Core Humanitarian Standards

Training
Objectives of the workshop
By the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe the Core Humanitarian Standard content and purpose

• Differentiate between the humanitarian principles of humanity,

impartiality, independence and neutrality, and explain their importance;

• List the nine commitments of the Core Humanitarian Standard and

explain how each contributes to the delivery of a quality humanitarian
response;

• Give examples of good practice drawn from their own experience, from
other participants and more widely from the sector;

• Act as advocates and peer leaders on the importance of quality,

accountability and good people management in humanitarian action;
What is Quality?

“Fit for purpose”

It is the client who is in the best position to

judge on the quality
What is accountability?

• The process of taking account of, and being held

accountable by, different stakeholders, and primarily those
who are affected by the exercise of such power.

• The means through which power is used responsibly.

Why use standards?

• Provide people and organisations with a basis for mutual

understanding

• A tool that facilitates communication and measurement

• Consolidate existing best-practice, work in more efficient

and sustainable ways
The CHS as a standard

• Written collaboratively by HAP, People In

Aid, the Sphere Project and Groupe URD.
• Broad consultations, lasting 12 months,
with communities and people affected by
crisis, NGOs and networks, governments,
UN agencies, academics, and donors,
overseen by a Technical Advisory Group.

Published in December 2014

The CHS as a standard
• Puts Communities and people affected by crisis at
the centre
• Based on the humanitarian principles
• Nine Commitments

Each commitment is accompanied by

supporting:
 Quality Criteria
 Key Actions
 Organisational Responsibilities
The Core Humanitarian Standard
combines processes and results!
The CHS brings cross-cutting issues
together
Uptake of CHS in the sector

150+ CHS Alliance member Donors encouraging

organisations committed to partners to perform
the CHS verification

100+ verification reports and Donors have carried out self-

data sets assessments
 Uptake of CHS in the sector
(continued)

The CHS is a Q&A reference in the IASC Commitments on

Accountability toward Affected Population (CAAP)
CHS Alliance works with OCHA and other UN agencies to
promote the use of the CHS as a reference to Q&A
The CHS is mentioned in the recommendations and indicators
of the participation revolution workstream of the Grand Bargain
CHS vs. CHS Alliance
 The CHS Standard is the result of a multi-stakeholder
collaboration and has its own existence (
[Link])
 CHS Alliance is issued from the merger of HAP International and
People in Aid, in June 2015.
 CHS Alliance mission is to promote, develop and support the
implementation of the CHS.
 CHS Alliance count with more than 180 members working across
all continents.
Sphere and Groupe URD
Principled Humanitarian
Action
Humanitarian Principles
Origin

The principles of humanity, impartiality,

independence and neutrality are derived from the
Fundamental Principles of the International Red
Cross and Red Crescent Movement proclaimed in
Vienna in 1965 by the 20th International
Conference of the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Humanitarian Principles
Exercise – questions to answer in your group

1. How does this principle relate to the work you

are currently doing?
2. What are the key challenges related to
adhering to this principle?
3. How does this principle help you navigate
challenges you face in your work?
Humanitarian Principles - Dilemmas
Exercise questions:

• Which humanitarian principle(s) is/are challenged by

this scenario?
• How would you recommend that your organisation
should proceed if facing this scenario when considering
opening a programme in the country in question?
• What kind of dilemmas, related to these principles,
have you faced in your own work?
Humanitarian Principles
Are they useful?

• The principles are a tool for decision-making in complex situations;

• Following the principles, and being known for doing so, can help to
ensure access in emergencies;

• Following the principles can help earn the trust and acceptance of
affected communities, and enhances the credibility and reputation
of an organisation, and of the sector as a whole;

• Following the principles helps to ensure that beneficiary selection

criteria and contract tendering procedures are transparent.
The nine commitments
Commitment 1|Communities and people affected
by crisis receive assistance appropriate to their
needs
Humanitarian response is appropriate and relevant

Context and stakeholder

Needs assessments

Vulnerabilities and capacities

Disaggregate and adapt

Needs assessment?
How organizations identify and measure the humanitarian needs of a
disaster-affected community

Needs assessment
=
What assistance do disaster-affected communities need?
Basic principles of needs assessments
• Collect usable, disaggregated data
• Consider vulnerable and difficult-to-reach groups
• Assess local capacities
• Manage community expectations
• Ensure that the affected communities have a voice in the
process, and that they are asked what their priority needs are
• Coordinate with others and share findings
• Continue to collect data as the response is implemented
Commitment 2|Communities and people affected
by crisis have access to the humanitarian assistance
they need at the right time.
Humanitarian response is effective and timely

• Realistic design
• Timeliness
• Referring unmet needs
• Standards
• Monitoring and Evaluation
Definitions

Effectiveness: the extent to which an aid activity attains its

objectives
Timeliness: happening at the best possible time or at the
right time
Standards
Commitment 3|Communities and people affected by
crisis are not negatively affected and are more
prepared, resilient and less at-risk as a result of
humanitarian action
Humanitarian response strengthens local capacities and avoids negative
effects.

• Capacities and resilience

• Preparedness
• Local leadership
• Do No Harm
The Do No Harm approach

• There is a fine line between benefiting and harming

affected people and communities
• Agencies should be aware of their position or the role they
play in a given context
• The Do-No-Harm approach is the understanding of the
impact of aid on existing conflict and its interactions within
a particular context

The goal is to limit or prevent unintended negative effects.

Do No Harm approach – The process
The process

• Analyse the context

 What are the dividers?
 What are the connectors ?
 How do the elements of our intervention
interact with dividers and connectors?
 What other options are there?
• Repeat…
 Example of unintended effects
1. Theft/Diversion: Fuelling the conflict with stolen or
diverted goods.
2. Market Effects: Changing local markets with an influx of
outside goods.
3. Distribution Effects: Distributing goods along the lines of
the conflict.
4. Substitution Effects: Replacing existing functioning systems
or structures.
5. Legitimisation Effects: Giving legitimacy to a group or
leader by working with them.
Behaviours

• Aid workers send messages to communities through their

behaviour, as much as through their words.
• Their behaviour, positive or negative, has
consequences for individuals and for organisations.
How to recognize and address unintended
consequences?
• Specific criteria for making decisions
• Clearly articulate the reasons for those decisions to headquarters,
donors and local communities
• In uncertainty, being able to communicate clearly and
transparently is vital
• Put a rigorous emphasis on facts. Avoid misguided assumptions.
• Listen to the local communities and staff for a greater
understanding
• Continuously assess your work – be honest
“Are you listening?”
A video on PSEA

DFID Safeguarding Summit 2018

Questions

• What actions can organisations take to protect affected

people from SEA?
• Can you use the CHS Commitments as a guide for your
brainstorm?
Resources
Commitment 4|Communities and people affected
by crisis know their rights and entitlements, have
access to information and participate in decisions
that affect them.
Humanitarian response is based on communication, participation and
feedback.

• Information sharing
• Community engagement
• Feedback
• Ethical communication
Participation

An approach to engagement whereby people affected by a

crisis have the power to influence their situation and the
decisions and humanitarian activities affecting them.

The modalities depend on the context, and the level of

risk.
Why engage with crisis-affected populations?

The right thing to do:

• To respect the fundamental rights and dignity of affected groups
• To give people information that enables them to make more
informed decisions
• To give people greater control over their lives
Why engage with crisis-affected populations?
(Continued)

Key to programme effectiveness:

• To understand and meet the needs of those affected
by crisis better
• To reduce costs and waste or inefficiency
• To improve the sustainability of projects and
interventions
Why engage with crisis-affected populations?

Questions for discussion:

• Might this contradict the humanitarian principles of

impartiality and neutrality?

• How does it relate to the Do No Harm approach?

Degrees of empowerment of crisis-affected
groups in different approaches to engagement

Dayna Brown & Antonio Donini, ALNAP, 2014

 Key: ALNAP ‘Degrees of empowerment’
Providing information: About the situation and the response, through radio, SMS, social
media, information boards …

Consultation: The input of people affected by crisis is sought on aspects of the

humanitarian needs and assistance.

Two-way communications: Between aid agencies and crisis-affected people regarding

needs and the quality, timeliness and relevance of the services being provided.

Accountability: Provision of information, consultation, participation, feedback and

complaints and response mechanisms.

Participation: Processes that enagage people and communities in different aspects of

programming and humanitarian operations, including, where possible, in decision-making.

Partnerships: An international humanitarian agency works with a local civil society

organisation to jointly design and/or implement response activities.

Ownership: The community, through local civil society organisations or other

structures or institutions, designs and implements response activities themselves.
Information Sharing

Make sure the information is presented in languages,

formats and media that are appropriate for, and accessible
to, the people you aim to assist.
What information to share?
Commitment 4

• Contact information of the organisation

• Quality commitments (including staff behaviour)
• Programme and projects related information, including
timeline and criteria's for selection
• How to provide feedback and make complaints
• ... ?
Exemple of information sharing
Example of information sharing
Commitment 5. Communities and people affected
by crisis have access to safe and responsive
mechanisms to handle complaints.
Complaints are welcomed and addressed

• Accessible and safe complaint channels

• Timely and safe complaints management
• Complaints are taken seriously
• Complaint referral
Why is complaint handling important?
What is your opinion and experience?

• Improving accountability
• Prevention and detection of abuse
• Improving effectiveness
• Increased security
• Informed advocacy and campaigning
• Responding to external pressure
Barriers to complaining
What are they?

3 types
Individual: perceived or real vulnerability, fears, relational)

Organisational: how to contact the organisation? Staff

behaviour and knowledge

Cultural: inequality, stigmatization, negative perception of

complaints…
How to remove the barriers
Target-groups and staff

• Context analysis (risks and support)

• Consulting with the affected population
• Multiple reporting channels, suited to the context and
target-groups
• Awareness raising of the affected population on how to
complain
• Training of staff: how to receive a complaint and what to do
next (understand policies and procedures)
Key principles of CRM (Complaint Response Mechanism)
CAST

Confidentiality

Accessibility

Security

Transparency
Efficient reporting system
Key issues to look at and ensure when setting up,
contextualizing or revising a CRM

• CRM = Organisational responsibility

• Community consultations
• Roll-out complaints policies and procedures
• Plan for investigations and follow-up
• Learning from complaints feeding into programming and
institutionnal learning
Commitment 6|Communities and people affected by
crisis receive coordinated, complementary assistance

Humanitarian response is coordinated and complementary

• Stakeholder analysis
• National and local authorities
• Coordination engagement
• Partnership agreements
Why is coordination important?
Coverage: Identify gaps in quantity and quality
Efficiency: prevent duplication of efforts and waste of
resources
Relevance: better understanding of the context and specific
needs
Effectiveness: joint policies and principles; Overcome logistic
and technical challenges including access and security
Coherence: more effective advocacy, better linking of relief,
rehabilitation and development
Stakeholders and corresponding structures
ALNAP’s Spectrum of Humanitarian
Coordination
From complete autonomy to total merger

Communication: information sharing and exchange;

limited commitment of resources.

Cooperation: working separately but in parallel,

commitment to adjust plans in order to prevent gaps or
duplication.

Collaboration: formalised activities, sharing of resources;

strategies and work plans aligned.
Coordination and the project cycle

Assessment - strongest - : joint assessments – UN and IASC

Multi-Cluster/Sector Initial Rapid Assessment

Design - some - : common methodology (i.e. logframe…);

program design (Clusters, Consolidated Appeal Process)

Implementation - little - : technical aspects; troubleshooting

Monitoring and Evaluation - little - : IASC inter-agency

evaluations; Operational peer reviews
Commitment 7|Communities and people affected
by crisis can expect delivery of improved assistance
as organisations learn from experience and
reflection.
Humanitarian actors continuously learn and improve

• Learning, sharing, improving

and innovating!
Activities in line with commitment 7

• Sections on lessons learned in reports / library of lessons

learned
• Systematic management response/action plans along with
M&E report
• Research, study etc. possibly jointly with other
organisations
• Coordination and inter-agency meetings, conferences
• Community of practice
• Staff development plans – training, coaching, mentoring
Commitment 8|Communities and people affected
by crisis receive the assistance they require from
competent and well-managed staff and volunteers.

Staff are supported to do their job effectively, and are treated fairly and
equitably.

• Job description and performance

• Competencies & staff development
• Fairness, transparency and non-
discrimination
• Code of conduct
• Staff security and wellbeing
Policies and procedures in line with commitment 8

• Capacity assessment and plans

• Budget
• Job descriptions
• Signed contracts and code of conduct
• Induction plans and performance appraisals
• Personal development plans
• Staff handbook
• Security, health and safety policies
• Partners’ support!
Commitment 9|Communities and people affected by
crisis can expect that the organisations assisting them are
managing resources effectively, efficiently and ethically.

Resources are managed and used responsibly for their intended purpose.

• Resource allocation and

monitoring
• Environment
• Fraud & corruption
• Risk assessment & mitigation
Policies & processes in line with commitment 9

Financial audits
Fundraising and risk management strategies
Supply chain procedures
Anti-fraud & whistleblowing policies
Environmental strategy
Partners agreements &assessments; partners proposals,
budgets and financial reports.
CHS Self-assessment and Verification
The verification scheme
The CHS was designed as a measurable and verifiable
standard.
Verification is a structured, systematic process to assess the
degree to which an organisation’s work complies with the
CHS.

1. Validated CHS Self-assessment

2. Independent verification
3. Certification
Self-assessment tool
Scoring on:
• CHS 9 commitments
• Indicators & key questions

Information sources
• Relevant documents
• Staff interviews
• Consultation with communities
• Partners
 Self-assessment tool
Scoring

Score Description
Your organisation does currently not work towards application of this
0 requirement, neither formally nor informally.
Your organisation has made some efforts towards application of this
1 requirement, but these efforts have not been systematic.
Your organisation is making systematic efforts towards application of this
2 requirement, but certain key points are still not addressed.

Your organisation conforms with this requirement, and organisational systems

3 ensure that it is met throughout the organisation and over time.

4 Your organisation demonstrates innovation in the application of this

requirement, and it is applied in an exemplary way across the organisation.
Continuous learning orientated approach
…with thematic areas
Recap
Action planning exercise
• Please reflect on the following questions:
• What is the stand-out learning point for me from CHS
training ?
• Upon my return to the office, what will I do as a matter
of priority to enhance quality and accountability in my
work?
• What action will I suggest that my organisation takes as
a priority to enhance the quality and accountability of
our work?
Why should we implement the CHS?
To improve the organisation’s accountability to people
affected by disaster, conflict or poverty;
To improve the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the
organisation’s work;
To demonstrate commitment and high quality of work;
To improve opportunities for donor funding;
As an entry point to increasing engagement to influence
policy in the sector.