Transcript Slide 1
DEALING WITH DISASTERS 2010 ELRHA and the Professionalisation Agenda Professor Brian Hobbs, University of Glamorgan Jessica Camburn, Director of ELRHA, Save the Children What is 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. • ELRHA is a stakeholder’s initiative that works on behalf of the humanitarian and higher education sectors • The project is principally funded by the four regional higher education funding bodies for the UK • ELRHA is hosted by Save the Children UK • And governed by a representative steering group Our work to date • Funding for collaborative projects • Mapping expertise across UKHE • Creation of a new research matching facility • Developing humanitarian careers advice and profiling training and internship opportunities • Commissioning research into professionalisation within the humanitarian sector Professionalisation • ‘Professionalising the humanitarian sector: a scoping study’ Peter Walker & Catherine Russ • A demand for an internationally recognised humanitarian profession • A need for coordination in the development of accredited courses for the sector Professionalising the Humanitarian Sector Background 1. Few universally recognised qualifications 2. Diminishing individual professional integrity 3. Lack of systematic and applied learning 4. Unsystematic personal accountability 5. Shallow basis for state and employer trust Research Methodology • Literature review – Professionalisation – Certification – Humanitarian Aid Quality programmes • Focus groups • Individual interviews • On-Line surveys Demographics of the on-line respondents P 4&5 Geography of the on-line respondents P 4&5 What did we find? • Professionalism • Core values, knowledge and skills • Present training opportunities Why bother? • Life & death service – Humanitarian workers need to be more professional because their actions and decisions affect so many lives, sometimes in very dramatic ways Why bother? • Values matter – A more professional practice would be more relevant, more effective and more efficient in keeping the human dimension at the centre of its practice Why bother? • Quality matters – It will improve the quality of people who are applying and securing jobs, which ultimately will improve the humanitarian response. Criteria for a modern profession 1. Repository for specialised knowledge 2. Knowledge used in an altruistic fashion 3. Therefore autonomy to self regulate 4. Responsibility to expand the Knowledge 5. Responsive to the users of the profession P6 Who is a professional humanitarian worker? Nutritionists Drivers Accountants Professional Humanitarian Workers Water/San Logistics P 12 Public Health Workers Enumerators Professional Feedback System Academia Knowledge repository Formal qualifications Research The profession Field practice Testing knowledge Self regulation Primary Clients Receive services Feedback on services Professional Competencies Experience Knowledge Skills Values P7 Professionalisation – Yes or No? P 21 8% dissenters 1. Too complex 2. Entrench Northern exclusivity 3. Foster a mercenary attitude 4. At heart humanitarianism is an act of political solidarity so a professional model is inappropriate A woman with a child on her back getting her rations at Oromi IDP camp, Kitgum District in northern Uganda. Credit: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN Why bother with a profession? P 30 Key values for all humanitarian workers P 30 Key skills for all humanitarian workers P 32 Why we need certificates • “I first of all want to know, do they have the practical skills, then, do they have the technical skills and lastly, do they have a Masters?” • “After many of the INGOs left, the local staff were left with nothing – no references, no certification, no jobs. How can they prove they worked in the response?” Most wanted competency certificate P 39 Individual Professionalism • • • • Certified, guaranteed Safeguards integrity Promotes competence Supports evidencebased learning • Personally accountable to the clients Certification Routes • Curriculum-based Completion of subject-based professional education • Competency-based Demonstrate mastery of a common body of knowledge through examinations, education and experience • Portfolio-based (Accreditation of Prior Learning) Extensive documentation. Show competencies are covered through education and/or experience P 41 Certified Training • • • • Level 1 Basic need to know (Entry) Level 2 Project management (1-2 years) Level 3 Middle Manager e.g Country (5 years) Masters level degree Existing initiatives • • • • • • • • • • • Humanitarian Competencies Project (HCP), WVI IFRC Field School Training module CARE BIOFORCE SCF HLA/CILT/LLA/Fritz HPCR/PHAP InterAction/INSSA LINGOS/PM4NGOs RedR UNDP A volunteer teacher helps children with their studies at a child-friendly space in the Kiliveddy Transit Centre for IDP families in Mutter Division, Trincomolee District, Sri Lanka. Credit: Brennon Jones/IRIN P 22 Core Competencies: Knowledge • Livelihoods, gender, protection and other crosscutting issues. • • • • • The structure of the humanitarian sector International humanitarian law Quality assurance mechanisms Safety and security issues Humanitarian mandates and principles University Masters degrees • Liverpool/Bioforce • Vilnius University • Oxford Brookes • Noha Universities across • The University of Leicester • University of East Anglia • University of Hertfordshire UK • University of Salford • London University • University of Glamorgan Europe • Australian National University • University of New South Wales • Deakin University • Royal Roads University • Tufts University Age of degree programmes Average annual enrolment 110 100 80 50 50 45 34 18 15 15 15 8 2 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 Students Which type of associations below do you think are the most important to establish? A Humanitarian Professionals’ Association • Of, for and by the people • Sets standards • Certifies members • Can expel members • Is independent A child is weighed at a local dispensary in western Kenya. Credit: Allan Gichigi/IRIN Employer Recognition • Sponsoring employers Encourage certification Require certification? Ensures transferability of skills between organisations What might the system look like? National Spin off 1 3 2 5 Accredited training groups Professional Association 4 8 7 Certified training Criteria for membership Employers P 55 6 Trainer accreditation Proposal Summary 1. Professional Association 2. Certified Training 3. Certification Routes 4. Core Competencies 5. Accredited Trainers 6. Academic Association 7. Core Curriculum 8. Employer Recognition Our future strategy Two Objectives: • To bring together the research community and the international humanitarian community to create world leading partnerships, which produce research that has measurable impact in the humanitarian field • To further enhance the professionalisation of the humanitarian sector by bringing together organisations, initiatives and universities from around the world to develop and test an internationally recognised humanitarian certification process