competencies in humanitarian work guide

Humanitarian Staff Development Project

Programme Guide

A comprehensive, dynamic staff developmentapproach enabling organisations to recognise,refine and improve individual skills, strengthenbehaviours in their staff, and raise standards andquality in future humanitarian responses.

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CompetencyDomains

Outcomes

Understandinghumanitarian contextsand applyinghumanitarian principles

Achieving results Developing andmaintainingcollaborativerelationships

Operating safely andsecurely at all times

Managing yourself in apressured and changingenvironment

Demonstratingleadership inhumanitarian response

Understand operatingcontexts, keystakeholders andpractices affectingcurrent and futurehumanitarianinterventions

Be accountable for yourwork and use resourceseffectively to achievelasting results

Develop and maintaincollaborative andcoordinatedrelationships withstakeholders and staff

Operate safely andsecurely in a pressuredenvironment

Adapt to pressure andchange to operateeffectively withinhumanitarian contexts

Demonstratehumanitarian values andprinciples, and motivateothers to achieve resultsin complex situations,independent of one’srole, function or seniority

Competenciesand CoreBehavioursfor all staff inhumanitarianresponse,informed byskills andknowledge

� Ensuring programmequality and impact> Demonstrateunderstanding of agencyproject cycle management.

> Actively participate in thedesign and implementationof effective projects andprogrammes.

> Maintain focus on deliveryof timely and appropriateresults using availableresources.

� Working accountably> Be answerable to crisis-affected people for youractions and decisions.

> Collect, analyse anddisseminate relevant anduseful information andfeedback with crisis-affectedpeople and otherstakeholders.

� Making decisions> Demonstrate flexibility toadapt in situations of rapidchange, always informed by afocus on crisis-affectedpeople.

> Demonstrateunderstanding of when adecision can be taken andwhen to involve others.

> Consider the wider impactof your decisions in order toachieve results.

� Listening and creatingdialogue> Actively listen to new anddifferent perspectives andexperiences of crisis-affected people,stakeholders and teammembers.

> Establish and maintainclear dialogue with crisis-affected people or otherstakeholders.

� Working with others> Contribute positively in theteam to achieve programmeobjectives.

> Share useful informationand knowledge withcolleagues, partners andcrisis-affected people as andwhen appropriate.

> Actively participate innetworks to access andcontribute to good practice.

> Challenge decisions andbehaviour which breach theInternational Red Cross andRed Crescent and NGOs /individual agency Codes ofConduct.

� Minimising risk tocommunities, partners andstakeholders> Pay attention to the safetyof crisis-affected people andother key stakeholdersIdentify and communicaterisk and threats and mitigatethese for you and youragency.

> Take measures to ‘do noharm’ and to minimise risksfor your partners and thecrisis-affected people youwork with.

� Managing personal safetyand security> Build and sustainacceptance for your work inline with humanitarianprinciples and standards.

> Reduce vulnerability bycomplying with safety andsecurity protocols set by yourorganisation and adapt themto the local context.

> Champion the importanceof safety and keep the safetyof colleagues and teammembers in mind at alltimes.

� Adapting and coping> Remain focused on yourobjectives and goals in arapidly changingenvironment.

> Adapt calmly to changingsituations and constraints.

> Recognise personal stressand take steps to reduce it.

> Remain constructive andpositive under stress to beable to tolerate difficult andchallenging environments.

� Maintainingprofessionalism> Take responsibility for yourown work and its impact onothers.

> Plan, prioritise andperform tasks well underpressure.

> Maintain ethical andprofessional behaviour inaccordance with relevantcodes of conduct.

> Demonstrate personalintegrity by using one’sposition responsibly andfairly.

> Be aware of internal andexternal influences thataffect your performance.

� Self-awareness> Show awareness of yourown strengths andlimitations and their impacton others.

> Demonstrateunderstanding of your skillsand how they complementthose of others to build teameffectiveness.

> Seek and reflect onfeedback to improve yourperformance.

� Motivating and influencingothers> Communicatehumanitarian values andencourage others to sharethem.

> Inspire confidence inothers.

> Speak out clearly fororganisational beliefs andvalues.

> Demonstrate activelistening to encourage teamcollaboration.

> Influence others positivelyto achieve programme goals.

� Critical judgement> Analyse and exercisejudgment in challengingsituations in the absence ofspecific guidance.

> Demonstrate initiative andsuggest creativeimprovements and betterways of working.

> Demonstrate tenacity toachieve results.

AdditionalBehavioursfor 1st levelline managersin humanitarianresponse,informed byskills andknowledge

Responsibilitiestypically include:• leading afunctionalteam

• managingoperationaldelivery

• linemanagement

• budget andresourcemanagement

� Understanding thehumanitarian context> Assess and analyse keyissues in the humanitariansituation and formulateactions to respond to them.

� Applying humanitarianstandards and principles> Participate in thedevelopment of anorganisational responsebased on an understandingof the operating context.

> Respect Internationalhumanitarian law andrelevant treaties.

> Actively participate indisaster coordination andinteragency cooperation,based on a clearunderstanding of yourorganisation’s perspectiveand approach.

� Ensuring programmequality and impact> Set standards in your workand follow agreed operatingprocedures.

> Clarify roles andresponsibilities within yourteam to maximise impact.

> Collaborate withstakeholders to avoidduplication and maximiseresources.

> Regularly provide feedbackand information to achieveimproved results.

> Document lessons learnedand apply them to futureprojects.

� Working accountably> Establish processesthrough which crisis-affectedpeople can participate in theresponse and share theirexpectations and concerns

> Ensure efficient andtransparent use of resourcesin accordance with internalcontrols.

� Listening and creatingdialogue> Ensure feedback fromcrisis-affected people,partners and otherstakeholders is incorporatedinto programme design,implementation and learning.

� Working with others> Establish clear objectiveswith teams and individuals

> Monitor work progress andindividual performance.

> Establish agreed ways ofworking at a distance withpartners and staff.

> Work with your team tobuild trust with communitiesand stakeholders.

> Foster collaborative,transparent and accountablerelationships throughpartners to formalise andimplement partneringagreements.

> Use negotiation andconflict resolution skills tosupport positive outcomes.

� Minimising risk tocommunities, partners andstakeholders> Undertake effective riskassessments with crisis-affected people and partners.

> Demonstrate anunderstanding of wider

UN/NGO security co-ordination and how yourorganisation participates inthose mechanisms.

> Develop contingency plans.

� Managing personal safetyand security> Monitor security risks andensure organisationalprotocols are understood andconsistently followed by staff.

> Take appropriate actionand provide direction andsupport to team members inthe event of a crisis.

� Adapting and coping> Help others to recogniseand manage their own stressby modelling appropriate selfcare and prioritising yourworkload.

> Promote well-being and a‘duty of care’ culture.

� Maintainingprofessionalism> Set realistic deadlines andgoals.

> Enable others to carry outtheir roles andresponsibilities.

> Monitor commitments andactions transparently

> Take time to learn fromexperience and feedback andapply the learning in newsituations.

� Motivating and influencingothers> Inspire others by clearlyarticulating anddemonstrating the values,core purpose and principlesthat underpin humanitarianwork.

> Provide regular andongoing informal and formalfeedback.

> Recognise the contributionof others.

> Adapt leadership style tothe time frame and changingsituation.

� Critical judgement> Maintain a broad strategicperspective at the same timeas an awareness of the detailof a situation.

> Act decisively and adaptplans quickly to respond toemerging situations andchanging environments.

> Take informed andcalculated risks to improveperformance.

Core Humanitarian Competencies FrameworkKeeping crisis-affected people at the centre of what we do

� Understanding thehumanitarian context> Demonstrateunderstanding of the phasesof humanitarian responseincluding preparedness andcontingency, Disaster RiskReduction, response andrecovery.

> Apply understanding of thepolitical and cultural contextand underlying causes of thehumanitarian crisis.

> Demonstrateunderstanding of the genderand diversity dimensions ofhumanitarian situations.

> Take into account theneeds, skills, capacities andexperience of crisis-affectedpeople and apply these in theresponse.

� Applying humanitarianstandards and principles> Ensure that programmegoals, activities and staffbehaviour uphold keynational and internationalhumanitarian frameworks,standards, principles andcodes which your organisationhas committed to.

> Use your power responsibly,in line with accountabilityprinciples and standards.

> Demonstrateunderstanding of your roleand that of your organisationand others within thehumanitarian system.

> Demonstrate anunderstanding ofcoordination mechanisms.

ContentsWelcome 2

How to Use this Guide 2

1. Introduction 3Background 4The Core Humanitarian Competencies Framework 4Overview of Core Skills Development andManagement & Leadership Skills Developmentprogrammes 2010-2012 5The Learning Process 6

2. The Two Learning Programmes 7Overview 8The Core Skills Development Programme 9The Management & Leadership SkillsDevelopment Programme 9Key principles and underlying assumptions 10Core components of the programmes and how theyfit together 11Participant selection 12Programme evaluation 12

3. Deciding on the programme 13Key factors influencing the decision 14What agencies need to supply 15Potential benefits to participants and theirorganisations 16Using Context on-line 17

4. The Learning Journey 18

5. Coordinating the Programme 23Key stages of the learning journey forcoordination 24Setting a budget for a complete learningprogramme 25Building the programme delivery team 26Contextualising the materials 1 28Concluding the programme 28

6. Administration and Logistics 29Key stages of the learning journey for administrationand logistics 30Deciding on the time, place and approach 30Venue requirements 30Workshop schedules 30Participant travel and registration 31Materials, equipment and stationery lists 31Common questions 31

7. Delivering the Workshops –a guide for the facilitation team 32Key stages of the learning journey for thefacilitation team 33Facilitator style 33Tips for building your facilitator team 34Allocating roles 35Facilitation team coordination 35Tips for good preparation 35Getting to know the materials 36Contextualising the materials 2 37Timing for workshop sessions 38Notes on buddy groups 38Using visual aids 39Ideas for review exercises and energisers 39Capturing feedback and reporting 39

8. The Coaching Component 40Introducing the Coaching Component 41Suggested format for Coaching Component Delivery 41Replicability of the coaching model in other formats 42

9. Alternative Delivery Options 43

10. Learning and Evaluation 45

List of Annexes and supporting graphical materials 47

Acknowledgements 48

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WelcomeThe Consortium of British Humanitarian Agencies (CBHA)was established to reduce suffering and death in conflictsand natural disasters by strengthening the coordination andcapacity of the “third pillar” – the NGO sector – to deliver ahigher quality, more effective and faster humanitarianresponse.

The Humanitarian Capacity Building Programme is animportant part of the CBHAʼs work. It aims to accelerate andimprove the quality of emergency response by increasingthe numbers and expertise of potential leaders, andenhancing the skills of all current personnel.

The Context Humanitarian Staff Development Projectsits within this programme.

This project aims to develop core humanitarian expertise,plus leadership and management skills, for existingpersonnel, at a national level.

The project's training materials have been designed foreasy information access, cost-effective use and - above all -simple copying for wider distribution and use.

This project contains two learning programmes:

1. Core Skills Development ProgrammeThis is a six-month, inter-agency programme providinga stream of professional development to nationalagency staff in their current roles, focusing on anintroduction to the key concepts and skills ofhumanitarian programming.

2. Management & Leadership Skills DevelopmentProgrammeThis is a nine-month, inter-agency programmeproviding continuous professional development trainingfor national agency middle/senior management staff, intheir current roles, focusing on key aspects ofmanagement and leadership in emergency situations.

For both programmes, learning methods include coaching,face-to-face workshops, learning on the job, self-directedlearning, group work and practical course work. The formatencourages and facilitates each participantʼs investment inapplied and reflective learning whilst “on the job”, as part ofa coherent and high quality staff development programmewhich, in turn, is actively supported by their agency and linemanager.

How to use thisguideThis guide is for:• The commissioning agency• Staff coordinating and administering the programmes,

and• Staff delivering the programmes

Here you can find an introduction to the design andintention of the learning materials, and the basis on whichthey are built. The guide describes the ʻlearning journeyʼthese materials can provide for the participant as well asgraphical route-maps showing the key intervals andprogression of the programmes. There are suggestions onhow best to integrate the multiple components into one ofthe full programmes (of six or nine months), how tocontextualise the materials and ʻtop tipsʼ for successfuldelivery, and a copy of the Core HumanitarianCompetencies Framework.

For those not in a position to invest in the complete learningprogramme, it is also possible to access individual modulesin order to adapt them for use in a stand-alone format.

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1. Introduction> Background> The Core Humanitarian Competencies Framework> Overview of Core Skills Development, and Management & Leadership Skills

Development Programmes 2010 - 2012> The Learning Process

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Photocredit:AndyHall/Oxfam

1. Introduction

BackgroundThe goal of the CBHA Capacity Building Programme is toprovide the humanitarian sector with a set of core resourceswith which to develop capacity of staff - within the CBHAand the wider sector - to respond to emergencies moreeffectively. These are inter-agency initiatives and thelearning materials are based on the Core HumanitarianCompetencies Framework and outline curriculum agreed bythe 15 CBHA member agencies in 2010.

The Context Humanitarian Staff Development Projectaims to develop humanitarian skills and leadershipcompetencies of existing staff at national level. Theassumptions are that:• The contexts and types of disasters vary between

regions but the skills required to manage thesedisasters are broadly similar.

• When individualsʼ skills and competencies arestrengthened and applied at work, this strengthensorganisational capacity and performance, which in turnhas a positive impact on the communities that theorganisation works with and for.

The materials have been built using the best ofexisting staff development resources from arange of agencies (see Acknowledgements). Theycan be tailored to the specific situations wherethey are to be delivered.

They are fully available to the humanitariansector and may be freely copied, distributed,transmitted and adapted strictly for non-profit,non-commercial use and provided reference ismade to the CBHA Humanitarian CapacityBuilding Programme as their source.

This work is licensed under a Creative CommonsAttribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/).

To replicate the complete learning programmes, pleasecontact the CBHA for further guidance.1

The Core HumanitarianCompetencies FrameworkA shared vision of Humanitarian Competencies: Bothlearning programmes were developed to build up thebehaviours in the Core Humanitarian CompetenciesFramework established by the CBHA. This offers a uniqueopportunity to share best practice and establish a common,high quality learning experience for staff across humanitarianagencies and in different parts of the world.

The development of the Core Humanitarian CompetenciesFramework was led by ActionAid with support from PeopleIn Aid.

The collaborative formulation of the framework represents agreat achievement of consensus-building among agencies.Its further promotion through the Humanitarian StaffDevelopment Project developed by the CBHA CapacityBuilding Programme offers a rare opportunity to help ensurethat universally agreed standards in humanitarian workbecome a reality for communities affected by disasters.

The framework is not intended to replace orsupersede existing agency frameworks. Whilst theCBHA is confident that it articulates well a consensusview of core humanitarian skills, it recognises thatthere are many other broader competencies whichagencies should continue to foster within their staff,boards and volunteers.

For further information and explanation of the framework,please refer to the reporta that accompanied its launch inAugust 2010.

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1 All CBHA and ECB Project member agencies have engaged withthe Humanitarian Staff Development Project during 2011 and canprovide input on the pilot learning programmes.

Overview of:Core Skills Development, andManagement & Leadership SkillsDevelopment Programmes2010 - 2012The two CBHA learning programmes were fully piloted in2011 by ECB Project agencies, led by Oxfam GB. The pilotstook place in the Horn of Africa (with a focus onKenya/Somalia/South Sudan), Bangladesh, Indonesia andBolivia.

The materials were tailored to each target location, withcase studies and supporting materials adapted forrelevance to the context and drawing on informationgathered from capacity assessments undertaken beforedelivering the programmes.

There were 20 participant places per programme, open toagencies who respond to emergencies. Agencies wereinvited to nominate up to two staff from their own - or theirpartner (local NGO or government) - staff members.

Participants were advised to make a two- to three-hourcommitment per week (for self-study, peer coaching/buddying, external coaching, action learning), and theprogramme included attendance at two short residentialevents.

The programme structure was influenced by expertise ininitial design and by learning from practical implementationof the CBHA pilot during 2010-2012. People In Aid, theleading NGO in organisational effectiveness within thehumanitarian and development sector, was heavily involvedin the design and piloting of the programme. Seniorhumanitarians from several agencies have also contributed.ahttp://www.thecbha.org/media/website/file/CBHA_Objective_1_Final_report_published.pdf


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The Learning ProcessEach programme requires proactive learning-by-doing fromthe participant, and for them to establish a routine of learningwhile working as part of their team. Significant agency inputfrom the line manager and other colleagues is also vital.

This humanitarian skills development process is a mixed-method learning programme and both programmes consistof several components:• Pre-workshop reading, self assessment and reflection• First workshop – four days' experiential face-to-face

workshop• Between workshops – co-participant meetings, self-

directed learning and coaching• Second workshop – four days (Core Skills) three days

(Management and Leadership) experiential face-to-face workshop

• Post-workshop self-directed action learning• A project or piece of work, to apply the learning• Manager support, use of the participantsʼ strengthened

capacity, and feedback throughout

In 2011, a final learning review was undertaken at the closeof both programmes in each country, to provide a finale tothe learning journey and an opportunity for the widerhumanitarian community to benefit from reflections, resultsand plans.

An external evaluation of the pilot programmes wasundertaken. This was a formative assessment whererecommendations were focused on strengthening theproject. It was aimed at assessing success in achievingbehavioural change - and ultimately staff and agencyimpact.

We can now more clearly judge the potential impact of thelearning programmes and what to promote to ensure easyaccess to, and use of, the materials.

The pilot evaluation reinforced the importance of• course delivery staff having solid experience of

humanitarian work and staff development• an engaged line manager• the beneficial and incremental effect of having

integrated and varied learning methods building oneach other over time

• relating all components back to the Core HumanitarianCompetencies Framework and to defining clearly:ʻWhat is a competency?ʼ

• participants and their line managers themselvesdictating what combination of buddying/self-directedlearning and so on is most suitable for them, ratherthan perceiving these elements as being ʻcompulsoryʼ

• high value coaching• a third and final face-to-face event that brings the

participants and the wider humanitarian communitytogether to consider and share their course workexperience.

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Participantsare selected

Month 6Core Skills

Developmentcloses

Month 0Self-assessment

against framework

Month 1Workshop 1

Month 4Workshop 2

Self StudyBuddy Groups

Coaching



against framework

Month 1Workshop 1

Month 4Workshop 2

Self StudyBuddy Groups

Coaching

Month 9M&L Skills

Developmentcloses

Core Skills Development Programme

Management & Leadership Skills Development Programme

2. The Two LearningProgrammes

> Overview> The Core Skills Development Programme> The Management & Leadership Skills Development Programme> Key principles and underlying assumptions> Core components of the Programmes and how they fit together> Participant selection> Programme evaluation

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Photocredit:TasheenAlam/Oxfam

2. The TwoLearningProgrammes

OverviewBoth programmes promote universal humanitarianstandards and best practice, tailored to a specific localcontext, by providing a long-term, mixed-method, activelearning, reflection and development process for individuals,supported by their line manager.

As well as strengthening trust between participants andbuilding a sense of community, spreading the experienceover a six- to nine-month programme• enables learning and knowledge to be applied in the

workplace in a methodical and well-paced way,• provides enough time for new skills to be practised,• encourages reflection and peer accountability, and• allows new behaviours to become embedded,

increasing the likelihood that positive change will besustained.

The nine-month Management & Leadership SkillsDevelopment Programme allows extra time for self-directed learning and introduction of items toparticipants' teams, and gives them space to work on aspecific learning project.

The overall programme design is consistently based on aset of learning principles and guidelines, but itsimplementation should look and feel different - depending onwhere it is used and the humanitarian context it serves. Themethods used seek to build on knowledge and practice frominside and outside the humanitarian sphere. They revealexperience, reflect on it, place it in a wider context and eitherdeepen the perspective or simply endorse it (for example,ʻWhat you did there was a good example of dealing withstressʼ).

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The Management & Leadership SkillsDevelopment ProgrammeThis aims to build humanitarian leadership effectivenessand performance through learning and applying skills andtechniques and judging how best to manage resources,systems and practices for effective humanitarian action.Over the nine months, there is a constant theme ofreflection and feedback.

The programme focus is geared towards the second tierand the sixth column of the Core HumanitarianCompetencies Framework: areas with particular emphasison management responsibilities and leadership.

On successful completion of the entire course,participants will demonstrate:

- Knowledge and skills to implement aneffective humanitarian response

- Evidence of strong working relationshipsacross agencies;

- Ability to communicate effectively underpressure

- Deeper self-awareness of leadership strengthsand style, to increase positive impact in ahumanitarian situation

- A clear plan for personal ongoing learning anddevelopment.

The Core Skills DevelopmentProgrammeThis six-month programme introduces the key concepts andskills of humanitarian programming (humanitarianprinciples, NGO and Red Cross Code of Conduct, importantareas of projects and activities and good working practices).Learning by doing, reinforcement by reflection and feedbackare the themes. This programme draws from the first part ofthe framework – the essential competencies.

On successful completion of the entire course,participants will demonstrate:

- Knowledge and understanding of thehumanitarian system and standards;

- Confidence and ability to apply humanitarianprinciples and standards in the countrycontext;

- Practical skills to deliver timely and qualityhumanitarian programmes;

- Ability to manage yourself in a high- pressure,changing environment;

- A clear plan for personal ongoing learning anddevelopment, and contribution to the teameffort.


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Target participants are existing national staff in keyteam leader or management positions from allprogramme areas or disciplines. Candidates will bemiddle-ranking to senior staff, likely to manage anaspect of a small-to-medium scale emergencyresponse.

MANAGEMENT & LEADERSHIP SKILLSStaff profileTarget participants are existing national staff, in any

discipline or support function but not currently in amanagement role, in countries/regions involved (orhighly likely to be involved) in Emergency Responseprogrammes, who have not previously been onhumanitarian training courses.

CORE SKILLSStaff profile

Materials are designed so that a candidate can take part inthe Core Skills Development programme one year andmove on to Management and Leadership SkillsDevelopment the next.

Key principles and underlyingassumptionsThe key principles of both Skills Development programmesare:• ʻon-the-jobʼ learning• applying learning in a context• active participation• ongoing learning• structured reflection• dynamic methodologies• line manager involvement• appropriate accountability• an inter-agency approach that promotes exchange of

experience

Programme design assumes that:• The workshop exercises are highly interactive and

delivered by an experienced humanitarianfacilitator/trainer; case studies and the sharing ofparticipantsʼ experiences are critical components.

• One-off training events are not effective at achievinglasting change in staff skills and behaviour. A mixed-method learning programme, delivered over severalmonths, overcomes this by incorporating multiplelearning strands into one coherent programme.

• During the gap between workshops, participantspractise and consolidate their learning in their jobs;they explore issues in coaching sessions; and theysupport one another in buddy groups.

• The constant revisiting of applied learning throughreflection helps place learning in the forefront ofparticipants' minds.

• The participant will self-assess, with the support oftheir manager, and identify areas of competency theywish to strengthen, then use opportunities provided bythe programme to do this.

• Contact between participants over the full length of theprogrammes helps to build trust. This is vital to createan atmosphere of openness and shared learning.

• The content of the second workshop is an opportunityto discuss questions that arise from continued learningbetween the workshops.

• Delivery is in an inter-agency format, with theparticipation of the widest possible range oforganisations, to gain the benefits of inter-organisational comparisons, building and networking.

• The commissioning agency provides adequateresources to prepare and deliver each programme.See *Resource implications for implementing agenciesand *Setting a budget for a complete learningprogramme.

• The materials will be tailored to suit the localenvironment. See Contextualising the materials 1 onpage 28.

The learning programmes are not:� A set of ʻpick up and goʼ materials that can be used

without preparation� A one-off course or stand-alone workshop� Something designed to assess participants� Technical training, with agency-specific content� A training-of-trainers course� A route to becoming an international humanitarian

worker.

* Please refer to Annex Documentation online

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Core components of theProgrammes and howthey fit togetherA copy of this diagram is availableonline as part of the AnnexDocumentation.


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Core SkillsDevelopmentProgramme

> knowledge and understanding <> confidence and ability <

> practical skills <> manage yourself under pressure <> plan for your ongoing development <

Workshop 1> approaches and strategies> accountability, standards andprinciples

> confidence and self awareness ofskills

> decision making and problem solving> development plan

Workshop 2> challenges of applying Sphere andhumanitarian principles

> using mapping tool> your ability under pressure> skills of leadership> ongoing development

Buddy Groups> share experiences ofapplying learning

> support network

Coaching> increase confidence> support application> challenge you

Pre-coursework> self assess> learning priorities

Buddy Groups> ongoing sharing> network for support/feedback

Management &Leadership SkillsDevelopmentProgramme

> knowledge and understanding <> strong working relationships <

> ability to communicate under pressure <> self awareness of leadership style <> plan for your ongoing development <

Workshop 1> foundational knowledge and

understanding> tools and techniques> confidence and self awareness of

skills> decision making and problem

solving> development plan

Workshop 2> personal learning influences agency

learning> key themes of humanitarian

leadership> addressing humanitarian challenges> skills for programme choices,

practice and impact> ongoing development

Buddy Groups> share experiences ofapplying learning

> support network

Coaching> increase confidence> support application> challenge you

Pre-coursework> self assess> learning priorities

Buddy Groups> ongoing sharing> network for support/feedback

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Participant selectionThe target number of participants for each programme is20, to achieve effective learning.

As well as the specified staff profiles, participants should• Have a current contract lasting at least the full duration

of the programme• Have an employer and manager who wish to develop

them• Be committed to all programme components and

engage fully in the process• Be willing to learn new skills and develop their potential

for an enhanced humanitarian role• Have verbal and written skills in the language in which

the programme is delivered• Be enthusiastic and keen to learn.

When selecting a participant group, remember that:• A programmeʼs impact will be greater if the student's

level of English (or the language in which theprogramme is delivered) enables everyone toparticipate fully.

• Those who benefit most from the programme tend tobe working for organisations involved in disastermanagement.- For the Management & Leadership Skills

Development programme, the learning lands infertile soil with people who have a number ofyears – but not decades - of experience.

- For Core Skills Development programme,inexperienced candidates will benefit most aftersubstantial study of (at the very least)humanitarian standards and principles. It isimportant to confirm that they have done thisbefore their acceptance into the programme.

• Telephone interviewing of prospective participants canbe very useful to establish the profile and motivationsof the applicant.

Programme EvaluationLearning never occurs in a vacuum. It is rare to exclusivelyattribute a skill and expertise - let alone field-basedprogramme impact and organisational change - to a trainingcourse. Evaluation of this type of programme is bettersuited to ʻoutcome mappingʼ rather than an ʻimpactassessmentʼ. Outcome mapping does not try to attributechange; instead, it examines the logical links betweeninterventions and results. It focuses on how the programmefacilitates change, rather than how it causes change.

As with all evaluations, information gathering - andmonitoring of the learning programme - must start at thevery beginning of the process and be planned into theresourcing strategy.

See the section on Learning and Evaluation on page 45for further detail.

TToopp ttiippIt is useful to ask, as part of theapplication process, whetherparticipants have attended anySphere training, whether they useSphere and how and if they haveaccess to a Sphere handbook.

3. Deciding on theProgramme

Aid workers of the Hum

anitarian Response Consortium (HRC), Northern Mindanao, Philippines

Photo credit: Ruby Thursday More / Oxfam

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> Key factors influencing the decision> What agencies need to supply> Potential benefits to participants and their organisations> Using Context on-line

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3. Deciding on theProgramme

Key factors influencing the decisionDoes your agency seek a top-quality learning programme ora good enough/cost-effective solution?

These programmes are designed with future sustainability –and limited budgets - in mind, but it is recommended toavoid cost-cutting that might influence good results.

All programme components are mutually reinforcing; whenonly some are delivered (or are supplied as stand-alonemodules), the intended benefits will not be gained.

Ability of a single co-ordinatingbody to bring on board a numberof humanitarian agencies at thenational/regional level who arewilling to make the necessaryresource commitments(participating staff and linemanager time, funding, coachesetc)

Full learning programme,inter-agency format

Full learning programme,single agency format

Using parts of thelearning programme

Individual agency willing to makethe necessary resourcecommitments (participating staffand line manager time, maybealso funding, coaches etc)

Availability (including funding) ofexperienced programme deliverystaff (workshop facilitators,coaches)

Availability of the materials in asuitable language or fundingavailable for translations

Is there a willingness to invest instrengthening Core HumanitarianCompetencies (knowledge, skillsand behaviours cross-discipline)for national staff in the location?

Individual agency willing to makethe necessary resourcecommitments (participating staffand line manager time, maybealso funding, coaches etc)

Availability (including funding) ofexperienced programme deliverystaff (workshop facilitators,coaches)


Is there a willingness to invest instrengthening Core HumanitarianCompetencies (core knowledge,skills and behaviours cross-discipline) for national staff in thelocation?


Is there a willingness to invest instrengthening Core HumanitarianCompetencies (core knowledge,skills and behaviours cross-discipline) for national staff in thelocation?

Reference section: AlternativeDelivery Options

Key factors influencing the decision to run a complete learning programme (inter-agency orsingle agency) or to use parts of it piecemeal include:

When deciding whether to engage staff in one of theseoptions, managers can consider this checklist:

It is recommended that, before a programme begins, allparticipants and their agencies sign ʻlearning contractsʼ toformalise their commitments.


15

Decision1 To engage staff in either of the full learning

programmes

2 To engage staff in either of the full learningprogrammes

3 To engage staff in multi-agency full learningprogrammes

4 To engage staff in single-agency full learningprogrammes

5 To use isolated components of the materials

Potential outputStaff develop an awareness of how essentialelements of emergency response relate to eachother, as well as to the context.

Full implementation offers a credible, ready-madestaff development and/or Talent Managementprogramme for emerging leaders in the organisation.

Inter-organisational comparisons, relationshipbuilding and networking can be achieved.

Programmes can be adapted to meet specific agencyneeds and organisational emphasis.

Single elements of the materials may assist insupporting an identified staff development gap.

What agencies need to supplyAgencies promoting candidates for the six- or nine-monthprogrammes must let them• attend two short residential events• undertake dedicated, self-directed learning in their

current role ( two to three hours a week during allcourse months)

• take part in regular group learning with otherparticipants from the programme (for example,teleconferences)

• take advantage of other participantsʼ experiences andknowledge by developing informal and regular contact

• contact the programme facilitator or trainer for support

• Support the participantʼs pre-programme work• Make their participating staff available for the

fixed-date programme components • Support ʻlearning on the job' between the two

residential events• Encourage the candidate to practise skills learned

during the course• Measure career progress and identify further

opportunities for training beyond the programme • Report how the programme affected the

participant's work performance

Line managers roleLine managers must:

TToopp ttiippManagers – incorporate references tothe Core Humanitarian CompetenciesFramework and the programmeparticipantʼs Action Plan into yourregular meetings with your staffmember. Support them to incorporatetheir learning success measures intotheir performance objectives.

16


Potential benefits to participants andtheir organisationsEvidence from the 2011 pilot exercises shows that theseprogrammes make people more confident about their rolesin humanitarian work. They are better prepared and able tosee their roles in a wider context. This makes them • More ʻroundedʼ humanitarians with a wider outlook and

an understanding of the ʻbig pictureʼ of humanitarianwork, seeing beyond their day-to-day, practical input;

• More assured about ʻdoing the jobʼ - and moreaccurately able to gauge their abilities;

• More assertive and vocal, even in the most difficultsituations;

• Braver, to enter unfamiliar scenarios or assume newresponsibilities;

• Less inclined to respect red tape; and• Better leaders.

More assertive“The material on leadership and management had ahuge impact on my understanding. I feel that I havebecome a leader and have learnt to say no tocolleagues. Before the workshop, I was not veryassertive but I feel that as a result of the confidence Ihave gained I am more assertive, particularly whenprioritising work”. (an M&L participant)

Interested“[I] now value humanitarian work more positivelybecause, from a development perspective [I] usedto judge humanitarian work as something veryreactive, when in fact there is a creative and verychallenging process of reconstruction. As a result,[I am] feeling much more confident about [my]own ability to contribute/ lead in humanitarianwork”. (an M&L participant)

CourageA participant now feels able to present theorganisation in external forums and is no longerworried that the Government may not welcome theorganisation in certain parts of the country becauseof its Christian identity – as she now feels able toexplain what that identity does and does not imply.There are many similar examples.

New responsibilities“As soon as I returned from the first workshop, I wasasked to become the Emergency Manager, and inthat role there have been a number of tools Iimmediately used”. (a participant)“More ʻroundedʼ humanitarians with a ʻbroadenedoutlook” (a senior emergency manager)“He no longer just says ʻnoʼ. Instead, he gives morethought to things”. (a participantʼs line manager)

Understanding of ʻthe entirepackage, instead of a fewtechnical areas“The most important thing is the newly gained abilityto think of the scaling-up process as an integratedprocess, instead of as a set of piecemeal measures.Human resources, security issues, logistics,planning, coordination, preparation, equipment,linkages with other stake holders: it all needs to beconsidered”. (a participantʼs line manager)

Confidence and perspective“We were familiar with a lot of the material; the mainlearning from the programme is doing the things wealready know in an organised and structuredmanner”. (a participant)“He now understands emergency response as anintegrated whole rather than as a set of individualtasks, and no longer immediately assumes atechnical role”. (a participantʼs line manager)

TToopp ttiippLink up programme participants –past and present - in samecountry/region to raise interest andcreate opportunities. There isimportance in creating a sense ofcohesion and community amongthose who have been through theprogrammes; building alumni.

17

Using Context on-lineThis dedicated Context website allows access to all theproject materials from one single convenient place.

Registered users will find options for downloading eachprogramme, however, a full download is recommendedat the outset of running either programme to ensure allcontent is safely captured and also in order that users canevaluate and review material before starting their Contextprogramme.

Individual files and copies of every item may still beaccessed at any time from this site whenever required.

To access the Context content, users register via theʻContext content and loginʼ tab and follow the instructions tonavigate to the required programme content. It isrecommended that downloaded content should bestored locally and a back-up made for future reference.

The majority of content is in Word (as doc. files, formattedand set-up to A4) and in PowerPoint. These materials areeditable, to best serve the userʼs individual criteria.

Useful charts, diagrams and posters are included within thedocumentation, to help support and deliver the programmesthroughout their course.


TToopp ttiippOnce a programme has been decidedon and registration successfullycompleted online, a full copy of thechosen programme should bedownloaded at the beginning of thecourse. This will ensure that allcontent may be reviewed andproperly assessed at the outset.

4. The LearningJourney

Suban Ibrahim Kusow and her family, Northern Kenya/Som

ali border

Photo credit: Janna Ham

ilton / Oxfam

18


19

4. The LearningJourney

This section describes the Core Skills Development and theManagement & Leadership Skills DevelopmentProgrammes by component, as part of the complete longerterm process. Divided conveniently into sectional phasesover either six or nine months, the two programmejourneys look like this:

Phase 0 Baseline assessment in target location.�� Reference section titled ʻContextualisationʼ.�� Core Humanitarian Competencies Framework is promoted to target audience.�� Reference section titled ʻCore Humanitarian Competencies Frameworkʼ.�� Prior to selection of participants/programme launch.

Phase 1 Complete application form/select participants - PRE-MONTH 0Pre-workshop study - MONTH 0

Phase 2 Workshop 1 (3.5 days-4 nights) - MONTH 1Self-directed learning, between workshops - MONTH 1 to 4

Phase 3 Coaching – practise as coachee and as coach - MONTH 1 to 4Buddy groups - MONTH 1 to 4

Phase 4 Workshop 2 (2 days-3 nights) - MONTH 4

Phase 5 Self-directed learning, post-workshop (including developing the learning activity or the learningproject) - MONTH 4 to 6 (or 9)End-of-programme event


Month 6Core Skills

Developmentcloses


against framework

Month 1Workshop 1

Month 2 Month 3

Month 2 Month 3

Month 4Workshop 2



against framework

Month 1Workshop 1

Month 4Workshop 2

Month 9M&L Skills

Developmentcloses

Self-directed learning, between workshops Buddy groupsCoaching

Core Skills DevelopmentProgramme

Self-directed learning, between workshops Buddy groupsCoaching

Management & LeadershipSkills Development Programme

20


The Learning Journey involves:a. Application form

Potential participants are asked to complete a simpleapplication demonstrating personal motivation forundertaking the programme and support from linemanagers (see *Template Application Form). Eachapplication should be reviewed along with others andplaces allocated on the basis of the strength ofapplication against the agreed criteria, while aiming tooptimise the mix of participants for a successfulprogramme cohort. To reinforce the importance of bothpartiesʼ commitment to the learning journey, it isrecommended that on offering a programme place,each participant and their line manager will be asked tosign an agreement to the minimum commitments asset out in the invitation.

b. Workshop studyThe first chapter of the workbook should be sent toparticipants about one month before workshop 1. Thisis a critical self-assessment component of theprogramme and helps the participant to rate theircurrent level of capability against each of the areas inthe Core Humanitarian Competencies Framework – bycompleting a ʻcompetency wheelʼ. This self-assessment will indicate learning priorities, and it asksthe participant to discuss their reflections on this withtheir line manager - so that they come to the firstworkshop being clear about their current strengths andareas to improve in relation to humanitarian work. See*Self-Assessment Competency Wheel.

The workbook chapter also aims to bring allparticipants to a minimum level of knowledge of thebasic building blocks of sound humanitarian response.It requires participants to familiarise themselves withthe NGO and Red Cross Code of Conduct and theSphere Project, and to answer some questions relatingto these.

Completion of this chapter, and its endorsement by theline manager, should be a precondition to attendingworkshop 1.


c. Workshop 1This is the first face-to-face component of the learningprogramme: A four-night residential event, whenparticipants and facilitators first meet and worktogether intensively in a highly interactive, experientialworkshop. The workshop builds skills and knowledgethrough plenary discussion, role-plays, small groupwork and individual presentations. The emphasis is onbuilding on participant experience and relating thelearning to the emergency context in which the staffmember works. Workshop 1 sets up the group to moveconfidently into the phase ʻbetween workshopsʼ andintroduces them to the various elements that they cantake forward; with an ʻaction planʼ drafted, a coachand/or coachee identified and with their buddy groupformed.

d. Self-directed learning, between workshopsParticipants will leave workshop 1 with a clear plan ofwhat they want to explore further in this interveningperiod. This phase of about three months is anopportunity for the participant to focus on thecompetencies that they have identified to strengthen.The reinforcing process - in everyday work, bypractising, sharing and recording, and by applying - isdesigned to build understanding and self-awareness.

Workbook chapter 3 can be used as a ʻlearning logʼ,and encourages the participant to record theirobservations and reflections as they proceed. Theworkbook also provides references and suggestedresources for participants to seek out informationrelevant to their chosen areas. This may includelooking at agency-specific procedures and approachesfor humanitarian response and – for Management &Leadership Skills Development participants -discussing with the line manager a possible projectthat they could start or plan for, which would be usefulfor them and their organisation (see below). The thrustof the programme outside the workshops is that itprovides suggestions and inspiration for the participantto find the most relevant and up-to-date informationindependently and with their manager.

SelfAssessment

ActionPlan

LearningLog

e. CoachingIf external coaching is included in the programme,each participant is given the opportunity to receivecoaching, and ideally from an independent or externalindividual with experience in coaching. This is anopportunity for the participant to solve any challengesor questions they have in taking forward their actionplan, and where they will be encouraged to reflect ontheir skills development and its transfer to theworkplace.

The coaching approach will help participants of eitherprogramme by encouraging them to:-• Set and reach better goals, • Focus on actions and priorities, • Be challenged to accomplish more; and • Make use of the feedback and techniques in the

coaching relationship to achieve success.

If the Core Skills Development Programme is being runin parallel with this programme: The Management andLeadership Skills Development Programmeparticipants may be paired with a participant on theCore Skills Development Programme and asked tooffer coaching sessions to them, to support their ownaction learning.

It is hoped that the coaching element will help theparticipants on the Management & Leadership SkillsDevelopment programme to be able to developcoaching skills as part of their management style,which will be applicable in their current job and anyfuture humanitarian work involvement, too.

f. Buddy groupsA system of buddy groups of four or five people isestablished. Each group will be encouraged to worktogether to support each other throughout the learningprogramme. The specific objectives of the buddygroups are to enable participants to:• Share with peers the experiences of applying

knowledge and skills learned during theprogramme;

• Build a network of professionals who can givesupport and feedback to each other.

g. Workshop 2The second face-to-face component comes towardsthe end of the learning programme for Core SkillsDevelopment, and at mid-point in the learningprogramme for Management & Leadership SkillsDevelopment:

• Core Skills Development - a four-night residentialworkshop

• Management & Leadership Skills Development - athree-night residential workshop

Both follow a similar style to workshop 1, but withgreater emphasis on drawing on participant experienceand observations in their work since the last workshop.The workshop addresses the preceding elements ofthe programme, and sets up the group to move into thefinal phase of the programme. During this workshop,participants are asked to review and revise their actionplan, and for Management & Leadership participants toconsolidate their thinking around a learning project inorder to start producing this before the end of theprogramme. Both groups are reminded that they willneed to construct a poster for the final event. For CoreSkills, this is a summary of their learning journey andfor Management and Leaderships, the tangibleoutcomes of applying their learning to a specificproject..

h. Self-directed learning, post-workshopThis phase of two months (Core Skills Development)and four or five months (Management & LeadershipSkills Development) is for the participant to continue toconsciously strengthen the competencies they haveidentified. To build on the learning from the programmeso far, the participant will benefit greatly from apractical application of their knowledge and skillsthrough opportunities such as taking part in ahumanitarian assessment or evaluation team,coaching of colleagues and on-going learningassignments.

The participant may arrange at least one morecoaching session with their coach, and be encouragedto remain active members of their buddy groups orkeep in touch with other participants by meeting or byphone/email.


21

ReviewAction Plan

22


The workbook reminds Management & LeadershipSkills Programme participants of their learning project,and encourages them to use this period to work on thisas a practical output of their self-learning.

A project can be decided on in the period betweenworkshops 1 and 2, and then started no later than afterWorkshop 2. This is a piece of work that may be donein the agency, that would enable the participant toapply their learning from the programme. For example,it could be producing a ʻhow toʼ guide for anemergency procedure; proposing a quality frameworkbased on what they have learnt from other agenciesand from talking to emergency staff within yourorganisation; putting together essential information forstaff ʻnew to emergenciesʼ with instructions on how bestto use it.

The workbook encourages Core Skills DevelopmentProgramme participants to plan and see through anidentified learning activity. Rather than producing atangible project ʻproductʼ, the emphasis for Core SkillsDevelopment participants is on proactively pursuingnew or expanded experiences that reinforce theirlearning objectives, for example, taking part in anassessment, shadowing colleagues working onemergency programming or at coordination meetings.

The participants of both programmes will be expectedto prepare a poster that summarises their projectpurpose, the results achieved, and reflections on theapproach taken and how it built on the learning fromthe workshops. The poster will be used at the finalprogramme event where managers, participants andother stakeholders may come together to reflect on thewhole learning journey.

i. End-of-programme eventAn end-of-programme event provides opportunity forthe humanitarian community in each programmelocation to review, learn from and makerecommendations based on the learning journeystaken as part of the programme(s). This event may bea one-day workshop-style meeting and 1. provides a finale for programme participants2. encourages reflections and review of the

programme(s)3. serves as a look forward.

The event could be expanded to provide more focusedparticipant reflection or to run an emergencysimulation, for example.

All being well, the participant receives a certificate atthis end-of-programme event stating that they havesuccessfully completed the programme.

M&L CoreSkillsSelfLearningProject

Core SkillsDevelopmentLearningActivity

Poster

5. Coordinating theProgramme

> Key stages of the learning journey for coordination> Setting a budget for a complete learning programme> Building the programme delivery team> Contextualising the materials 1> Concluding the programme

23

Nasreen, Health worker in Jhalaren, Pakistan

Photo credit: Alixandra Fazzina / Oxfam

24


5. Coordinating theprogramme

Once the decision has been taken to run the completelearning programme, with or without multiple agencyparticipation, key organisational tasks may include:- Consultation with potential participating agencies - Briefing a Programme Administrator (where applicable) - Managing the Baseline Assessment process (towards

contextualisation)- Managing the contextualisation work - Building a facilitator team- Building a coaching team- Programme promotion, and line manager liaison

(where applicable)- Managing the overall implementation budget- Reporting to external funders (where applicable) - Ensuring programme monitoring and evaluation

An accompanying diagram forthis section showing the keystages of the learning journeyfor coordination is included atthe back of this guide.

TToopp ttiippThe bigger the gaps inexpectation/perception of theprogrammes by the coordinationfunction, the line manager and theparticipant, the smaller and more

tentative the commitment and engagement are tothe programmes.Two strategies to towards this are:- Ensure the audience is familiar with the Core

Humanitarian Competencies Framework. Thegreater the recognition of the framework, thegreater the chances are to reduce these gapsand to strengthen the commitment andengagement, and with that the programmesʼimpact.

- Invest in a local, respected, colleague(s) torelentlessly maintain contacts withparticipants and their line managers. True,meaningful and frequent engagement, throughdifferent channels, with participants and theirline managers, with the aims of theparticipants 1. Showing up; 2. Doing therequired work; 3. Increasingly, wanting toparticipate and do the required work; and 4.Returning to an interesting and empoweringwork environment.

Key stages of the learning journeyfor coordination

Setting a budget for a completelearning programme Itemised costs for programme delivery will be influenced bymany decisions, but the following outline may be useful:


25

Output/Activity

Core Project Management Costs

Baseline assessment of staff capacity intarget location against the competenciesand curriculum content

Learning programmes are contextualisedbased on findings from assessment

The programme(s) is (are) delivered inthe target location

Programme(s) impact is assessed anddocumented; learning is shared

Line Item> Coordination - staff time> Administration – staff time> Transport costs> Communications costs> Courier and postage> Equipment> Advisory support from technical specialists

> Staff for seven days per assessment> Travel costs for assessor> Translation of findings

> Skilled contracted or seconded staff: salary, taxes,benefits

> Translation services

> Action-learning/mentoring/follow-up provided toparticipants (remotely or in person)

> Workshop venue and related costs> Workshop accommodation> Bus transport to and from hotel venues> Workshop administrator> Facilitators - three (daily rate)> Facilitator travel costs> Workshop equipment: Stationery> Workshop travel subsidisation (local organisations)> External coaching provision (hourly rate)> End-of-programme event venue costs> End-of-programme event facilitation

> M&E specialists time for support and evaluation> M&E specialists travel

Beyond these costs, the most significantresource is time! Participants and their linemanagers are expected to invest time in this, day-to-day and week-to-week because of the longer-term, on-job nature of what the programmesencourage.

By charging a fee for participation in the programme, asense of ownership from the nominating offices can beencouraged. Nominating agencies will need to appreciatethe value of these programmes sufficiently to make afinancial contribution for each staff member who will benefit.Agencies or managers are more likely to be motivated toconsider carefully which staff to nominate and to bettersupport staff to take part fully in all components of theprogramme.

26


Building the programme deliveryteam The workshop materials will be delivered by a minimum oftwo facilitators (ideally, three). The facilitator should besomeone with appropriate humanitarian experience,knowledge of the humanitarian context specific to thatregion and with facilitation ability (see fWorkshop FacilitatorProfile). It is important that one of the team speaks the locallanguage, at least to aid the small group work withinsessions.

Workshop Facilitators:Two critical dimensions are essential to perform thefacilitator role:

1. Extensive experience working in humanitarianemergencies• Facilitators should have worked in humanitarian

emergencies, to have the authority to run theworkshops effectively

• Facilitators should be able to talk about examplesfrom their own work that demonstrate the practicalrelevance and application of the competencies,behaviours and principles covered in theprogramme

• Facilitators need to be confident leadingdiscussions and exploring questions raised byparticipants, which will go beyond the content ofthe workshop materials and could be challengingand unpredictable

• Facilitators for the Management & LeadershipProgramme workshops must also haveexperience of managing people in an emergencyresponse, either as a manager or as a teamleader

• Familiarity with the programme materials alone isnot sufficient to be an effective facilitator

* Please refer to Annex Documents online

2. Significant experience using interactive methodsas a facilitator• The workshops have been designed to use varied

and interactive methods to maximise participantengagement and learning

• Facilitators need to understand the value of thisapproach and be able to demonstrate experienceof facilitating in this way

• Facilitators also need the experience andconfidence to adapt their methods and deliveryduring workshops, depending on how the group isresponding

• The workshops aim to minimise use of non-interactive methods (such as PowerPointpresentations) and excessive repetition of thesame, commonly used workshop methods (suchas group discussion followed by feedback toplenary)

• Experience of these methods alone is notsufficient to be an effective facilitator

Please see *Workshop Facilitator Profile for furthersuggestions about what is expected of the workshopfacilitator. It is strongly recommended that the samefacilitator group will support all workshops within theprogramme.

Workshop Administrator:This function is essential. Don't be tempted to hope that thefacilitators can cover this element during the workshops.The design of the programme workshops means that allfacilitators are busy with sessions for most of the time. Thebenefits of having the administrator available to set upbreak-out rooms, liaise with the venue staff, support withstationery, printing, posters and files is inestimable. A localpoint person, familiar with the location and with access to atelephone and a computer is very valuable – so that theymay be on standby for transport and accommodation needsduring the workshops.

Coaches:The coaches should:• Have demonstrable experience of using questioning,

listening and feedback skills in their current work role• Have experience of humanitarian work and understand

and appreciate its dilemmas and challenges• Speak the appropriate language• Act as a catalyst in developing a participantʼs potential

and performance (the coaching emphasis is on action,accountability and follow-through)

• Ideally have some experience of managing at adistance

Please see Coaching Process for further information andguidance on the coaching component of the programmes.

Keeping the programme delivery teamon trackIt is suggested that facilitators (as well as coaches andother programme delivery people) write feedback in issuelog format, such as the example below, with a briefexplanatory narrative. Consistency in report and feedbackformats for each programme component makes it easier totrack follow-up required, measures taken and progressachieved in the programmes.


27

Name Date Category Description of issue Suggestion Action taken/intended JB 11.10 M&L, Country context case Find better case JD to send JB new

Workshop 1, study does not reflect study for WS 2 - quotes by 20.11 forday 0 typical emergency see that used in review

scenario, per participant XYZ regionalfeedback workshop

Refer to the *Participant Tracking Spreadsheets for anothertemplate tracking tool.

If the programmes are run as mixed-method programmesover several months, the team requires a number of keyskills. The team also needs to be aware of the programmeas a whole, so that members understand how thecomponent they are supporting fits into the longer-termprocess.


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Contextualising the materials 1This package of learning materials includes a tool tosupport undertaking a baseline assessment. Theassessment is a first stage in preparing materials forlaunching the programmes in a new location (or to updatematerials in a location where they might have already beendelivered), and ensures that they are relevant and tailoredto the country context.

The assessment tool is a versatile ʻguideʼ that aids anexperienced interviewer to map:• The overriding issues for that country context• The capacity needs of existing staff in each country to

respond to humanitarian crises• What agencies have already been doing to build up

these skills that can be developed further• How best to build on other recent initiatives for that

country• Most effective learning methodologies to develop staff

capacity

The assessment is conducted through interviews with keyagency staff (Directors, Deputy Country Directors, HRManagers and Emergency Managers) who can besthighlight skills and knowledge needs in relation tohumanitarian response. The tool is designed to be flexibleand adaptable to context and means – telephone interviewsas well as individual or joint face-to-face meetings may allbe feasible ways of information-gathering for analysis. Seeonline annex *Humanitarian Staff Development ProjectBaseline Assessment Tool.

The majority of case studies and examples usedwithin the workshops reflect the typicalemergency scenario of the target context (forexample, flooding in Bangladesh, or slow-onsetcrises in the Horn of Africa). However, the bulk ofthe ʻcontextualisationʼ is created by theparticipants and those delivering theprogrammes (facilitators, coaches and so on).Even if these materials are delivered again inBangladesh, Bolivia, the Horn of Africa orIndonesia, future programme delivery teams maydecide to make minor changes or additions to theexisting contextualisation.


TToopp ttiippDonʼt forget to include photographs,references and make sure thedelivery team is knowledgeable aboutthe organisations, bodies, forums etcthat are particular to the humanitarianenvironment in the target location.

Contextualised materials for Core SkillsDevelopment workshop 1 that need to changeaccording to the region/country• Reality of a Disaster video clip (1.1.1

Humanitarian Context)• The affected people video clip (1.1.2

Vulnerability and Accountability)Contextualised materials for Management &Leadership Skills workshop 1 that need tochange according to the region/country• Humanitarian Emergency videos (1.1.2

Understanding Humanitarian Emergencies)• Map and pictures on PowerPoint slides (1.1.3

Managing quality assessments)• Casework 1 for workbook (1.1.3 Managing

Quality assessments)• Casework 3 for workbook (1.2.3 Humanitarian

accountability)• Casework 4 for workbook (1.4.1 Scale-up)

Note that contextualising the materials should be done ingood time – to rewrite one-page texts, build up film footageclips from existing source videos (for Core SkillsDevelopment), to allow for peer review, and for printingworkbooks and supplying the workshop materials tofacilitators in time for preparation. See the section aboutDelivering the Workshops on page 23 for furtherinformation on contextualisation.

Concluding the programmeIf feasible, a third event, the final end-of-programmecomponent, can be held in the capital city in the programmelocation in month nine or six for participants and for thewider humanitarian community. This provides a conclusionto (and a celebration of) the learning journey and a valuableopportunity for reflection and evaluation of the programme.

A suggested blueprint for the structure of a final LearningEvent is provided. See *Learning Event Blueprint.

Learning material components that will requirecontextualisation in advance of programme delivery are:

6. Administrationand Logistics

> Key stages of the learning journey for administration and logistics> Deciding on time, place and approach> Venue requirements> Workshop schedules> Participant travel and registration> Materials, equipment and stationery lists> Common questions

29

Sindh, Pakistan

Photo credit: Oxfam

30


6. Administrationand Logistics

Deciding on the time, place andapproachBe informed of any local factors that might influence timing,location or approach in delivering the programme. Thesemight include:• When are national holidays?• What other significant events for the sector are taking

place in the location during the proposed programmetime?

• When is the rainy season, or similar?• What is the working week/what are the office hours in

the location?• What is the predominant language of the target

audience?• Why might agencies/staff apply for this programme at

this time/in this location?• What assumptions might be made about this

programme in this location?• Why might some parts of the sector not find out about

an invitation to apply for the programme?

Venue requirements• Outside of the capital city, and further away than

commuting distance from the office/home (two to threehours+ distance recommended)

• Conference facilities and full board available • Comfortable accommodation, with space (away from

the training room itself) for group meetings andsocialising – away from the distraction of everydaywork, so the group can focus on the programme andtheir experience

• Internet access and other facilities for facilitators toprepare for workshop delivery

• A light and airy conference or training room toaccommodate up to 25 people- with space to move around in, as well as with

tables for desk work- equipped with a screen and projector- with plenty of wall space for posters and

displaying a large-sized Core HumanitarianCompetencies Framework, workshop agendas aswell as flipcharts

This kind of venue should reduce pressure on participantsto attend to work or personal commitments during theworkshop, help them and the facilitators to focus 100% onthe learning process and spend time building rapport withtheir fellow participants.

Please refer to *Room Set-up for suggested workshop roomconfigurations.

Workshop schedulesArrangements for the workshops are probably the mosttime-intensive component of the programmes. Theseresidential face-to-face events are:I. Management & Leadership Skills Development: 1st

event, four nights; 2nd event, three nightsII. Core Humanitarian Skills Development: 1st event, four

nights; 2nd event, four nights

See *Workshop Schedules (available via ʻThe ContextProgrammesʼ tab on the Context Project website) to befamiliar with the programme workshop schedules, and touse these templates to arrange participant arrival/departuretimes and meals/refreshments with the venue in advance.(Workshop start and end times are deliberately unspecifiedin the programme materials, so that these can be setaccording to the norms of where they will be delivered.These need to be arranged with the venue and thefacilitators in advance.)

An accompanying diagram for thissection showing the key stages of thelearning journey for administrationand logistics is included at the backof this guide.

Key stages of the learning journeyfor administration and logistics

When deciding on the exact dates for each workshop:• It is suggested to either start an event at the beginning

of the week, or to make sure that the last day is justbefore the weekend

• If Management & Leadership Skills Development andCore Skills Development are to run concurrently in onelocation, it would be ideal to have the two programmes'residential events in adjacent weeks - to minimise thepracticalities of setting up training rooms or number ofinternational flights for external supporters of theevents

The workshops are designed so that participants arrive forthe workshops on ʻDay 0ʼ in the early evening, andsometimes earlier depending on how far they have had totravel. An evening session (to be more or less intense, asdecided by the facilitator) takes place on Arrival Day/Day 0.

The more you can achieve in a session on Arrival Day, theeasier it is to start on the humanitarian content side ofdelivery the next morning.


Participant travel and registrationIt is convenient to have participants arrive at the venuetogether, and coach transport from the capital city to thevenue is recommended. Submission of the pre-workshop 1workbook chapter to the programme coordinator can alsoserve as a useful way of managing workshop registrationand to confirm participantsʼ attendance in good time.

Research when national holidays are and other significantdays to avoid.

Friday prayers – check if this needs accommodating

Materials, equipment and stationerylists A suggested **Workshop Equipment List can be foundonline.

Two template **Participant Tracking Spreadsheets can befound online.

It is a good idea to have the following spares at eachworkshop:• Clean USB stick• The workbook chapters relevant to the workshop itself,

and to the periods prior to and immediately afterwards

Common questions Common questions asked by facilitators before theworkshops:• What are the venue details (contract, photographs etc)?• Where do we spend the days before, between or after

the workshops? Do we stay at the venue?• What equipment have you asked for at the venue? • Is there internet at the venue?• Can we print?• Can we do laundry there if staying between

workshops?• What do participants pay for/not pay for? • Is there dinner on the arrival day?• Are there set times for meals or do we say what we

want? • Can we provide the participants with drinks on their

arrival after the journey? • Do we define the times for meals or have we been told

them? • What are the options for room layout? Can we change

this part-way through the workshop?• Do we pay extra for soft drinks at meal times?• Who will provide the admin support for the two

courses? We would like to put their name(s) on thewelcome letter

** Available online

31


32

7. Delivering theWorkshops - a guide for thefacil itation team

> Key stages of the learning journey for the facilitation team> Facilitator style> Allocating roles> Facilitation team coordination> Tips for good preparation> Getting to know the materials> Contextualising the materials 2> Timing for workshop sessions> Notes on buddy groups> Using visual aids> Ideas for review exercises and energisers> Capturing feedback and reporting

Voucher Distribution to families in Filingue, Niger

Photo credit: Caroline Gluck / Oxfam

7. Delivering theWorkshops – a guide for thefacilitation team

Besides the two workshops, there are four other methods oflearning. While some participants may want to use eachone of them, it might be practical to ask participants toselect two of these four methods, and then to follow upquite closely on each to help them fit this into their normalworkload.

1. The action plans are videoed statements on whatparticipants will do when they return to their work. Infuture programmes, it may be possible to give thefacilitators the chance to verify, prior to the recording ofthe action plan, that at least a few of the action pointsare actually competency-related. This would assist inavoiding action points being either some type of furtherexploration (ʻI will read the Sphere Standardsʼ) or sometype of training of others (ʻI will share my learning /train my partnersʼ).

2. The projects are meant to provide an opportunity toapply competency-related learning. Coaching supportfor participants who select this option is stronglyadvisable.

3. Coaching is not everybodyʼs cup of tea - but where itworks, it works wonders. To enhance the chance ofsuccess, participants should be invited, not forced, intoa coaching role. One or more evening practicesessions to those who accept the invitation would behelpful.

4. The buddy groups that have worked best are groupswith people who live and work in broadly the sameareas. Ensuring that future groups are formed on thatbasis is probably the only thing future programmes cando to maximise the chance of buddy group success.

Facilitator Style Itʼs crucial to insert ʻenergyʼ into material – we encourageinnovation! But, on a pragmatic note, it is tiring to deliverthese workshops. There is little down-time when facilitatorsare not finishing off sessions or preparing for others. Youdonʼt get much other work done!

The facilitator Session Guides are written in a styledesigned to meet a range of potential needs. This languageis to be taken and tailored according to your own style andto fit with what you find comfortable to deliver - and whatparticipants will respond to.

Depending on your learners and the sessions planned for aparticular day, you may decide to do a brief review oflearning from the day before during the start-of-day session.Ideas for such sessions to reinforce the learning areavailable in the section Ideas for review exercises andenergisers.


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An accompanying diagram forthis section showing the keystages of the learning journeyfor the facilitation team isincluded at the back of thisguide.

Key stages of the learning journeyfor the facilitation team

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Tips for building your facilitator teamAgree the ground rules -Why are we here?• Strengthening in-country capacity to respond to

emergencies / disasters• Enhancing inter-agency or inter-collegiate coordination

and collaboration• Focusing on core humanitarian and leadership

competencies• Enabling a self-directed learning experience for

participants

How are we going to work together?• Use evenings to hold facilitatorsʼ meeting to review the

day; provide feedback, resolve conflict, plan andcelebrate!

• The lead facilitator has the last word on managing asession. When you are in the room, you need to beengaged with the workshop in the room! Facilitatorsneed clear communication about participation and whodoes what

• Be respectful to others and remain open to feedback• Have a can-do attitude!

Practical things• Dress: smart / casual. Collar / not suit, trousers / not

jeans• Be equipped with all the necessary materials• Ensure room set-up: See *Room Set-up

Style guidance• Informal / relaxed – Respectful• Affirming style – positive• Acknowledge agency/organisation differences,

participantsʼ knowledge: Find the common ground• Skills-building emphasis, a practical focus• In an inter-agency format, take your agency hat off• Your humanitarian knowledge and experience is the

bridge between the materials and the participants• Draw out participantsʼ input – listen and help them

share with the group – peer learning• Find out what is relevant to the particular learner• The group has responsibility to itself and to each other

as learners• Build on the styles in the room – INGO, local NGO,

government• Ensure that those more able really do engage in the

content of sessions such as resource mobilisation andproblem-solving and project cycle management ratherthan just staying at top level


TToopp ttiippss oonn ssttyylleeThe programmes are result-orientedand the components promote acombination of doing and reflection.While emphasis is on making thingshappen, this is balanced withreflection on the ʻhowʼ and on thelearning from action taken. Our toptips for maintaining this sense duringthe face-to- face and coachingelements are:

• Keep lists of actions to keep a track record ofsuggestions made.

• Steer conversations on how to takeresponsibility for making this happen andresults (explore learning transfer and potentialobstructions, and the leadership needed atsuch times).

• Highlight how small actions can generate bighits.

• Where are the points of leverage? The quickwins that develop momentum?

• What is the legacy of what the group and theindividual creates and enables through theirparticipation in the programme?

• Enable participants to feel special andencourage high expectations of themselves

Allocating rolesThe lead facilitator should allocate, in good time, which ofthe facilitators should lead which sessions. This can bebased on which facilitator has the best core knowledge in aparticular topic or who has prior experience of delivering asession on leadership - or who had a heavy workload theday before.

Fellow facilitators are still expected to be in the room tosupport the lead, even if they are not responsible for thatparticular session. Each facilitator is a team member, onhand to help.

Facilitation team coordinationIt is particularly important for the Lead Facilitator to ensurethey are familiar with the entire learning programme andthat they have consulted with Programme Coordinator andAdministrator and Workshop Administrator personnel as toany particularities of the location, or updates on participantsand line managers.

Tips for good preparationConsider what time evening meals will be held – to decidewhether evening sessions (and your own debrief meetings)should be held before or after dinner.

Before the workshops:If you want your participants to take home electronic copiesof their action plan films from Workshop 1, ask them tobring along clean USB sticks.

Write a Welcome Letter for Reception to hand out to eachparticipant on arrival. These will give details of thefacilitation team, the time of the first session that eveningand a reminder to bring their pre-course work to thesession.

Itʼs helpful to write a simplified version of the workshopobjectives on the wall, to accompany the large-scaleworkshop agenda (see *Supporting Materials for WorkshopRoom).

Clusters and Humanitarian Coordinators in the region: doyou know the region, and which clusters are/have beenimplemented etc?

Useful information for facilitators to ensure they have withthem beforehand:- Coach/coachee list- Buddy group lists – Workshop 2 (groups are set up

during or after Workshop 1)- A *Welcome Letter for your workshop (it avoids

confusion on arrival)- Extra copies of pre-workshop workbook chapters- Any leaflets, booklets or flyers of current initiatives,

reports or projects – to add to the workshop library- At the start of workshop 2 (session 2.1.1), video clips

of participant action plans are shown. Be familiar withthe action plan video clips and check that they will playon available computers.

- Photos of national context to liven up any PowerPointpresentations and aid participant attention.

- Take a few DVDs with Sphere and NGO/Red CrossCode of Conduct films on them. This saves having tomake copies when there, for those who may have hadproblems watching them online.

- If there is a Good Enough Guide produced in locallanguage, make sure copies are available.

- It is very effective to have the HAP principles in thelocal language – check on the HAP website to see ifthis is available. If yes, print off copies for allparticipants and put a poster of them on the wall.

During the workshops:To promote cohesion throughout the programme andreinforce its grounding in the Core HumanitarianCompetencies Framework, it is crucial to constantlylink key messages and learning points to theframework.

The learning journey starts from self-assessment againstthe Competencies Framework – to representing strengthsand challenges on a Capacity Wheel – to planning actionsto strengthen the identified competencies in an ActionPlan.



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This link starts from workshop session 0 by remindingparticipants how the capacity wheel is based on the sixthemes of the framework, and then - when introducing theaction plans - being clear how the wheel links toparticipants' action plans.

To support continuity across the learning journey, it isimportant to give the following information to participantsbefore they leave the workshops:

- Dates of start and end of overall programme - When the next face-to-face event will be held- Remind them of what components they are expected

to be working on

And,- Ask their permission to film or take photographs - Capturing displays, posters or participantsʼ reflections

on their ʻjourneyʼ during breaks is valuable for trackingthe programme and sharing with sister programmestaking place elsewhere.

Getting to know the materialsThe workbooks contain all the handouts, objectives, keymessages and self-reflection questions that participantsneed. Facilitators are not expected to hand out furthermaterials. Video case studies are preferred over long,written text versions which would test participant readingability and leave less time for the experiential side of theworkshops.

The materials for facilitators are not designed to be ʻpick upand goʼ. They do require some prior familiarisation andpreparation. The workshops feature dynamic, confidentfacilitation – without reliance on PowerPoints or set piecepresentations.

Some PowerPoint templates are provided to save on writingup session objectives, for example, for those who prefer notto write these by hand. However, these templates aredeliberately minimal and simple, to discourage these beingthe principal facilitator resource for any workshop session.You may like to insert photos in these PowerPoints to helpanchor them to the specific context in which they are beingdelivered.

Consider the opportunity to film parts of the first workshopas a useful tool for managers, facilitators and participantsfor the remainder of the programme, or for sister learningprogrammes. Itʼs an opportunity to start the sense ofcommunity right from the first face-to-face event, and totrack how materials are received and how concepts oflearning are initially met. You can use these films as ʻblogsʼto play at the start of the second workshop – thisaccountability tool reminds your participants of what theysaid they would do, what happened and gives opportunitiesto find positive unexpected consequences as well asexploring blockages.

To get a sense of the breadth and flow of the workshops,the outline *Workshop Agendas can be found here.


Humanitarian CoreCompetenciesFramework

Capacity Wheel

Action Plan

The Programmes by Competency –A Guided TourMost of the examples of applied learning in theseprogrammes are grounded in the use of tools andtechniques (for example, the prioritisation matrix, the FiveWhys and the principles of active listening), rather thancompetencies per se. This is not a bad thing: tools placeissues in oneʼs head, and applying them gradually createsexpertise.

The first competency: understanding of humanitariancontexts and application of humanitarian principles.The participants with least relevant work experiencemay focus their learning on the various humanitarianstandards and principles, and should be able to givemany examples of applied learning. Relativelyinexperienced participants may find it morecomfortable to look at this first framework area ratherthan the softer ʻcompetencies.ʼ

The second competency: achieving resultseffectively. This can be more solidly assessed sometime after the project has ended, perhaps a year later,rather than while a programme is still in progress.More experienced participants may be able to reportsignificant progress sooner.

The third competency: developing and maintainingcollaborative relationships. A strengthened ability tobuild and foster relationships helps participants indifferent ways, and examples cover beneficiaries,partner organisations and other externalstakeholders, managers and colleagues. Coachingcan help here more than with any other competency.This is where people get stuck, and the manypractical and conceptual ways that help people tounderstand the ins and outs of relationships,especially when under the pressure to get them rightin an emergency, may well form the most powerfulpart of this learning programme.

The fourth competency: operating safely andsecurely in a humanitarian response. Core SkillsDevelopment and Management & Leadership SkillsDevelopment Programmes do not include adedicated safety and security session because thistraining exists elsewhere, and different organisationsmanage security differently. So the programmecurriculum focuses more on risk analysis andmanagement, and framing what participants alreadyknow about safety and security, rather than on moreorganisation-specific topics of staff safety andsecurity protocol.

The fifth competency: managing yourself in apressured and changing environment. This is acomplex area that might take longer to reveal andexplore. Sometimes a simple tool works miracles –for example, the urgent-important matrix has beenfound to be most helpful to begin consciously dealingwith the factors that contribute to pressure. The CoreSkills Development Programme covers techniquesand strategies to manage oneʼs own and team stress,in both workshops.

The sixth competency: leadership in humanitarianresponse. This is the competency that receives,implicitly, most attention in this project, and isprobably the biggest confidence-builder. Leadershipissues are subtly integrated in many of the workshopsessions. Note that, because of the diversity ofparticipants and the different roles they play in theirrespective organisations, organisational leadershipissues will vary widely and can be dealt with incoaching sessions rather than during workshops.

Contextualising the materials 2Most of the ʻcontextualisationʼ is created by participants andthose delivering the programmes (facilitators, coaches andothers).

The workshop and workbook materials available follow aconsistent structure, but written and video case studies andexamples are provided in this package in fourcontextualised forms. They refer to emergency scenariosrelevant to participants working in:- Bangladesh- Bolivia- The Horn of Africa, and- Indonesia

Future programme delivery teams will need to develop newcase studies and examples for other country contexts,perhaps using these materials as a source. SeeContextualising the materials 1 on page 28.


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2

3

4

5

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• You could ask participants to read case studies thenight before they come up in the course. This isparticularly helpful for people unused to working in asecond language. However, do make it clear that theydo not also have to answer any questions in thestudies (though they could arise during the workshopsession).

• Participants may be very interested in a particulararea, say Sphere and the Principles. It is important toremind them that a workshop is not a Sphere training,but then try to relate the application of Sphere withinsessions where appropriate - for example, projectcycle management and the use of Sphere at thedifferent stages.

• You may need to remind Management & LeadershipSkills Development participants that this is not aTraining-of-trainers event, while guiding them to whereTraining-of-trainers materials or advice can be found.See *Alternative Delivery Options.


Timing for workshop sessionsWorkshop start and end times are deliberately unspecified,so that they can be set to suit the point of delivery.

Workshop agendas allow 30 minutes for coffee and teabreaks, with extra time built in if sessions run over.Occasionally, a session may run longer than 90 minutesand the facilitator must decide whether to start the sessionearly or run over into the next break.

Timing of sessions is given as a guide only. The facilitatordecides when to spend more time on a particular element ormove on. There are also optional elements within somesessions which can be used where groups are experiencedor working in their native language and can move morerapidly through the materials.

Notes on buddy groupsHere are some suggestions about buddy group formationand group allocations for small group work sessions duringworkshop 1.• Buddy groups should be formed mid-way through the

week, to carefully consider what combinations will workbest and give group members enough time to bond.

• Consider practicalities such as geographic location informing groups. It may be most useful to grouptogether participants who live and work in the samelocal area to encourage face-to-face buddy groupmeetings where possible.

• Try to avoid placing participants from one agency inthe same group. This will encourage greater inter-agency exchanges. And avoid putting two participantstogether if one supervises the other.

TToopp ttiippWatch out for participants who onlywant to give 'top-level' answers (forexample, on resource mobilisation orproblem-solving). You might respondby asking them to work harder bychecking their answers againstindicators in the Sphere handbook etc.

You will also need to adjust the material content to the levelof your group.• It is possible to remove sections of a workshop session

if you need to spend longer on one part, perhapsbecause of a competence or language issue. You mayalso choose to push more experienced participants toexamine their answers in greater depth.

TToopp ttiippFor both programmes, the fourthday/final morning of workshop 1 isquite full. Session 1.4.2 involvesreminding participants of theʻelementsʼ of the programmes - anddescribing the next steps betweenworkshops 1 and 2. To relieve pressure on Day 4, youmay wish to use the evening of Day 3,after the sketches, to talk aboutʻbetween the workshopsʼ.

• In theory, all participants should be able to work welltogether, but some will bond and support each other,while others may have personality differences thatprevent the team playing its ideal role. Goodjudgement is important here.

• Pay particular attention to sessions in the firstworkshop (highlighted in the facilitator session guides)that build on each other. Participants should work inthe same groups of five people for these sessions. Thisis an opportunity to test potential buddy groupcombinations, and fine-tune.

Remember that although forming buddy groups is animportant and potentially valuable part of the programme,so is broader networking with all the participants andmaking sure they have a chance to learn from everyoneelse in the room. Don't ʻoverkillʼ the buddy group idea. Makesure participants are regularly circulating, and get a chanceto know everyone else.

Communications might be made more effective byhighlighting the advantages of forming buddy groups –without insisting that it's compulsory.

Using visual aidsWorkshop equipment includes a bicycle hooter or bell to getattention, many coloured cards and post-it notes, colouredstickers and small toys. Make the room colourful and a funatmosphere to be in! It makes a big difference. A largecoloured Core Humanitarian Competencies Frameworkdisplayed on the wall is useful. See Supporting Resourcesfor each programme workshop.

Ideas for review exercises andenergisersIdeas for exercises and energisers if workshop sessionsrequire extra elements of interest may be found within theannex documentation available online. If you are runningthe full learning programmes, be careful that none of theseexercises and energisers already feature in a previous – orfuture – workshop session!• *Review Exercises• *Energisers

Capturing feedback and reporting > To track observations, feedback and recommendations

on programme materials, the lead facilitator shouldcompile a summary report for the project managementteam (and future facilitators). It could include:- Comments and recommendations per workshop

session- Key changes or suggested amendments to

sessions- Notes on session flow and continuity- Comments about contextualisation- Additional information about particular participants

or suggestions for support that the group mayneed outside the workshops

- Practical issues that require local follow-up

> Notes collected about individual participants canidentify unexpected issues or highlight the need forextra support. These notes can also make it easier toinitiate follow-up contact with participants and linemanagers. The lead facilitator could also report back toindividuals after the workshop, summarising theobjectives, reminding them about their next steps andproviding feedback from other participants.

> To better track progress, the following items may becollected from the participants during each workshop:- Each individualʼs self-assessment capacity wheel

and their accompanying explanations for theirscoring

- Copies of each individualʼs action plans (orextracts that provide action plan headlines)

- Current participant contact details (ifamended/updated) and a programme recordhighlighting any personal difficulties

See also the *Participant Tracking Spreadsheets for atemplate tracking tool.

Video recorded during sessions can also be useful forlearning and evaluation, support to future facilitators andprogramme planning.



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8. The CoachingComponent

> Introducing the Coaching Component> Suggested format for Coaching Component Delivery> Replicability of the coaching model in other formats

A group of young wom

en collect water from

tap stands in Dadaab, Kenya

Photo credit: Nicole Johnston / Oxfam

8. The CoachingComponent

Introducing the CoachingComponentThis is an important part of the learning programmes. Itstrengthens the overall learning process, but requirescommitment in resources and time. If the coaching isprovided by available agency staff or fellow programmeparticipants (on a sister programme, for example) thencommitment is an input of time only – without financial cost.

Coaching helps participants by encouraging themto:

• set and reach higher goals • focus on actions and priorities • be challenged to achieve more

Coaching can also enable individuals to coachtheir own teams, creating wider benefit andhelping to promote the technique in agencies.

People In Aid explains more, in bThe Case forCoaching: Investing in Leadership.

A coaching component enhances the programme by

• signalling if a participant is falling behind. • providing another feedback route: external coaches

can gather general comment and opinion on courseeffectiveness and transmit it to facilitators as theprogrammes unfold. This strengthens monitoring andevaluation in a general way, without compromising theconfidential nature of the relationship between thecoach and the coached.

> A basic introduction to the concept of coaching shouldbe provided for participants of both programmes inworkshop 1, with guidelines also available in theworkbook.

At least two sessions of one hour each (face-to-face, bytelephone or via Skype) are recommended betweenworkshop 1 and workshop 2, with a third session to followworkshop 2. This allows the participant to deal with anyissues they had in taking forward their Action Plan, and tojointly reflect on their skills development and its transfer tothe workplace.

Suggested format for CoachingComponent DeliveryIf the Core Skills Development Programme is being run inparallel with the Management & Leadership SkillsDevelopment programme: The Management and Leadership Skills DevelopmentProgramme participants may be paired with a participant onthe Core Skills Development Programme and asked to offercoaching sessions to help them work through their ownAction Plans. (This involves at least three sessions of onehour each over the programme duration.)


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For further information on this format and a coachʼs profile,see *Guide for Coaches.bhttp://www.peopleinaid.org/pool/files/Coaching,%20investing%20in%20leadership.pdf


It is important to set up and explain the intention ofcoaching sessions clearly during the first set ofworkshops. This is to equip participants better tounderstand what coaching is and to build theirconfidence about it, so they can make the most of thecoaching they give and receive. It is crucial to

• be very clear about the role and expectation ofManagement & Leadership Skills Developmentcoaches to Core Skills Development participants,or their equivalent. Coaching provided byManagement & Leadership Skills Developmentparticipants is intended to practise the concept ofcoaching – and, in this format, it would not beformal or quality-controlled.

• Ensure that coachees understand the benefit ofpreparation before a session, i.e. what they wantto talk about, what they have progressed sincelast meeting etc.

Explanation of coaching

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Replicability of the coaching modelin other formatsThe decision to use an external network of coaches for thepilot CBHA Humanitarian Leadership and ManagementSkills Programme course in 2011 was made because of theglobal nature of the exercise (programmes run in fourcountries) and the need to produce an overview of thecoaching, for course material development.

There are several ways to deliver coaching:• Identify managers trained in coaching skills within an

organisation where the programmes are being usedand release them to take on the role (two or threehours per participant). This may require somedevelopment input for the managers and some supportthrough the process. A toolkit, including promptingquestions, can be designed as part of this support;

• HR and trainers within the organisation take on the roleof coach. This is a powerful alternative where internalpeople could be allocated – perhaps from otheractivities - to undertake the role;

• Where a course is being delivered acrossorganisations, each could release one coach for adesignated for participants from one of the otherorganisations. A central point of contact would best beused to coordinate the coaches across the programmeto ensure consistency.

> Past programme participants could serve as coachesin future programmes.

> An external network of coaches is particularly helpfulwhere organisations are limited in such expertise orskilled staff are not available. You may find such anetwork within your wider agency.

> Coaching is very effective in improving performanceand learning; it is being adopted in many organisationsas a key management skill. Coaching in a learningprogramme can help to develop internal coachingskills. Only four or five coaches are needed to deliverthis service to about 20 participants. It is a cost-effective methodology with a high return on investment.

9. AlternativeDelivery Options

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Mam

taz (left) cooks chapatis with her daughter, Shikapur, Pakistan

Photo credit: Timothy Allen / Oxfam

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9. AlternativeDelivery Options

Likely methods of programme replication:

• Organisations use the materials for an internal learningprogramme. This is possible and useful, but theseorganisations will lose the important benefits of inter-organisational comparisons and networking and, if thetraining will be regional rather than national, there isthe risk of a language barrier.

• There may be a consortium-based follow-upprogramme. Ideally, national facilitators will bedeveloped and deployed. This would reduce thelanguage barrier and allow for the participation ofsmaller national NGOs that are so important forsmaller emergencies and grassroots DRR work.

• Participants may go on to train their colleagues andpartners. These learning programmes are not Training-of-trainers courses. To enhance the chance that suchtraining activities are actually useful, basic trainingoutlines should be provided to participants.

You may need to remind participants or line managers thatthis is not a Training-of-trainers package – and point them inthe direction of where Training-of-trainers materials orguidance can be found. (Suitable Training-of-trainersresources for this project's learning style are currently beingresearched - Spring 2012.)

Stand-alone componentsThe programmes use a variety of methods that jointly (andin combination with trying-while-doing) help participants tolearn.

The workshops are the most prominent, costly and time-intensive parts. The programmes as a whole enable coursedelivery staff and the participants to reflect extensively oneach of the sessions individually and all the sessionstogether. This on-going cycle of reflection and improvementis a key strength of the initiative, and the resultant materialscover each of the core competencies effectively.

With experienced review and re-design, the materialscomprising the two learning programmes could be re-engineered as stand-alone components.

For example, a two-day workshop on leadership could bedevised, or a three-day workshop on humanitarianmanagement, or a series of sessions based on the CoreHumanitarian Competencies Framework, but withorganisational-specific inputs.

However, please bear in mind that the components havebeen designed to flow between topics, and to incrementallybuild – to tell a story. The order of workshops and theirsession order is deliberate.

Checklist for adapting the materials andworkshop sessions to stand-alone:

- Refer to cross-references between sessionswithin workshop facilitator guides to seewhere one session links to another.

- What is the opportunity for your learners topractise their learning and to feed back to theirpeer group and colleagues?


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10.Learning andEvaluation

Oxfam

's Sanitation Coordinator Julia Moore, Liberia

Photo credit: Aubrey Wade / Oxfam

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10. Learning and Evaluation

It is important to distinguish between two types ofinformation that delivery of the learning programmesgenerates:

A. Information related to the running of theprogramme components: The flow, the positivesand negatives of each workshop session orprogramme module, the icebreaker tools, most ofthe contents in the evaluation forms of theparticipants, etc. This allows programmecoordinator and delivery staff to continuouslyreflect on and improve these programmecomponents and dynamics.

Evaluation forms at the end of each face-to-face eventprovide insights into how topics have ʻlandedʼ. You mightexpect to receive positives and negatives that are largely ofgentle pie-in-sky nature (for example, ʻthis programmeshould be longerʼ). Often, points will relate to personalinterests.

Contents of these forms serve as very valuable earlywarning systems (ʻOops, this facilitator should clearly not becontracted again!ʼ or ʻLanguage is a major issue – do wehave adequate local language facilitators?ʼ). They allow forfine tuning (ʻLetʼs make the evening sessions optionalʼ) andfor trend analysis (ʻOver time, the perceived quality of thematerial went up from 4.5 to 4.7 on a five-point Likertscaleʼ).

B. Information related to learning of the participantsand ultimately the impact of the programme:Action plans, correspondence about progress, thereports of coaches.

For a long list of potential data sources, please refer to*Opportunities for information collection.

Many data-gathering methods integrated into delivery of thelearning programme simultaneously assess and stimulatelearning. These types of ʻintervention-related evaluationtoolsʼ (2) are very powerful in the context of learningprogrammes.


> Much of the feedback and reflection serves two oreven three purposes:

• Assessment (see Contextualising the materials 1 onpage 27) of a country prior to preparing for anddelivering a learning programme is useful as a tool toset programme priorities; it also builds organisationalawareness of (and commitment to) the programmes,and starts the learning process by forcing theassessmentsʼ contributors to reflect on what they wantprogrammes to achieve.

• The pre- and post-programme competency wheelsprovide useful input to the assessor, but also force theparticipant to look at and reflect on their own learningneeds; they may also help to frame some of thefacilitatorsʼ focus.(3)

• Coaches may be asked to also gather generalfeedback on the effectiveness of course materials andsupporting methodologies and feed this back into thedelivery process.

• The posters that participants produce at the end of theprogramme provide the evaluator with valuableinsights in the way they have experienced the learning'journeyʼ; they also force participants to reflect on theirlearning.

2 The main advantages of this type of input are that you a)simultaneously assess and strengthen learning; b) integratemonitoring and evaluation into the programme instead of adding toit, which is cost-effective and means it will not be taken out in caseof budget cuts or time constraints. Some evaluators object to thismethod because ʻmeasurement of treatment effects should beseparated from the treatment itself.ʼ They are right in the sense thatthis type of data-gathering does not fulfil the standard validitycriteria. The outcome of, say, the competency wheels shouldtherefore obviously not be taken at face value but serve as input forany assessorʼs discussions with participants.

3 The obvious alternative is a pre- and post-project test, possibly witha control group to assure the validity of the findings. This would haveavoided the social desirability bias of the competency wheels(people might feel that they should initially score neither high nor lowto maximise their chances of being accepted, and that they shouldscore higher at the end or be seen to have ʻfailedʼ). But the projectwould lose other and very substantial advantages.

List of AnnexesCopies of these annexes are available online.

• Coaching Process (Word doc)• Energisers (Word doc)• Core components of the Programmes and how they fit

together diagram> Graphic Representations of Objectives - CORE. ppt> Graphic Representations of Objectives - M&L.ppt

• Guide for Coaches (Word doc)• Baseline Assessment Tool (Word doc)• Opportunities for information collection (Word doc)• Participant list with filter function (xls format)• Programme objectives (Word doc)• Review exercises (Word doc)• Room setup (Word doc)• Template Learning Event Blueprint (Word doc)• Template Planning Table for Workshops (Word doc)• Workshop Facilitator Profile (Word doc)

Supportinggraphical material• Display banners (hi-res pdfx1a format in quarter scale)• BMP, jpg and pdf files of graphical assets and images

for use in PowerPoint and Word documents• Programme Certificates with active fields for adding

and typing participantʼs names (2 sided with the CoreHumanitarian Competencies Framework on thereverse)

• The Core Humanitarian Competencies Framework inA4 portrait pdf (colour and grayscale)

• The Learning Journey sheets for Facilitators,Administration and Co-ordination in pdf format (colourand grayscale)

• The Context Introduction Leaflet in pdf format• Self Assessment wheels in pdf and BMP formats• Context Letterhead in Word• Generic Context PowerPoint slide


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AcknowledgementsThis project and the development of its two learningprogrammes are part of the CBHA Humanitarian CapacityBuilding Programme, funded by UKaid from the Departmentfor International Development through the Consortium ofBritish Humanitarian Agencies (CBHA). It was led by OxfamGB with the support of People In Aid, with agency staff fromthe CBHA and the ECB Project member agencies alongwith independent consultants.

Thanks are due to many people involved in the ideas,development, piloting and realisation of two learningprogrammes and their content. These include advisers,facilitators, coaches, the 2011 programme participants andstaff from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Indonesia, Kenya, Somaliaand South Sudan.

Particular thanks go to:

Key writers and compilers of the learning materials: Ben Emmens (People In Aid), Linda Richardson(independent), Megan Chisholm (independent) and SaraSwords (People In Aid).

Principal contributors: Anna Dobai (independent), AnnieLloyd (independent),Andrea Stewart (ECB Project), BrianMackie (MSI Trans@ction), Caroline Hotham (Oxfam GB),Caroline Saint Mʼleux (CARE), Chele DeGruccio (WorldVision), David Hockaday (ECB Project), Didi Alayli(independent),Emma Brady (Oxfam GB), Geoffrey Okoth(ActionAid), Greg Woods (Blink Design & Media), Harun OrMohammed (Save the Children), Ingrid Kamikazi(independent), Ingrid Terrazas (Oxfam GB), Jane Beesley

(Oxfam GB), Javier Martin Cantera (independent), JeroenBreman (Oxfam GB), Jill Edbrooke (independent), JulieSpooner (Oxfam GB), Kassie McIlvaine (CARE), KathrineOlsen (Oxfam GB), Katy Love (ECB Project), Katy Murray(independent), Kevin Cottee-Wort (independent), Kon Krios(World Vision), Maret Laev (independent), MargieBuchanan Smith (independent), Martin Knops (Oxfam GB),Massimo Altimari (World Vision), Megan Chisholm (CARE),Megan Price (ActionAid), Mia Marina (Oxfam GB), MoiraReddick (independent), Rhian Cadvan Jones(independent), Sarah Lumsdon (Oxfam GB),Sharon Elliott(ActionAid), Vendela Fortune (independent), WahidaBashar Ahmed (ActionAid), Wahyu Widayanto (CRS), WillCampbell (independent), Willem Van Eekelen(independent), Xabier Garay (Christian Aid), Yamina Himeur(independent), and Yenni Suryani (CRS). We gratefully acknowledge the generous support of manyorganisations, and in particular (for sharing their materials):• ALNAP, www.alnap.org• All in Diary, www.allindiary.org• CARE International, www.care-international.org• Christian Aid, www.christianaid.org.uk• Compas Qualité, www.compasqualite.org• The ECB Project, www.ecbproject.org• Humanitarian Accountability Partnership,

www.hapinternational.org• HelpAge, www.helpage.org• Oxfam GB, www.oxfam.org.uk• People In Aid, www.peopleinaid.org• Save the Children, www.savethechildren.org.uk• Sphere Project, www.sphereproject.org• Tearfund, www.tearfund.org

Context is a staff developmentinitiative born out of theConsortium of BritishHumanitarian Agencies (CBHA)

Oxfam

’sSa

nitatio

nCo

ordinatorJulia

Moore,Liberia

Photocredit:

Aub

reyWade/O

xfam

www.contextproject.org

Context and the development of its two learning programmes ispart of the CBHA Humanitarian Capacity Building Programme,funded by UKaid from the Department for InternationalDevelopment through the Consortium of British HumanitarianAgencies (CBHA). Development was led by Oxfam GB with thesupport of People in Aid, with agency staff from the CBHA and theECB Project member agencies and with independent consultants.

Thanks are due to many people involved in the ideas, development,piloting and realisation of two learning programmes and theircontent. These include advisers, facilitators, coaches, the 2011programme participants and staff from Bangladesh, Bolivia,Indonesia, Kenya, Somalia and South Sudan.


Programme Guide