the donor
 Request for organizations to apply is often through a public competitive process
through a Call for Proposals (CFP) or Request for Proposals (RFP)
 Only organizations that meet eligibility requirements can apply
 Proposals are evaluated against pre-defined criteria
 Donors can use an uncompetitive process by asking one or more qualified/trusted
humanitarian organizations to submit a proposal

Unsolicited Funding
Humanitarian agency asks for funding from a donor that shares similar goals and priorities.

 Can require considerable effort to convince donors the project is worth funding
 Organizations have a lower chance of obtaining funds

Steps for Developing a Proposal

Developing a proposal typically takes these 6 steps.

Steps for Developing a Proposal

STEP 1 | Initial Evaluation (Go or No Go)

Review the funding opportunity to determine whether or not to submit a proposal (go or no
go). Some questions to consider include…
 Do you and the donor share the same values?
 Are you comfortable accepting their funding?
 Is your understanding of the priorities and needs of the population,
location, or program sector aligned with what the donor wants to fund?
 Do you have the capacity, resources, and skills to submit a compelling
proposal by the donor’s deadline?

STEP 2 | Proposal Development Workplan

–
The workplan does the following:
 Identifies people developing the proposal and their role
 Establishes the date for proposal completion to meet the donor’s
submission deadline

Other considerations should include:

 Determining whether to hire a skilled proposal writer
 Deciding how to obtain and incorporate input of local partners and crisis-
affected community
 Creating a proposal development budget to ensure all the costs of

developing the proposal are secured

STEP 3 | Proposal Development

The project team creates the proposal and project budget.

 Some donors require applicants to submit a Concept Note or Expression of
Interest (EOI) prior to submitting a proposal.
o Used to learn more about an organization and its project
o Used to determine if a request for a full proposal and budget will be
made
o Contains much of the same information as a full proposal and may
require same level of effort
o Would require careful preparation
 Donors often have proposal templates. Be sure to review and understand
the templates, especially the required narrative and budget formats.

STEP 4 | Proposal Submission

Other departments within the organization review the proposal, budget, and any supporting
documents (ex. security management or risk mitigation plans).

 Most humanitarian organizations define which specific leadership position

is authorized to approve a proposal based on its estimated value or
potential risk to the organization.

 Once approved, the proposal is submitted to the donor (often online).

STEP 5 | Negotiation and Revision

It may be several weeks/months before a donor responds to a proposal submission.

 Donors may:

o Accept the proposal as is

o Request additional information/seek clarity
o Negotiate aspects of the proposal
o
 Negotiation:
o Donor sends applicant an issues letter stating what must be
addressed for the proposal to be reconsidered
o Donor and applicant negotiate an agreement regarding issues
o Applicant submits a revised proposal/budget for review

EXAMPLE
Donor may find the proposal compelling, but believe the program cost is too high for the
budget available to support the crisis. The donor negotiates with the humanitarian
organization to see if and how the initial proposal might be adjusted to fit within the donor’s
overall priorities or budget.

STEP 6 | Agreement Review and Signature

The donor agrees to fund the proposal through a grant agreement.

Grant Agreements:
 Establish the donor’s:
o Terms and conditions
o Restrictions
o Legal obligations
  Proposal narratives are often included within the grant agreement or as an
annex (addition to a document)
 Should be reviewed by the humanitarian organization’s legal, finance, or
grants compliance staff

If both parties accept, then the grant agreement is signed ending the process.

Proposal development Mistakes

Some of the most common reasons a proposal is rejected are:

Poor Explanation
The explanation of the project, problem, context, or needs analysis is weak

Not Following Instructions

Incorrectly or incompletely answering the donor's questions or failing to adhere to their
processes/guidelines

Budget Mismatch
Itemized budget does not match the budget narrative

Poor Participation
Little or no evidence of participation of affected communities, local actors, or partners

Unrealistic Budget
Proposed costs too high or too low to achieve program goals

Undefined Beneficiaries
Target group not clearly defined

Being Unclear
Poor monitoring and evaluation framework make it unclear how success will be measured

Misalignment
Poor or questionable alignment between proposal and donor priorities and values

Being Late
Proposal was not submitted on time
A funding proposal, rather like a job application, needs to be tailored to the recipient...focus
with laser precision on the results the funder seeks. - Haniya Dar-Tobin
WORDS TO CONSIDER | Haniya Dar-Tobin
Commercial Contracts Director at Hamilton Verney Consulting
Click play to watch the video of Haniya sharing tips that make for a successful proposal.
Play Video

KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding.

QUESTION 1

True or False.

Unsolicited funding opportunities offer humanitarian organizations a higher likelihood of

being approved for funding.
 o True
o False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

QUESTION 2

True or False.

A concept note is where a donor lists the proposal issues that must be addressed for it to
receive a final evaluation.
o True
o False
SUBMIT

Section 5: Proposal Evaluation

It is essential to understand a donor’s criteria for evaluating a proposal to ensure all areas are
addressed.

Common Criteria

Many competitive funding solicitations publish a scoring matrix that provides their evaluation
criteria. Yet, this is not always the case nor is criteria always clear. Consult the donor's
representative when there are questions and if possible.

Criteria 1: Technical expertise and experience

Criteria 2: Project management capacity

Criteria 3: Presence and experience working in the local context

Criteria 4: Cost effectiveness or value for money

Criteria 5: Prior experience working donor

Criteria 6: Financial contribution from applying organization that complement the funds
requested from the donor

 Often referred to as cost-share or match funding; it may or may not be a requirement

Criteria 7: Inclusion of crisis affected and/or local communities in project design and
monitoring plan

Criteria 8: Clearly and fully completing all the sections of the proposal and budget template

Section 6: Course Summary

You’ve reached the end of the course. Let’s review what you should now understand about
grant proposal development.
 1. Proposals are a method for securing funding. They also help humanitarian
organizations effectively design and implement programs as well as be accountable to
those they serve.
2. Solicited funding is when a donor asks humanitarian organizations to apply for funds.
Unsolicited funding is when a humanitarian organization asks a specific donor(s) for
fund
3. The proposal development process involves: initial evaluation, workplan and proposal
development, proposal submission, negotiation and revision, and potentially
agreement and sign-off.
4. The two main parts of a proposal are the narrative and budget. Be sure to determine
what a donor considers direct and indirect costs.
5. It is vital to follow a donor’s proposal and budget development formats and
understand their proposal evaluation criteria.

Section 1: Course Introduction

Welcome to the course. Watch the video to get started.

Click the Play icon.

Section 2: The Project Cycle

This section will define a project as well as examine the phases and benefits of the project
cycle.

What is a Project?

Humanitarian organizations help crisis-affected populations by way of their projects.

A project is a series activities aimed at achieving specific objectives within a defined

timeframe.

Donors fund projects to deliver an expected result to affected people.

Cris affected populations invest their time and resources in objects, trusting they will help
them to:

- Survive
- Recover
- Improve their health and well-being

Role of Project Management

Effective and high-quality project management is essential to successful humanitarian action.

Project management is concerned with the planning, organizing, and management of

resources to achieve specific project outcomes.

Poor project management can result in project failure, leaving crisis-affected people without
the protection and assistance they need.

The Project Cycle

It provides a framework for continuous assessment, allowing for ongoing adjustment and
improvement of results for the project's duration.
It consists of 4 phases:

 Assessment and Analysis

 Design and Planning
 Implementation and Monitoring
 Evaluation and Closure

Assessment
and Analysis

Evaluation Crisis- Design

and Affected and
Closure People Planning

Implementati
on and
Monitoring

• No standard duration for each phase. You may start a phase before the prior one ends.

• Activities performed in one phase may overlap another.

• Phase activities will vary with the context and the specifics of the project.

Consider the benefits of using the project cycle.

Role of Project Management

Effective and high-quality project management is essential to successful humanitarian action.

Project management is concerned with the planning, organizing, and management of

resources to achieve specific project outcomes.

Poor project management can result in project failure, leaving crisis-affected people without

the protection and assistance they need.

The Project Cycle

Provides a framework for continuous assessment, allowing for ongoing adjustment and
improvement of results for the project's duration.

It consists of 4 phases:
Consider the benefits of using the project cycle.

Taking Care to Complete All Phases

Humanitarian emergencies create extreme pressures on humanitarians to act quickly. This can
result in a rush to project implementation.
Even when responding to rapid onset and acute crises, never underestimate the importance
of the initial phases of the project cycle.

Failing to properly assess and analyze a situation can result in...

• Implementation of the wrong program, in the wrong place, in a less effective and cost-

efficient manner

• Harm to crisis-affected population

Eliminating areas of the design and planning phase can result in implementation delays, cost

increases, and greater risks to both humanitarian staff and crisis-affected communities.

To address the need for rapid response, the sector has adapted standard project management
tools and processes.

Section 3 of 7
PHASE 1: Assessment and Analysis

The assessment and analysis phase of the project cycle entails gathering and analyzing
information to understand the crisis situation and the needs of people affected by it.
What Does the Phase Involve?
You need to answer these questions...

Who is affected by the Where are the

crisis? populations in need What do they need to
and how accessible are survive, and regain or
they? retain their health and
well-being with
dignity?

During this phase the project team...

  bullet

Analyzes the humanitarian context and stakeholder environment

 bullet
Assesses the needs of the affected population

Let's examine 3 of the common types of activities.

Context Analysis
Your project should begin with an analysis of the context within which the crisis is occurring.
Stakeholder Analysis
Stakeholders are individuals, communities, groups, or organizations with an interest in the
outcome of a humanitarian project. Care must be taken to understand, consider, and address
their needs and concerns.
  bullet

They may be affected positively/negatively by a project

 bullet
They may positively/negatively influence a project
Unexpected and undesirable outcomes can occur when stakeholders are excluded,
misunderstood, or their interests are poorly managed.
Why is it conducted?
A stakeholder analysis is conducted to…

 bullet

Identify the interests of different groups

 bullet

Leverage the support of persons supporting the project

 bullet
Minimize the risks to those opposing the project
What are the benefits?
Click the cards to discover 3 important benefits it provides.

Stakeholder Analysis Matrix

A helpful tool used to identify, elaborate, and communicate the interests, capacity, and
potential actions of project stakeholders.
Rapid Needs Assessment
A rapid needs assessment is a crucial first step to quickly understand the immediate needs and
priorities of the affected population. The information gained guides initial relief efforts in the
crisis-affected area.
 Data Collection: A Closer Look
The proper collection and use of data is essential to...

 bullet

Ensure impartiality
 bullet
Allow agencies to deliver effective and efficient assistance
Ethical standards must be considered due to the sensitive nature of data collected and that
simply participating in the process may put people at risk.
EXAMPLE | Affected community members could experience physical violence or social

marginalization for participating. Thus, it is important to ensure an assessment has their full

participation and informed consent.

KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding. Click/tap the correct answer to each
question.
QUESTION 1

True or False. Input from other humanitarian organizations should be included in a rapid

needs assessment.

o True
o False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN

QUESTION 2

True or False. Members of the crisis-affected community are not considered project

stakeholders because they are the recipients of aid.

o True
o False
SUBMIT

Section 4 of 7
PHASE 2: Design and Planning

The design and planning phase of the project cycle involves establishing the operational
framework for the project.
What Does the Phase Involve?
You need to answer these questions...

What impact do What is the best How should we What resources

we hope to way to achieve meet the needs of do we need to
achieve with our that result in this the crisis-affected achieve project
intervention? particular population? goals?
During this phase the project team...

 bullet

Defines the problem driving the affected population’s needs

 bullet

Identifies the most appropriate intervention(s) to respond to the problem

 bullet

Creates a logical framework (logframe) to summarize key aspects of the humanitarian project
being implemented

 bullet

Analyzes and mobilizes the resources to achieve project results

 bullet
Develops a detailed implementation plan to guide project work
Let's examine 4 of the common types of activities.

Problem Analysis
This is a critical step for ensuring you understand the causes of the problem identified in the
assessment and analysis phase.
It achieves the following…

 bullet

Guides all subsequent planning and decision-making on project priorities

 bullet

Identifies the negative aspects of an existing situation (problems) and their immediate and
underlying causes
 bullet
Identifies the effects of the problem
A solutions/alternatives tree does the following...

 bullet

Communicates the goals (blue boxes) and outcomes (grey boxes) that need to be pursued to
solve the core problem
 bullet
Identifies which elements will be out of scope for the project (yellow boxes)

Identifies which elements will be out of scope for the project (yellow boxes)
Logical Framework (Logframe)

After analyzing the problems and identifying solutions, you must design the project’s
structure so it can be resourced and implemented.

A logframe establishes the logical sequence of cause and effect relationships that should lead
to a solution to the crisis-affected community's problem(s).

It seeks to answer these 4 questions...

 1

What do we want to achieve? (outputs and outcomes leading to a clearly defined set of
objectives and one goal)

 2

How will we achieve our objectives and goal? (set of activities)

  3

How will we gauge success? (indicators and means of verification)

 4
4
What potential problems might arise? (risks and assumptions)

goal
–
Long-term positive effects of the project on the targeted population. The ultimate objective
or impact to which the project contributes.
outcomes
–
What the project expects to accomplish. The significant, measurable changes in the capacity,
knowledge, or well-being of the targeted population.
outputs
–
Tangible and measurable products or services resulting from project activities that together
contribute to outcomes.
activities
–
Tasks to be carried out or actions to be done which produce outputs.
indicators
–
Factor or variable that provides a simple and reliable means to measure the achievements
from an intervention. May be…
 Qualitative (reported in words or statements, described and explained)
 Quantitative (reported as numbers, proportions, ratios, or rates of change)

Develop using SMART criteria.

 Specific – Must be specific and focus on the change that is expected at each level.
What or who is changing?
 Measurable – Must be quantifiable and measurable. Can the indicator be assessed
objectively and independently?
 Achievable – Must be attainable within the constraints of the project budget/resources,
time/budget, and scope/quality.
 Relevant – Must accurately measure the change the project aspires to generate. Does
the indicator practically and cost-effectively measure the outputs, outcomes, and/or
goal?
 Time-bound – Must identify a specific time and date. By when will the indicator be
achieved? Can the indicator be achieved within the established timeframe?

Means of Verification (MoV)

–
Ways in which the information will be collected to monitor and evaluate progress.
assumptions
–
An external factor already in place that can influence the project’s success or a condition that
needs to be met for the project to succeed.

Phrased as positive statements about the conditions that already exist and enable the
achievement of a project's desired results.
inputs
–
Financial, material, or human resources required to carry out an activity.
risks
–
External factors that could prevent a project from achieving its outputs and outcomes (phrased
as a negative statement about what might go wrong).

Risks differ from assumptions in that they are phrased as negative statements about what
could go wrong

Resource Analysis
After designing a project, it needs to be costed, and have the resources to support its
implementation identified.
Click the plus signs (+) to learn what is involved.

Develop Budget
–
Develop a detailed budget that aligns with the logframe’s objectives, outcomes, outputs, and
activities.
Obtain Funding
–
Secure funding for resources from internal or external sources.
 External financing requires the identification of potential donors, then submission of
funding proposals to secure the necessary resources.

Consider Partnerships
–
Consider partnerships with other NGOs, the private sector, and the host government which
can contribute materials, skills, training, or expertise.

Consult Community
–
Determine what the crisis-affected community can contribute (volunteer labor, locally
available building supplies, etc.)
Implementation Planning
The logframe and resource inputs are turned into a plan outlining the steps to implement the
project. A good implementation plan...

 bullet

Is created before the project begins

 bullet

Includes a wide variety of internal and external stakeholder participation

 bullet

Incorporates and plans for risks and their mitigation

 bullet

Is adaptable in the face of unexpected issues that arise in the course of implementation
 bullet
Is reassessed during the project and updated to reflect any changes in the context
 KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding. Click/tap the correct answer to each
question.
QUESTION 1

True or False. A logframe is the project's formal implementation plan.

True
False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 2

Which graphic representation shows the primary issue faced by a crisis-affected population

along with its causes and main effects?

Problem Tree
Logical Framework
Objective and Solution Tree
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 3

In which logframe section would a paid invoice be listed?

Means of Verification
Outcomes
Risks
Indicators
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 4

Determining the availability of local contractors for helping construct latrine/WASH areas

would be part of which activity?

Problem Analysis
Implementation Planning
Resource Analysis
Monitoring
SUBMIT

Essential Duty of Care Principles

Organizations must ensure they meet these responsibilities.

Employees receive Its approach is comparable or

Employees
training/education to better than other
understand the
manage and respond organizations working in the
risks they face
to those risks and same environment

Employees
understand the
risks they face

Critical incidents
Leadership establishes Safety and security
response plans are
clear policies and standard equipment are
resourced, practiced,
operating procedures to provided
communicated and
mitigate safety risks
effective

Providing humanitarian aid is dangerous work. Every year, hundreds of aid workers are
injured or killed helping others due to safety and security factors. This section will examine
two types of risks.

Safety and Security Risks

Safety
–
Safety is freedom from risk or harm resulting from unintentional acts such as:
  Accidents (injured in traffic accident)
 Natural phenomenon (injured in a flood)
 Illness (contract COVID-19 or malaria)

Consider the mental and physical health of employees related to safety risks

Security
–
Security is freedom from risk or harm resulting from violence or other intentional acts such
as:
 Kidnapping
 Bombing
 Murder
 Sexual assault
 Theft

Often perpetrated by:

 Soldier
 Criminal
 Disgruntled member of crisis-affected population
 Fellow aid worker

Consider the mental and physical health of employees related to security risks

Trends in Violence
You have to do a situational analysis...Because what really matters are the trends [in threats]
where you are working.
- Rex Brynen

WORDS TO CONSIDER | Rex Brynen

Section 3 of 8
Security Risk Management
 Security Risk Management is critical to safely deliver programs to people and communities
affected by a crisis.
The aim of security risk management (SRM) is to enable greater access to and impact on
crisis-affected populations through the protection of aid workers, programs, and
organizations, balancing acceptable risk with program criticality.
SOURCE | Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF)
Humanitarian organizations with effective SRM strategies are...

 bullet

Equipped with systems, tools, policies, and a culture to effectively address and mitigate risks
 bullet
Better able to operate in challenging environments
Organizations must include among their standard operating procedures the…

 bullet

Management, prevention, and mitigation of safety and security risks

 bullet
Tracking and reporting of safety and security incidents
Specialized Departments
Large NGOs and UN agencies have entire security, duty of care, or global risk management
departments. The staff are often professional safety and security advisors often stationed in
the highest-risk environments.
An Expanding Focus on Safety and Security
Other organizations have formed to improve the safety and security of aid workers.

International NGO Safety Organization (INSO)

–
Provides security intelligence, training, and support in the management of critical incidents in
humanitarian crisis zones
Global Interagency Security Forum (GISF)
–
Fosters advancements in security risk management via a global network of member
organizations
Aid Worker Security Database (AWSD)
–
Collects, analyzes, and publishes research about security incidents affecting the humanitarian
sector
Access is what we're all about as humanitarians and maintaining our access to communities
in need. And in order to achieve that, we need good risk management. Security is inherent
in allowing us to do our job.

- Gareth Owen, Save the Children - UK

Achieving Effective Security Risk Management
The essential question when designing security risk management strategies is “How can my
organization stay and deliver aid safely?”
Click the plus signs (+) to view key components of effective management.
Context Analysis
–
 Understanding the crisis environment and those involved, by identifying socio-
cultural, economic, and geographical factors that can influence risk
 Provides insight into how risk factors can affect an organization’s response
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
–
 Analyzing specific threats faced by a humanitarian organization based on its
programs, mission, relationships, staffing, and location of operations
 Identifying ways to limit or reduce the probability and impact of threats
 Considering how an employee’s personal threat level may be influenced by their:
o Sexuality and gender identity
o Ethnicity
o Race
o Religion
o Nationality

Integrating information from context analysis is key to creating an effective risk assessment.

SOP Development and Dissemination

–
Establishing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for how the organization should:
 Conduct its routine business to minimize exposure to and protect against identified
safety and security risks
 Respond to, report on, and learn from critical security incidents

Security Management Plan (SMP) Development

–
Outlining clear roles and responsibilities, crisis management procedures, and the overarching
security strategy appropriate to each location in the country where organizations are working

Contingency Planning
–
Establishing clear plans for action when a context becomes too unsafe to continue operations.
 Hibernation (sheltering in place)
 Relocation (staged withdrawal)
 Evacuation (rapid withdrawal)

Reporting and Information Sharing

–
 Collecting and analyzing data/trends
 Sharing information about security incidents with peer organizations to design
corrective actions and improve staff safety and security
 The Security Triangle
 The security triangle is a framework developed and used by humanitarian
organizations to design security management strategies.
The triangle consists of 3 approaches for enhancing organizational and individual security.
They are often used together.
ACCEPTANCE
Attempting to reduce or remove threats by increasing the acceptance (political or social
consent) of an organization’s presence and work within a context.

 bullet

Involves convincing various actors (affected community, host government, or non-state armed
actors) that the organization/programs pose no threat
 bullet
Should be the foundation of all security strategies

May NOT be effective in these situations:

 bullet

General lawlessness
 bullet
Armed actors have ideologies that conflict with the principled delivery of humanitarian aid
PROTECTION
Using protective devices and procedures to reduce vulnerability to threats. Does NOT
address those who pose the threat.
 Relying too much on some strategies can isolate an organization from a community
and reduce its interactions with crisis-affected populations such as over-fortifying a
humanitarian organization's offices.
DETERRENCE
Deterring a threat with a counter-threat. This is the least desirable approach for
humanitarians.
 Section 4 of 8
Security Risk Assessment

This section will examine how risk assessment is essential in keeping staff, colleagues, and
crisis-affected people safe.
Risk Assessment Factors

Humanitarian organizations design security management strategies and build security

management plans according to 3 factors...Threat + Vulnerability = Risk

Threat
–
An external danger to a humanitarian worker, organization, or project that one is unable to
control.
Vulnerability
–
The likelihood or probability of a certain threat occurring combined with the impact or
consequences of that threat if it occurs.
Risk
–
The combination of a threat and its vulnerability
Security Risk Analysis Table
A Security Risk Analysis (SRA) table is a common method used by humanitarians to assess
threat levels.
Vertical column (y-axis): Calculate the likelihood of a specific security threat occurring
Horizontal row (x-axis): Estimate the severity of the threat's impact should it occur
Example
Click the arrows for an example of using an SRA table to assess risk. Each scene is described
below the image.
 Reducing Risk
Click the plus signs (+) to learn 4 ways of reducing the risk of a threat.

Click the plus signs (+) to learn 4 ways of reducing the risk of a threat.
Reduce the Threat
–
One could make an investment in achieving greater acceptance among actors that might do
the organization harm.

EXAMPLE
Using the United Nations to negotiate with armed actors for your organization to gain access
to the affected population.

Reduce the Consequences/Impact of the Threat

–
This might entail giving all staff first-aid or hostile environment training in advance of their
deployment.

Reduce or Eliminate Exposure to the Threat

–
An organization could use enhanced protection measures like installing more screening
procedures to enter an NGOs compound.
Another action could be relocating staff or changing locations of operations temporarily or
permanently in highly insecure situations (very extreme case).

Risk Transfer
–
To reduce risk, an organization could subcontract the delivery of supplies in an insecure area
to a local transport company instead of doing it themself.
 Another entity does the work and assumes the risk.
 Ethical concerns arise if international actors transfer risk to local actors
without the necessary resources and technical support to mitigate those
risks.
  Section 5 of 8
 Personal Safety and Security


 No humanitarian organization’s safety, security, and duty of care systems can
eliminate all risks to its staff. This section will explore how one's actions can keep
themselves and others safe.
 Minimizing Risk
 Employees must make decisions and act in ways that maximize the safety and security
of those within and outside their organization.


 Click the plus signs (+) to discover ways of minimizing risks to yourself and others.

Be Responsible
–
Accept responsibility and accountability for your actions or inactions
Follow Rules
–
Understand and adhere to your organization’s safety and security policies
Be Cautious
–
Do not risk your life or the lives of others unnecessarily
Act Appropriately
–
 Treat colleagues, stakeholders, and crisis-affected communities with dignity
 Understand and respect local customs and culture
 Refrain from behavior that could discredit the organization

Be Prepared
–
Understand the work environment and its potential threats, and what to do in case of an
emergency
Inform Others
–
 Let colleagues know your location and follow travel protocols
 Report safety or security incidents through the appropriate organizational channels
 Section 6 of 8
 Wellness and Staff Care


 Stress, trauma, and burnout can negatively impact a humanitarian's health. This
section will examine the importance of ensuring staff wellness.
 Understanding Stress, Trauma, and Burnout
 Safety and security risks, high-stress levels, long work hours, physically challenging
environments, and experiencing the trauma of crisis-affected communities take a toll
on the mental health of humanitarians.
 Both an organization and its staff share the responsibility of supporting emotional
wellbeing.


 Click on the plus signs (+) to closely examine stress, trauma, and burnout.
Click on the plus signs (+) to closely examine stress, trauma, and burnout.
Stress
–
 Difficulty or challenge that causes a physical, emotional, or psychological
strain
  Occurs when imposed demands or a situational context exceed someone’s
ability or resources to cope
 Common sources of stress for humanitarians include:
o Team conflict
o Excessive workloads
o Separation from family
o Travel restrictions
o Living in/among societies undergoing extreme hardship

Chronic Stress
–
Stress that persists over a long time period. Often results in:
 Anxiety
 Insomnia
 Depression
 Physical health issues
 Increased risk-taking
 Use or increased use of drugs/alcohol

Traumatic Stress
–
Humanitarian workers can experience extreme stress when a traumatic event threatens their
life or wellbeing.

Symptoms of traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) include:

 Feelings of powerlessness, horror, or terror
 Nightmares
 Flashbacks
 Grief
 Interpersonal conflict long after the incident occurred, or one has left their
working environment

Vicarious Trauma
–
Humanitarian workers exhibit the same symptoms as trauma survivors due to being in close
contact and empathizing with them.
Burnout
–
Symptoms include:
 Emotional exhaustion
 Physical tiredness
 Lack of energy
 Lack of motivation
 Pessimism
 Reduced sense of accomplishment

Compassion Fatigue
–
Stress that causes one to become cynical, apathetic, and numb to the suffering of others.
Ensuring Wellness and Staff Care
It is critical for humanitarian organizations to support their employees’ physical, mental, and
emotional health before, during, and after their assignments.
This is done by providing…
practicing self-care is challenging for humanitarian workers despite the high levels of
pressure, stress, and threats they face.

- Marie-Adele Salem
WORDS TO CONSIDER | Marie-Adele Salem
Staff Care and Resilience Mental Health Clinician with The KonTerra Group
Click play to watch the video of Marie-Adele discussing the importance of taking care of
yourself while working.
Play Video
Section 7 - Knowledge Check
Take a few moments to check your understanding. Select the correct answer to each question.
QUESTION 1

True or False. A security risk results from intentional acts.

True
False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 2

Which of these situations is an example of a safety risk?

Having personal property stolen

Being abducted by armed actors
Passing through a vehicle checkpoint
Becoming infected with Ebola
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 3

Creating a response strategy for when an operational setting becomes too unsafe is an

example of which component of security risk management?

Context Analysis
Risk Assessment and Mitigation
Contingency Planning
Reporting and Information Sharing
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 4

Which security approach is represented by erecting a high wall around an NGO's office?

Acceptance
Protection
Deterrence
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 5

There is a high probability of many staff being infected with COVID-19 due to the lack of

masks available to the community. Which risk assessment factor does this represent?

Threat
Vulnerability
Risk
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 6
 Armand has worked for over one year in a country experiencing heavy armed conflict and

many deaths. He told his supervisor that he has begun feeling indifferent to people's pain.

What is Armand most likely feeling?

Traumatic stress
Compassion fatigue
Vicarious trauma
SUBMIT

Section 8 of 8
Course Summary

You’ve reached the end of the course. Let’s review what you should now understand.

 1

Having effective safety, security, and duty of care policies and procedures is an important
focus of humanitarian organizations.

 2

Safety involves reducing risks from unintentional acts (traffic accidents). Security involves
reducing risks from intentional acts (kidnapping).

 3

Security risk management involves several components such as conducting a context analysis
and risk assessment.

 4

A security triangle is a framework for designing security management strategies according to

three approaches: acceptance, protection and/or deterrence.

 5

A security risk analysis table helps assess a risk’s threat level.

 6
6
Humanitarian organizations and their staff share responsibility for ensuring personal safety
and overall wellness. Managing stress is an important part of this.
Section 1 of 6
Course Introduction

Take a look at this table showing technological innovations across all sectors in
humanitarian action.

Welcome to the course. Watch the video and look at the table to get started.
Section 2 of 6
Data Collection, Use, and Protection

Humanitarian organizations collect, analyze, publish, store, and transmit increasing amounts
of digital data. A portion of it is personal data from crisis-affected people. This section will
examine the common types of personal data and the importance of protecting it.

People in conflict zones and/or experiencing human rights abuse, political repression, or
insurgency can be in an extreme state of vulnerability.
Data collected from them MUST be protected. Otherwise, it could be targeted and used by
state or non-state actors to harm them.

Some examples of this harm include:

What is Personal Data?

Personal data is any data about a specific person. It can be used to identify the person by
itself, in conjunction with other data, or by some means related to it.

Personal data from crisis-affected individuals is highly sensitive and commonly collected.

Click the plus signs (+) to learn about specific types.

Biodata
–
Information about the individual’s life and biographical information. Examples include:
 Name
 Marital status
 Date and place of birth
 Country or city of origin
 Languages spoken
 Educational level

Biometric Data
–
An extremely sensitive subset of biodata.
 Allows for the identification of a person using their unique biological information
 Examples include:
o Fingerprints
o Facial scans
o Iris (eye) scans
o DNA
Collecting and Protecting Personal Data

There is NO universally agreed-upon set of data protection standards for the humanitarian
sector. So organizations develop their own data protection policies.

Humanitarian organizations should follow these general principles for processing personal
data.
Think About This...
Is obtaining a person's consent a very clear process? Click Play to watch a video with another
view on this topic.
Humanitarian data must never be used for any other purpose than humanitarian. The trust
people place in us depends on it.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding. Click/tap the correct answer to each
question.
QUESTION 1

True or False. Countries cannot restrict the collection of personal data so long as consent has

been obtained.

True
False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 2

What should be done if a crisis-affected person expresses concern about participating in a

focus group survey?

Assure them that other people's data is included

Explain how the data will help the community
Exclude them from the data collection process
Allow them to first read other people's responses
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 3

True or False. A person's place of birth is an example of biodata.

True
False
SUBMIT

Section 3 of 6
Humanitarians and Technology Innovations

Technological innovations are allowing humanitarians to deliver more responsive, effective,

and efficient programs. This section will explore ways new or existing technology is
transforming humanitarian aid.
Mobile Technology
Crisis-affected people can generally be expected to have smartphones, simpler text-based
phones, or tablets.

Click the plus sign (+) to learn 2 ways humanitarians are using this technology.

Text Messaging
–
Humanitarian organizations have used text messaging to enhance program delivery, data
collection, and large-group communication.
 Common method of communication with crisis-affected people
 Used to distribute and gather information/feedback anonymously
 Bulk SMS transmissions (short messaging systems) are relatively low-cost and
effective. Examples:
o Distribute critical public health information to communities
o Transmit real-time alerts: earthquake, tsunami, and more
o Distribute rapid surveys for collecting vital information for emergency
response planning

Money Transfers
–
Mobile phones can also be used to send and receive money via banking and other digital
payment technologies. This has facilitated the growth of new fundraising, program, and
support delivery methods.

Humanitarian organizations can:

 Pay staff and suppliers
 Better utilize cash transfer programs by sending millions of dollars to crisis-affected
people quickly and without the risks of physically transporting it

People can:
 Provide financial assistance to friends/family throughout the world
 Receive cash online directly from private individual donors (GiveDirectly.org)

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or Drones

While not widely used in humanitarian relief operations, drones can allow organizations to
reach remote populations and locations cut off by logistical obstacles or armed actors to
improve the delivery of aid.

Click the cards to learn ways humanitarians are using this technology.

Drones: Helpful or Hurtful?

Using drones is not without controversy. In many situations of armed conflict, drones are

used as weapons of war including targeted assassinations.

Also, they can be used for border surveillance purposes by authorities trying to deter people

from entering a safer country when fleeing disaster or conflict. Thus, people traumatized by

these uses may fear drones.

Also, some conflict belligerents may question the neutrality of humanitarian organizations

that use them.

Crowdsourcing and Disaster Response

Crowdsourcing involves gathering input from very large numbers of geographically dispersed
people to help with a task. They often collect, translate, validate, and integrate or summarize
information.

Although beneficial, crowdsourcing can produce unreliable or biased data that organizations
must consider and mitigate.
Click the plus signs (+) to see examples of how humanitarians use crowdsourcing.
Disaster Mapping
–
Using input from crisis-affected communities and other local actors to produce real-time,
interactive disaster maps. Some uses include:
 Monitoring global hunger
 Tracking COVID-19 cases
 Tracking where/how people move after a disaster

EXAMPLE | Ushahidi.com
An interactive website launched after the onset of election-related violence in Kenya in 2008.
 Allows users to upload information related to violence they witnessed
 Creates a record for establishing who was complicit in violence and how
it spread
 Helps humanitarian organizations visualize what exactly is happening in a
complex and difficult situation

Disaster Response
–
Other web applications used by humanitarians include:

EXAMPLE | Google Crisis Response

An online platform providing information about worldwide disasters.
 Forecasting and alerts
 Personal safety
 Access to emergency services
 Recovery services

EXAMPLE | Google Person Finder

A web application for people to post information on and search for the location of relatives or
friends impacted by a disaster.
Think About This...
The internet is a useful tool for helping crisis-affected people. Yet, it has limitations. Click
play to learn more.
KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Take a few moments to check your understanding. Click/tap the correct answer to each
question.
QUESTION 1

True or False. Humanitarian organizations should consider drone usage to be a risk-free

method for supporting aid programs.

True
False
SUBMIT

TAKE AGAIN
QUESTION 2

Which one of the following examples is a limitation of crowdsourcing?

It must be conducted face to face

Participants are not culturally diverse
Data is gathered from only one location
Data collected may be unreliable
SUBMIT
Section 4 of 6
Information as a Program Sector

Many crisis-affected people indicate information as being an immediate need. This section
highlights the importance of information in humanitarian work.
Mobile Statistics
Consider the following...

In 2016...a UN Human Rights Council resolution declared internet access to be a basic

human right.
Mobile Expectations
As a result of the above...many crisis-affected people expect to use mobile technology to...

 bullet

Communicate with one another, humanitarian aid providers, family, and friends
 bullet
Find information on accessing food, education, claiming asylum, and locating medical care or
an emergency shelter

A Humanitarian Program Sector

Humanitarian agencies are partnering with technology and social media companies to create
online platforms and communities to help people find high-quality, accessible, and timely
information in the languages they speak.
EXAMPLE | Signpost Project

Launched by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and Mercy Corps in 2015 to help

refugees arriving in Greece with nothing but cell phones.

The initiative has since grown to include several large companies and operates across Europe,

Central America, and the Middle East.

The project provides...

 bullet

Current and relevant information on where to find services and how to contact agencies for
help
 bullet
Two-way communication between and among crisis-affected people and humanitarians

Section 5 of 6
Technology and the Potential for Harm

Humanitarians must understand how technology can potentially harm crisis-affected

populations and take action to protect them. This section will examine some of the threats the
misuse of technology may pose.
Potential Threats
Click the plus signs (+) to learn about these threats.

Potential Threats
Click the plus signs (+) to learn about these threats.
General Surveillance and Border Control
–
Some governments use technology to limit the number of people entering their country.
Virtual or smart walls restrict people’s ability to claim asylum and infringe on their human
and refugee rights.

Some examples of this technology include…

 Drones
 Sensor towers
 Robot dogs
 Collection of biometric data from refugees and migrants

People subjected to this use of technology by governments may view it as dehumanizing by

reducing them to just a number.

Data Breaches and Cyberattacks

–
Malicious actors may seek to break into an organization’s computer systems to learn the
identities of crisis-affected people they consider enemies, insurgents, or civil protestors.

It’s important to take steps to prevent…

Data Breaches
When computer systems are penetrated, and the personal data of aid recipients is:
 Accessed
 Stolen/copied
 Deleted

Cyberattacks
Efforts to incapacitate, hijack, or hold for ransom the computer systems and data that a
humanitarian organization has collected.

Division and Erosion of Trust

–
Improved technology and the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in more virtual interactions
between/among humanitarians and crisis-affected people.

Remote Aid
More aid activities are conducted remotely with minimal contact between providers and
recipients.

This may result in negative consequences.

 Emotional disconnect
 Mistrust
 Decreased unity between organizations and crisis-affected people
 Reduced effectiveness of aid

Social Media
Social media platforms can spread propaganda and hate as well as promote violence. Yet, it
can also combat misinformation and connect people.

Section 6 of 6
Course Summary

You’ve reached the end of the course. Let’s review what you should now understand about
information, data, and technology in the humanitarian sector.

 1

Technological innovations have influenced humanitarian work such as using text messaging
to distribute important information.

 2

Great care must be taken when collecting, storing, and using personal data to prevent its
misuse and protect crisis-affected people.

 3

3
Many crisis-affected people have access to phones and the internet, while some do not. This
must factor into your program design. Consider how technology may be used so all persons
are included.
 4
4
While beneficial, technology can be exploited for harmful purposes. It is vital to use
technology carefully when working with data and providing aid.
Section 1 of 3
Course Introduction

Welcome to the course. Watch the videos to get started.

to be a successful humanitarian aid worker you need patience, great communication skills,
and of course the passion to want to work in this sector.

- Nadedeh Rashti
Section 2 of 3
Core Humanitarian Competency Framework (CHCF)

The humanitarian sector has seen progress in becoming a profession like the fields of law,
medicine, and education. This section will explain what it means to be a profession and
explore the sector’s progress in being recognized as one.

What is a Profession?
For fields to be considered a profession, they are understood to have 5 basic characteristics.
 Humanitarianism as a Profession
There is debate as to whether humanitarian action is yet, or will ever become a single
profession.
Some define humanitarianism as a group of distinct professions working together to operate in

the world’s crisis zones.

The 3 major obstacles to humanitarianism being considered a profession are…

There are several actions that one can take to overcome these obstacles.
Skill Development
–
Complete online learning through various resources such as DisasterReady.org which
provides a library of self-paced courses, certifications, and videos at no cost.

Organization Participation
–
Join membership organizations focusing on humanitarian work that create communities of
practice that bring those working in the same functional sectors together. Examples include...
 International NGO Safety and Security Association (INSSA.org) [for
security risk management professionals]
 Humentum.org (for finance, human resources, information technology)

Core Humanitarian Competency Framework (CHCF)

The sector has made significant progress professionally by establishing a commonly accepted
competency framework.

The CHCF defines the core behaviors, skills, and knowledge humanitarian workers should
demonstrate within six competency domains. The domains should guide...

 bullet

Recruitment of employees
 bullet
Decisions about employee professional development, retention, and promotion
Click the plus signs (+) to view the 6 competency domains.

Understand Humanitarian Contexts and Apply Core Principles and Standards

–
One must understand the basic features of humanitarian crises including the one in which they
work and the essential aspects of humanitarian work. These include the:
 Project Cycle
 Code of Conduct
 SPHERE Standards
 Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)
Achieve Results
–
A humanitarian should:
 Be accountable for their own work in accordance with their job
responsibilities
 Use the resources entrusted to the organization to ensure maximum
program quality and impact

Develop and Maintain Collaborative Relationships

–
Humanitarian workers must listen well, create positive dialogue with stakeholders and crisis-
affected people, and work well with others.

Operate Safely and Securely

–
One must act to:
 Minimize the risks to crisis-affected people, partners, and colleagues
 Manage one’s own personal safety

Manage Under Pressure and in Rapidly Changing Environments

–
Effective humanitarians adapt to and cope with change while maintaining the highest levels of
ethical and professional integrity.

Demonstrate Leadership
–
Regardless of being in a managerial role or not, one must:
 Know their strengths and limitations
 Strive to inspire confidence from those with whom they interact

A Closer Look at the CHCF

The CHCF was originally developed by the Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies in
2011 and updated by the CHS Alliance in 2017.

Click the link to view a PDF version of the CHCF Framework

Understand Humanitarian Contexts and Apply Core Principles and Standards

–
One must understand the basic features of humanitarian crises including the one in which they
work and the essential aspects of humanitarian work. These include the:
 Project Cycle
 Code of Conduct
 SPHERE Standards
 Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)

Achieve Results
–
A humanitarian should:
 Be accountable for their own work in accordance with their job
responsibilities
 Use the resources entrusted to the organization to ensure maximum
program quality and impact

Develop and Maintain Collaborative Relationships

–
Humanitarian workers must listen well, create positive dialogue with stakeholders and crisis-
affected people, and work well with others.

Operate Safely and Securely

–
One must act to:
 Minimize the risks to crisis-affected people, partners, and colleagues
 Manage one’s own personal safety

Manage Under Pressure and in Rapidly Changing Environments

–
Effective humanitarians adapt to and cope with change while maintaining the highest levels of
ethical and professional integrity.

Demonstrate Leadership
–
Regardless of being in a managerial role or not, one must:
 Know their strengths and limitations
 Strive to inspire confidence from those with whom they interact

A Closer Look at the CHCF

The CHCF was originally developed by the Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies in
2011 and updated by the CHS Alliance in 2017.

Click the link to view a PDF version of the CHCF Framework