Professionalising the Humanitarian Sector A scoping study Joint Authors Peter Walker, Feinstein International Center, Tufts University and Catherine Russ, RedR UK Report commissioned by ELRHA, April 2010 i ELRHA ELRHA is the first collaborative network dedicated to supporting partnerships between Higher Education institutions in the UK and humanitarian organisations and partners around the world. Today, we face humanitarian crises of increasing complexity and severity and, as we anticipate a future of increasing human vulnerability to global events, the need for expertise and research dedicated to finding solutions to humanitarian challenges has never been more pertinent. Higher Education Institutes represent a phenomenal resource that can and should be harnessed to support the humanitarian endeavor. The ELRHA project has been set up to help meet this challenge and aims to provide a bridge between the humanitarian and higher education communities. ELRHA therefore works to identify and support partnerships between Higher Education and humanitarian partners that can: • Work collaboratively to address current humanitarian challenges, and; • Support and prepare the humanitarian community for the crises of the future. ELRHA is an independent project that is hosted by Save the Children on behalf of the humanitarian and the higher education sectors. The project is directed through the project stakeholder’s network with oversight being provided by our independent project steering committee. For more details about ELRHA, or the professionalisation agenda, please visit our website at: www.elrha.org. Front cover images; by row, from top left image Mozambique - Morrumbala district Juaquim, a Save the Children Fund worker and head of the Morrumbala office. Boris Heger for Save the Children. Bangladesh - Mahfuza, Save the Children Programme Manager for Child Protection. Tom Pietrasik for Save the Children. Myanmar (Burma) - Save the Children staff co-ordinate emergency operations with Red Cross staff, North Okalapa Yangon. Save the Children. Myanmar (Burma) - Save the Children staff give a hygiene education talk to villagers. Save the Children Tibet - Mr Tenzin holds his seven-day-old baby while Ms Dolma, Save the Children’s Senior Health Promotion Officer, tries a size of a knitted hat on the baby’s head. Zhao Guanshen for Save the Children. Georgia - Nato Gabashvili, Save the Children staff member in Tiblisi. Chris Stowers/Panos for Save the Children. Kenya - Albashir, three, is examined by a Save the Children health worker. Colin Crowley for Save the Children. Myanmar (Burma) - Saw Say Htaung, 19, (right) works for Save the Children in the Irrawaddy Delta. Tina Salsbury for Save the Children. Pakistan - A volunteer from the community is helping Save the Children staff members unload a truck with non-food-items. Save the Children. Haiti - Save the Children staff and volunteers organize a distribution. Laurent Duvillier for Save the Children. Afghanistan - Fourzon, 19, a newly trained midwife, standing in the delivery room. Olivia Arthur/Magnum Photos for Save the Children. Mozambique - Save the Children workers help distribute household kits to the families affected by the floods. Mansir Petrie for Save the Children. Indonesia - Save the Children staff work side by side with local partners. Kullwadee Sumnalop for Save the Children. Haiti - Kathryn Bolles, a Save the Children staff member, walks through a camp. Adriana Zehbrauskas/Polaris for Save the Children. Afghanistan - Hamidullah, 42, with his children Najiba, nine, and Habibullah, seven, in Aqcha District. Olivia Arthur/Magnum Photos for Save the Children. Professionalising the Humanitarian Sector ii Foreword This report is an important, and challenging, contribution to the future of the humanitarian sector. It needs to be read by donors, by universities and learning providers, by NGOs, the Red Cross movement and the UN – and above all by humanitarian workers. ELRHA commissioned this scoping study with a simple premise in mind: given the high levels of professionalism that humanitarian workers demand of themselves and each other and, given the increasing investment in capacity building and standard setting across the sector, is the time now right to create an internationally recognised humanitarian profession and put in place the coherent training and professional development structures that would normally be expected of an established profession? In investigating this question, the report authors Dr Peter Walker and Catherine Russ consulted extensively with humanitarian workers, and key stakeholders in the humanitarian sector. Their findings reveal a unique international community that holds common values and principles dear and that is clearly committed to learning and self improvement. Their analysis of the sector and of the emergence of professions in other sectors begs the question: |why have we not professionalised before? Of course for many years the humanitarian community has been steadily moving towards professionalisation. This report provides ample evidence of the multiplicity of standards, training, and capacity building initiatives that have been created over the last three decades by NGOs, learning providers and universities. The principle challenge that emerges through this study is not a need to generate commitment to the training and capacity building of humanitarian staff, but to address the lack of coordination and cohesion between the standards, training courses, and investment that are on offer. This lack of coordination is further underpinned by a significant gap in our understanding of the sector as a whole: we simply do not know how many humanitarian workers there are in the world, let alone how many we might reasonably class as ‘professional’. This is a gap in our knowledge that we must make every effort to fill. The report’s authors have presented us with an opportunity to pause for a moment on our journey, take stock of how far we have travelled and, as other professions have done before us, to reflect on where we believe we should be heading. Perhaps the most compelling piece of evidence they provide is the simple fact that of the 1500+ humanitarian workers they consulted during this study, more than 90% expressed a desire to see professionalisation become a reality. We hope that the findings and recommendations outlined here will provide a sign-post towards achieving the future that they desire. Jonathan Potter Professor Brian Hobbs ELRHA Humanitarian Chair ELRHA Academic Chair Executive Director Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research) People In Aid University of Glamorgan iii4 Contents Acronyms v Acknowledgements vi Executive Summary 1 1. Who Benefits and How? 3 2. Purpose and Method 4 Purpose 4 Method 4 3. What Do We Mean By Professionalisation? 6 Professionalism and Professionalisation 6 Professional Associations 8 Accountability 8 4. The Humanitarian System: Its Structure, Composition and Evolution 10 How many Aid Workers are there? 10 Connectivity 14 Initiatives aimed at improving the quality and accountability of humanitarian assistance 15 5. Initiatives Aimed At Improving Human Resource Quality For The Field 16 Systems of Certification 16 Why should we bother? What are the problems certification might solve? 18 Obstacles to Progress 19 Importance of Qualifications to Staff 19 What system do humanitarians want to see in place? 20 What do people fear? 21 6. What Already Exists? 22 Training Providers 25 Master’s Degree Level Programmes 27 7. Competencies: Values, Skills, Knowledge and Experience 29 8. Certification 39 Certification and related terms 39 Certificate versus Certification 40 Types of Certification 41 Accreditation 42 Certification and Accreditation at Work – Doctors in the USA 43 UK-based Certification 43 Certification within the Humanitarian Sector 44 A Proposed Humanitarian Certification System 46 Professionalising the Humanitarian Sector 5iv 9. Costs of Training and Certification 49 Who Pays? 49 10. Professional Supporting Structures 51 Professional Associations 51 Academic and Study Associations and Structures 54 International Trainer Accreditation 54 11. Conclusion & Summary of Key Recommendations 56 Annex 1. Research Methodology 58 Online surveys 58 Focus groups 58 Individual Interviews 58 Literature reviews 58 Humanitarian degrees database 58 Annex 2. Survey and Interview Formats 59 Summary of Surveys 59 Professionalisation Survey in English 59 Professionalisation Survey in French 62 Professionalisation Survey in Spanish 65 Higher Education Survey 68 Focus Group and Interview Guide 69 Focus groups conducted 69 Individual interviews conducted 75 Annex 3. Database of Humanitarian Training Currently Available 77 Annex 4. Database of Master’s Degree Programmes 87 v IDP Internal Displacement Acronyms IHL International Humanitarian Law IHSA International Humanitarian Studies AAA Accra Agenda for Action Association ABA American Bar Association INGO International Non-governmental ALNAP Active Learning Network on Accountability Organisation and Performance in Humanitarian Action INSSA International NGO Safety and Security AMBS American Board of Medical Specialties Association ANAB American National Accreditation Board IPC Integrated Food Security Phase AQF Australian Qualifications Framework Classification ASPH Association of Schools of Publci Health IPHA International Professional Humanitarian BRAC Bangladesg Rural Advancement Association Committee IWG Interagency Working Group on CDC Centre for Disease Control and Prevention Emergency Capacity