Emergency Toolkit

The Sphere handbook: Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response

The aim of the handbook is to improve the quality of humanitarian response in situations of disaster and conflict, and to enhance the accountability of the humanitarian system to disaster-affected people. It is the product of the collective experience of many people and agencies. Started in the late 1990’s as an initiative of a group of humanitarian NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the Sphere standards are widely considered the minimum standards in humanitarian response.

Establishing Coordination of Intersectoral Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

Coordinating relief efforts entails minimizing the duplication of humanitarian services, whether by filling gaps or preventing overlap, and ensuring various organizations are synchronized to work together to achieve a common objective, thereby enabling a more coherent, effective, and efficient response. In relation to MHPSS coordination mechanisms, please refer to IASC MHPSS Guidelines action sheet 1.1 (page 33-37), and the IASC MHPSS Reference Group at mhpss.refgroup@gmail.com

Cluster Coordination Reference Module

**The cluster coordination mechanism is one of the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Transformative Agenda Protocols. This document outlines the basic elements of cluster coordination and intends to serve as a reference guide for field practitioners to help facilitate their work and improve humanitarian outcomes:** The reference module includes eight sections: - Cluster and Sector Coordination - Cluster Activation - Cluster Functions - The Role of Clusters in Preparedness - Cluster Management Arrangements - Sharing Leadership - Minimum Commitments for Participation in Clusters - Inter-Cluster Coordination, Sub-National Coordination, Monitoring Cluster Coordination

Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings

This document is endorsed by more than 35 organizations involved in humanitarian assistance. It provides essential guidance for multi-sector responses to protect and improve people’s mental health and psychosocial well-being in the midst of an emergency, offering an overall framework for MHPSS integration, activities and services in humanitarian settings across different sectors such as health, protection and education. The guidelines call for Mental Health and Psychosocial Support services and activities to be implemented in a way that is coordinated, evidence-based, participatory, integrated, avoids harm and builds on existing resources and capacities, and to organizing a multi-layered system of complementary supports that meets the needs of different groups.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Emergencies: What Should Humanitarian Health Actors Know?

Based on the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC, 2007), this document gives an overview of essential knowledge that humanitarian health actors should have about MHPSS in humanitarian emergencies.

Examples of Terms of Reference for MHPSS Coordination, Task Force or Working Groups in Emergencies

Examples of MHPSS Task-Force, Coordination or Working Group for different contexts.

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Humanitarian Emergencies: What Should Protection Programme Managers Know?

Based on the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (2007), this document gives an overview of essential knowledge that protection programme managers should know about MHPSS in humanitarian emergencies.

Health Cluster Guide: A Practical Handbook

This Health cluster guide highlights key principles of humanitarian health action and how coordination and joint efforts among health and other sector actors working in partnership can increase the effectiveness and efficiency of health interventions and promote better health outcomes. It draws on Inter-Agency Standing Committee and other documents but also includes lessons from field experience. Although addressed to health cluster lead agencies, coordinators and partners, the guidance is equally valid for coordinators and members of health sector groups that seek to achieve effective health action in countries where the cluster approach has not been formally adopted. The guide should be useful in different humanitarian crisis contexts, including sudden onset and slow onset crises and protracted emergencies. It does not address all the specificities of the different contexts.

Checklist for Field Use of IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings

This accompanies the IASC MHPSS Guidelines, and is useful to use when time is short, or in facilitating a brief introductory training on the IASC MHPSS guidelines

Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, What Should Camp Coordination and Camp Manager Actors Know?

Based on the Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings (IASC, 2007), this document provides an overview of essential knowledge that humanitarian actors within the CCCM cluster/sector should have about MHPSS in humanitarian emergencies.

The Implementation of Humanitarian Programme Cycle Version 2.0

The humanitarian programme cycle (HPC) is a coordinated series of actions undertaken to help prepare for, manage and deliver humanitarian response. It consists of five elements coordinated in a seamless manner, with one step logically building on the previous and leading to the next. Successful implementation of the humanitarian programme cycle is dependent on effective emergency preparedness, effective coordination with national/local authorities and humanitarian actors, and information management.

Handbook for Coordinating GBV Interventions in Humanitarian Settings

This handbook is a quick-reference tool that provides practical, field-level guidance to establish and maintain a GBV sub-cluster in a humanitarian emergency. It provides the foundations for coordination. More in-depth information can be pursued through resources referenced in this handbook.

Step-by-Step Practical Guide for Humanitarian Needs Overviews, Humanitarian Response Plans and Updates

This document provides practical, step-by-step guidance on how to organise the collaboration among the several stakeholders to prepare joint inter-sectorial needs analysis, including for the Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) and response plans and updates, including the Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP). This guide complements the IASC Humanitarian Programme Cycle.

Child Protection in Emergencies: Coordination Handbook

This Handbook is designed for situations where the international community is formally engaged with the humanitarian response and where the cluster system has been activated. The Handbook may, however, also be useful for contexts where there is no cluster approach. Although the Handbook is primarily addressed to child protection coordination teams, which may include coordinators, co-leads and information managers, the guidance is equally valid for all members of the child protection coordination group, including national and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), government representatives and other members, who seek to achieve an effective and coordinated response.

Education in Emergencies - Child Protection Collaboration Framework V.1

This framework specifically supports collaboration and coordination between Education and Child Protection cluster coordination teams. It provides steps to strengthen collaboration through the humanitarian project cycle. For each phase it outlines the objective of collaboration, three different levels of potential collaboration, key steps including minimum suggested actions, promising practice examples from different countries, and further tools and resources to support collaboration. It aims to enhance the quality, coverage and accountability of the humanitarian response, and reach more children in need.

Leadership in Humanitarian Action: Handbook for the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator

The Handbook is a guide to the normative framework for humanitarian action and the operational approaches, coordination structures, and available tools and services that facilitate the mobilization of humanitarian assistance. The Handbook has a particular focus on the roles and responsibilities of the UN Resident Coordinator (RC) and the Humanitarian Coordinator (HC) in leading and coordinating inter-agency humanitarian action in support of the host Government and local actors, and the skills, competencies and qualities of an effective hu- manitarian leader. It is not a prescriptive guide. The approaches to humanitarian action (and levels of priority) will differ according to the context and the type of emergency. It can be used to support decision-making in a range of crises; help identify the international technical expertise available prior to and at the onset of an emergency; facilitate partnerships among humanitarian organizations, national Governments and local actors; and plan and better prepare for humanitarian response. The Handbook is not intended to be read from cover to cover, but as a reference with easy access to guidance on particular topics and links for further reading.