Certificate of Advanced Studies: Anticipatory Humanitarian Action

Anticipatory Humanitarian Action

The importance of anticipatory humanitarian action has been firmly anchored in humanitarian practice at least since the World Humanitarian Summit in 2016. Among the most relevant concepts are “Forecast-based Financing” (FbF), “Forecast-based Action” (FbA) and “Early Warning, Early Action” (EWEA). The ultimate goal of anticipatory humanitarian action is to predict disasters and their effects in order to provide the necessary support for communities at risk and to enable early action even before disaster strikes. In recent years, individual actors have generated innovations in this field and thus achieved positive results. This program is intended to make anticipatory approaches accessible to a broader audience and to further raise awareness of these approaches among humanitarian actors.

Competence Profile

This program will introduce you to the concept of anticipation and offers a range of courses that provide you with practical tools and inspiring ideas that you can use in order to make a difference and contribute to a more anticipatory and less response-oriented humanitarian system.

To this end, the program teaches core skills in analyzing and interpreting relevant data. In the various courses, you will learn about tools available for anticipating disasters and their consequences. A particular focus lays on the role of geodata in anticipatory humanitarian action and how to collect, use, and analyze this data. You will learn to assess the opportunities, as well as limitations, of anticipatory humanitarian action and be able to properly respond to the challenges of planning and applying these tools in different contexts.

Learning Objectives

  • Create awareness of the importance of anticipation in the humanitarian sector
  • Learn about proven tools and approaches to anticipatory humanitarian action
  • Enable participants to critically reflect on the limits of these approaches

Teaching and Learning Methodology

  • Online and on site trainings
  • Lectures
  • Group work
  • Group discussion
  • Case studies
  • Group presentations#

Examination formats

  • Written exam (open questions, multiple choice questions)
  • Oral examination (individual or group work)
  • Final presentations in the course

Instructors

  • Our instructors are experienced trainers who have several years of experience in humanitarian action or development policy practice as well as experience in teaching and leading workshops and trainings

Target audience and admission requirements

The program is designed for staff of humanitarian organizations with several years of experience in humanitarian action or in development cooperation. We also admit a limited number of junior professionals who are currently employed by a humanitarian organization and have at least 6 months of field experience. In individual cases, experienced persons with other qualifications can be considered. For definitive admission, a short letter of motivation is also required when registering for each course.

Currently, aha offers courses in German or English. Good language skills are strongly recommended. However, we cannot guarantee that all five courses required to obtain the CAS are available in only one language. Please check the respective course page for the language of instruction of the courses and make sure that you are capable of independent language use (B1/B2 of the European Framework of Reference) of the course language. Otherwise, we will not be able to admit you to the course. The applicable admission requirements for the individual courses can be found on the respective course website.

Accreditation

A “Certificate of Advanced Studies” is a further education degree at master's level and obtaining a CAS is two-step procedure. First, you have to complete five courses in ITP format, each with one ECTS-point from the respective subject area. The courses can be chosen individually based on the courses offered on the aha webpage in each core track.  Afterwards, you can register for the final examination in the form of a 10 to 15 page essay by sending an e-mail to aha-anmeldungen(at)akademie.ruhr-uni-bochum.de with proof of the five completed courses. You will receive all relevant information for the final exam as well as a selection of possible topics for the essay by e-mail. The essay paper is worth an additional 5 ECTS. After you have passed the final exam, we will immediately issue you with a certificate.

Quality Control

To ensure the quality of the courses, there is the possibility to give feedback after each course by means of an anonymous and standardized evaluation procedure. The evaluations are immediately assessed and flow into the qualitative development of the course offer, the selection of trainers and the organization of the program.

Location

The courses will be held online or in different locations in Germany. The locations are indicated in the course section.

Application and Fees

You need to apply for each individual course of your certificate via the registration button in the course section. Please note that some courses are free of charge and others charge a participation fee. Spots are allocated according to availability. If a course is fully booked, kindly register for another one. Course participants must cover the costs for own transportation, meals besides the course catering, and accommodation. A list of cost-effective accommodation options can be provided by the course organizers.

Schedule

Courses are offered on a rolling basis. Over time, more courses will be added meaning that you can start your certificate whenever you want. The schedule for your Certificate of Advanced Studies is flexible, just like we are. You can register for any of the unlocked courses that fit in your schedule. You will be the first to know when a new course is offered via our newsletter. You can also decide at any time whether you would like to complete a "Certificate of Advanced Studies" after taking individual courses. It is only important that you take part in the exams of the training. A certificate can usually be acquired within 1 to 2 years.

Information

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us using the form below!

Security and Crisis Management

Already over

© LandsAid/Pakistan Relief

The demands on security and crisis management for German NGOs are high. In this course we will have a look at our own security and crisis management concepts and benefit from the knowledge of our experienced trainers and the good practices of other participants. You will register for an online series including two online seminars and (if the situation allows) one face-to-face seminar on security and crisis management. In between, you will apply your knowledge by discussing each others’ security and crisis management concept with one other participant in a peer-to-peer phase.

The first two online sessions will be held on 09 and 23 February. The final event of the series will take place on 16 and 17 March and will be conducted either online or -depending on the pandemic situation- in Hannover. The course is taught in English and includes regular breaks.

Introduction to the Mechanisms of Anticipatory Humanitarian Action

Fully booked

© Mozambique RC/ GRC

INFORMATION: This course is booked up, please register for a different training.

Mechanisms for anticipatory humanitarian action, such as Forecast-based Financing (FbF), enable early action before extreme weather events occur through the use of forecasting models and risk data as well as the rapid availability of funds. In this way, humanitarian consequences of disasters can ideally be mitigated and the response time and efficiency of humanitarian efforts can be improved.

In this three-day online course, you will gain an overview of the opportunities and limitations of anticipatory humanitarian action using Forecast-based Financing as an example. You will learn about existing examples of the use of extreme weather forecasts and become familiar with the basics of setting thresholds ("trigger levels") to enable anticipatory humanitarian action.

The training sessions will be held in English and include regular breaks.

Introduction to the Selection, Planning and Implementation of "Early Actions" in the Context of Anticipatory Humanitarian Action

Fully booked

© German Red Cross

Anticipatory action means acting prior to the onset of predictable hazards and thus, prevent their impact, if possible, and reduce human suffering and losses. It has only been a few years since humanitarian agencies started to develop systems to take action based on forecasts and risk analysis. Hence, Early Actions are a core component of anticipatory humanitarian action as their implementation aims at reducing the impact of extreme events. This course provides an overview of early actions in some of those projects from the Red Cross Red Crescent movement as well as from different NGOs.

Hence, you will be introduced to the overall concept of Anticipatory Action and its current funding mechanisms, but the focus will be on the selection and planning of early actions for various hazards (e.g., short onset such as floods but also long onset such as droughts) by taking into account different lead times and identified impacts. In this course, you will learn about key principles for identifying Early Actions as well as tools for prioritizing, planning and evaluating their effectiveness. Overall, examples will be taken from both, larger humanitarian agencies such as German Red Cross and Welthungerhilfe, as well as smaller NGOs who have a stronger focus on community-based approaches. The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action".

Anticipatory Humanitarian Action in Conflict Settings

Fully booked

© Aktion Deutschland Hilft / Zanettini

Anticipatory Action means acting prior to the onset of predictable hazards and, thus, aiming at reducing their impact and overall reducing human suffering and losses. Programs and projects of anticipatory action are currently being implemented in non-conflict context and mostly focused on extreme events linked to weather- and climate-related hazards, however it is evident that places with a high likelihood to be impacted by climate change are the ones affected by armed conflict and violence, which poses major challenges in the humanitarian sector and it is likely to disproportionately affected conflict affected populations severely. In this course, you will explore the potential of setting up AA in situations of armed conflict by looking at two perspectives: a. AA for climate related hazards in context already affected by conflict and b. the anticipation of humanitarian impacts of conflict. You will find out which opportunities, challenges and risks lie in setting AA system for both objectives. The training has an exploratory character and is aimed at participants with previous knowledge in the field of FbF and anticipatory action.

After introducing the concept of Anticipatory Action, current funding mechanisms and its challenges in conflict contexts, the course focuses on existing approaches how to operate in conflict contexts, different actors and their positions. You will furthermore identify options to apply the acquired knowledge in their immediate working environment. Examples will be taken from both larger humanitarian agencies such as Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, UN agencies, the START Network as well as smaller NGOs. The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action".

Security and Crisis Management

Fully booked

© Aktion Deutschland Hilft / Loeffke

The requirements for security and crisis management in German NGOs are high. In this course, you will take a look at your own security and crisis management concepts and benefit from the knowledge of experienced trainers and the experiences of other participants. In two online and two face-to-face sessions, you will learn how to improve own security concepts and crisis management, how to safeguard the ownership of staff and how to involve partner organizations. Between the sessions, you are invited to discuss their security and crisis management concepts in peer-to-peer meetings. After the sessions, you can take part in individual coaching with the trainers.

The first block of events will take place online on October 14 and 28. The last part of the event series will take place on November 8 and 9 and is planned as a face-to-face event in Berlin. The event will take place observing current hygiene regulations and protective measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. Should the situation change, we reserve the right to hold the seminar days on 8 and 9 November as an online format. The training is part of aha's certificate program and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Anticipatory Humanitarian Action.

The Use of Geoinformation in (Anticipatory) Humanitarian Action

Fully booked

Anticipatory action seeks to reduce the negative impacts of disasters by providing assistance to populations before predicted crises. It means acting prior to the onset of predictable hazards and, thus, aiming at reducing their impact and overall reducing human suffering and losses. It has only been a few years since humanitarian agencies started to develop systems to take action based on forecasts and risk analysis. Hence, you will be introduced to the overall concept of Anticipatory Action. However, the focus of this course will be on geoinformation.

The use of geodata in (anticipatory) humanitarian action has great potential. This course teaches the most important applications of geospatial data in humanitarian action. You will get an overview of existing data sources, including user-generated data such as OpenStreetMap. You will learn how to use this data systematically, with a particular focus on the use of geospatial data in the context of risk analysis in order to provide needs-based and anticipatory humanitarian assistance. Within this module, you will learn the basics of using the open-source software QGIS.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action". The course will take place online in January 2022 and includes regular breaks.

Current Approaches and GIS Methods to Support Anticipatory Humanitarian Action

Fully booked

© Daniele Masi

Geodata, GIS and remote sensing are of increasing importance in the humanitarian context and are currently being used more and more intensively in the field of anticipatory humanitarian action. Participants of this advanced course have the opportunity to get to know them in an applied way. The training starts with an introduction to the concepts of anticipatory humanitarian action and the link to geospatial data and related analyses. Using application examples, the use of raster data and analyses, accessibility analyses as well as local/community mapping approaches and their potential for the various areas of the Early Action Protocols are illustrated.The course is intended for all those who already have some experience with the use of GIS and geodata as well as participants of the training "The use of geoinformation in (anticipatory) humanitarian action" in January 2022.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action". The event is scheduled as an online event from 14 to 25 March and includes regular breaks. At the bottom of this course page you can find a sheet with further information on minimum system requirements and the installation of QGIS, the software that we will predominantly use in this course.

Climate Change Adaptation and Managing Risk of Extreme Events

Already over

© Aktion Deutschland Hilft/Trappe

Climate change has led to a change and an increasing number of climate and weather extremes that may cause disasters. Anticipating the impacts of climate change and taking appropriate actions to manage the risk of extreme events has become necessary within humanitarian action.

The course covers various thematic areas to provide the foundations and a basic understanding of climate change adaptation and of managing risk of climate-related extreme events. It presents to you various adaptation measures in selected sectors. Several international experts will give you inputs, stimulate discussions and group exercises on the thematic areas.

The course will be conducted on several days, mostly in the afternoon time (CEST). The work language is in English.

The course is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action", under prerequisite of passing the exam (please also see the general exam regulation of aha). The exam is in form of individual or group work IN ADDITION to attending the training!

Concepts and Mechanisms of Anticipatory Humanitarian Action

Fully booked

© Mozambique RC/ GRC

Anticipatory action is increasingly recognized as a key solution to reducing the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events; early actions help people and organizations to build resilience to future shocks by better understanding risk and transforming this risk information into action before a disaster strikes. Ideally, this can mitigate the humanitarian consequences of disasters and improve the response time and efficiency of humanitarian action measures. In this course, you will get an overview of how these mechanisms work and discuss possibilities and limitations of anticipatory humanitarian action in your respective work context. You will learn about existing examples from the Red Cross Red Crescent movement and NGOs and become familiar with the basics of setting thresholds ("trigger levels") for triggering anticipatory humanitarian action, developing early actions and exploring funding opportunities.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards one of the Certificates of Advanced Studies either in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action" or in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". It takes place from 6 to 8 November in Bochum and includes regular breaks.

The Use of Geoinformation in Anticipatory Humanitarian Action

Fully booked

© HeiGIT

Anticipatory action seeks to reduce the negative impacts of disasters by providing assistance to populations before predicted crises and thus reducing their impact and overall reducing human suffering and losses. It has only been a few years since humanitarian agencies started to develop systems to take action based on forecasts and risk analysis. In this course, you will be introduced to the overall concept of Anticipatory Action with a particular focus on geoinformation. The use of geodata in (anticipatory) humanitarian action has great potential and thus, you will learn about the most important applications of geospatial data in humanitarian action. You will get an overview of existing data sources, including user-generated data such as OpenStreetMap. You will learn how to use this data systematically, with a particular focus on the use of geospatial data in the context of risk analysis and historical impact assessments in order to provide needs-based and anticipatory humanitarian assistance. Within this module, you will also learn the basics of using the open-source software QGIS.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action". The course will take place online in January 2024 and includes regular breaks.

Current Approaches and GIS Methods to Support Anticipatory Humanitarian Action

Fully booked

© HeiGIT

Geodata, GIS and remote sensing are of increasing importance in the humanitarian context and are currently being used more and more intensively in the field of anticipatory humanitarian action. In this advanced course you will have the opportunity to get to know these tools in an applied way. The training starts with an introduction to the concept of anticipatory humanitarian action and the link to geospatial data and related analyses. Using application examples, you will be introduced to the use of raster data and analyses, accessibility analyses as well as local/community mapping approaches and their potential for the various areas of an Anticipatory Action Framework. The course is intended for all those who already have some experience with the use of GIS and geodata as well as participants of the training "The Use of Geoinformation in (Anticipatory) Humanitarian Action" in January 2024.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Anticipatory Humanitarian Action". The event is planned as an online event from 11 to 22 March and includes regular breaks. At the bottom of this course page you can find a sheet with further information on minimum system requirements and the installation of QGIS, the software that we will predominantly use in this course.