Certificate of Advanced Studies: Foundations of Humanitarian Action

INFORMATION: This course is fully booked. Please register for a different course.

This course will introduce you to the basics of humanitarian aid. In the three-day online course, you will learn what you need to start a career in humanitarian work. From terminology to legal basics and quality ensurance, we will cover a lot of reallife examples and look at case studies to understand the major challenges and work areas of humanitarian action.

Please note: This course will be held in German and requires at least a working level of German language skills. For more information check the German section of this page (choose language settings at the right hand corner). Together with the course "Basics of the Humanitarian System", this trainings forms a starter package to humanitarian action. Both courses are par of the aha's certification program and are eligible for a Certificate of Advanced Studies in the Field of "Foudations of Humanitarian Action".

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.

INFORMATION: This course is fully booked. We will offer both courses of the introductory training package again in late 2021 and early 2022. Information on the registration process will be communicated via our newsletter.

In this course we will explore the international humanitarian system and its actors in depth. The course complements the "Basics of Humanitarian Action" course and puts actors, mechanisms of finance and coordination into the focus. We recommend to follow both courses for a well prepared career start into humanitarian aid, but you can also take the courses seperately.

Please note: This course will be held in German and requires at least a working level of German language skills. For more information check the German section of this page (choose language settings at the right hand corner). The training is planned as an online course and includes regular breaks. It is part of the aha's certification scheme and is eligible for the Certificate of Advanced Studies in the area of "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

The four phases of project management are important pillars of humanitarian projects: In this course, you will learn about each component of the project management cycle: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning, or MEAL for short. You will learn how to develop good indicators for humanitarian projects and how to submit successful project proposals based on these indicators. We will also discuss how to monitor projects based on your own indicators and how to report project progress to the respective donors.

The training will take place on 26 and 29 April as well as on 03 and 07 May 2021 and is part of aha's certificate "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". Between the individual course sessions, you will have time for group work and self-study phases. The sessions include regular breaks and will be held in German. For further details on the schedule, please visit the German version of this website.

The international donor landscape has changed considerably in recent years and new actors have gained importance. Therefore, this training will provide you with a comprehensive overview of the international donor landscape in humanitarian action as well as the related trends and developments. You will get to know donors from different areas, for example from the cosmos of the United Nations or the institutions of the European Union. "Non-traditional" donors such as companies or foundations are also considered. You will also learn about the structural challenges that the humanitarian (funding) system as a whole faces.

The training is planned as a three-day online workshop on 17, 21 and 24 September 2021. One additional day will be required for offline group exercises. This training is eligible for the Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

In the 5-day course "WASH in Emergencies - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Humanitarian and Transitional Aid" you will get a comprehensive overview of the field of action WASH in humanitarian and transitional aid, technical and non-technical intervention options as well as specifics and challenges in the WASH sector. In the course, we will look at the basics of humanitarian assistance in the WASH sector including related humanitarian principles and WASH standards. Approaches and technologies for water, sanitation and hygiene in humanitarian crisis situations will be presented, and WASH-specific project planning approaches and cooperation structures in humanitarian assistance will be discussed. Experienced speakers from the WASH Network and external experts will provide technical input and bring current practical examples to the course.

Please note: The course language is German. Presentations and course materials will be in English and presentations by international speakers may be in English. For more information and the detailled course schedule please see the German version of this page.

The participation fee includes lunch and coffee breaks.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

The course aims to introduce to you the processes, skills and knowledge required to design and implement Asessment and Analysis (A&A) processes and make sense of available information in humanitarian emergencies. Therefore, it relies on the broad experience of ACAPS (initially: "The Assessment Capacities Project”), using guidance from ACAPS Technical Briefs and the Humanitarian Needs Assessment – The Good Enough Guide (GEGA) as backdrops. The pedagogical approach will follow a mixture of introductory presentations and group work, using virtual break out rooms, shared folders, etc.

The course is part of the aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in the field "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". The course is planned as an online format from 9 to 11 November 2021, but due to the dynamic developments in the context of the Corona pandemic, it might be changed to an face-to-face event. Participants will be in due time before the training.

The four phases of project management are important pillars of humanitarian projects: In this course, you will learn about each component of the project management cycle: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning, or MEAL for short. You will learn how to develop good indicators for humanitarian projects and how to submit successful project proposals based on these indicators. We will also discuss how to monitor projects based on your own indicators and how to report project progress to the respective donors.

The training will take place on 12, 18, 23 and 26 November 2021 and is part of aha's certificate "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". Between the individual course sessions, you will have time for group work and self-study phases. The sessions include regular breaks and will be held in German. For further details on the schedule, please visit the German version of this website.The four phases of project management are important pillars of humanitarian projects: In this course, you will learn about each component of the project management cycle: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning, or MEAL for short. You will learn how to develop good indicators for humanitarian projects and how to submit successful project proposals based on these indicators. We will also discuss how to monitor projects based on your own indicators and how to report project progress to the respective donors.

In this course you will learn the basics of humanitarian action. This includes important basic concepts, such as different types of disasters or the differentiation of humanitarian aid from other fields of action such as development cooperation. Special attention is paid to international humanitarian law and humanitarian standards and principles. Using concrete case studies, you will be able to actively deal with various situations in which humanitarian principles play a central role or are at risk.

Together with the course "Basics of the Humanitarian System", this course forms a self-contained unit as a starter package into humanitarian action. Participation in both courses is therefore highly recommended. The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". The course is planned as an online training on November 23, 25, and 30 and includes regular breaks. Further details on registration will follow shortly via the aha newsletter.

Complementary to the course "Basics of Humanitarian Action", this course focuses on the international humanitarian system and its actors. You will get a comprehensive overview of the most important actors, coordination mechanisms and financial structures in the humanitarian system. Together, we will look at the key developments of recent years and the challenges that shape the future of the humanitarian system. By dealing with concrete case studies and scenarios, you will be prepared in the best possible way for a commitment in the exciting field of humanitarian action.

Together with the course “Basics of Humanitarian Action”, this course forms a self-contained unit as a starter package into humanitarian action. Participation in both courses is therefore highly recommended. The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action“. The course is planned as an online training on 1, 3, and 8 February and includes regular breaks. Further details on registration will follow shortly via the aha-Newsletter.

In the 5-day course "WASH in Emergencies - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Humanitarian and Transitional Action" you will receive a comprehensive overview of the field of action WASH in humanitarian and transitional action, technical and non-technical intervention options as well as specifics and challenges in the WASH sector. The course will cover the basics of humanitarian assistance in the WASH sector, including related humanitarian principles and WASH standards. Approaches and technologies for water, sanitation and hygiene in humanitarian crisis situations will be presented, and WASH-specific project planning approaches and cooperation structures in humanitarian assistance will be discussed. Experienced speakers from the German WASH network and external experts will give technical input and bring current practical examples into the course.

This course will be taught in German and is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

The four phases of project management are important pillars of humanitarian projects: In this course, you will learn about each component of the project management cycle: Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning, or MEAL for short. You will learn how to develop good indicators for humanitarian projects and how to submit successful project proposals based on these indicators. We will also discuss how to monitor projects based on your own indicators and how to report project progress to the respective donors. Between the individual course sessions, you will have time for group work and self-study phases.

The course is planned on 21, 28 and 30 September as well as 5 October and is part of the aha's certification program in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

The Sphere Handbook presents a principled approach to quality and accountability in humanitarian response. This basic training course provides an introduction to the Sphere Handbook with the basic principles of humanitarian aid - the Humanitarian Charter together with the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and the Protection Principles - and the technical standards in the four sectors WASH, food security and nutrition, shelter and settlement, and health. The training focuses on the practical application of the manual in concrete humanitarian situations. To this end, numerous small group exercises are conducted.

The training is designed as face-to-face training. Depending on the current situation, the training can be switched to an online format.

People-First Impact Method (P-FIM) is a community engagement tool where communities lead in identifying important issues and activities in their lives. The starting point is people and communities, not projects or agencies. It builds transparency, shared learning and trust between all stakeholders, especially the community, local government and agencies. P-FIM strengthens communication with affected people as a basis for accurate information gathering, understanding context and facilitating active engagement. It can be used for assessments, monitorings and evaluation. As a participant, you will qualify to facilitate P-FIM exercises.

The course is planned as a face-to-face training in Berlin from 31 October to 4 November 2022 and includes regular breaks. The course is eligible for one of the Certificates of Advanced Studies in the areas of "Foundations of Humanitarian Actions " or "Locally-Led Humanitarian Action".

The Grand Bargain has boldly called for a “participation revolution” in humanitarian action. However, truly designing projects from the bottom up, with and for people who are directly affected by crises, often proves difficult in practice. Not every method fits everywhere and with each community. Time pressure and moral dilemmas make it even harder.

In this experiential training we will explore in detail what methods are available and which to select at what time. This requires a good look at the context, our own roles and responsibilities, and limitations of methods and mandates. The training itself is designed in a highly engaging way getting you to use the methods from the outset.

The in-person training will take place in Bochum in autumn 2022 and includes group-learning activities. The course is eligible for the Certificate of Advanced Studies at the academy for humanitarian action in the areas of "Foundations of Humanitarian Actions " as well as "Locally-Led Humanitarian Action".

Armed conflict and its numerous political, economic and social repercussions are a major driver of humanitarian needs worldwide. In these volatile contexts, International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is one of the primary instruments to protect civilians as well as medical and humanitarian aid workers. This core three-day workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to IHL that is particularly designed for humanitarian professionals. It will help you to better assess the impact of your humanitarian work, better take into account relevant international legal frameworks, the principles of humanitarian action and humanitarian ethics – with a “do no harm” approach –, to the benefit of your decision-making and future practice. It will enhance your capacity with the help of practical examples, 3D animations and videos, exchanges of experience and case-studies.

The course is planned as an online course on 29 November, 1 and 8 December 2022, and includes regular breaks. It is part of the aha's certification program in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

Humanitarian organizations operate in volatile contexts and are exposed to diverse risks. A robust risk management mechanism can minimize their impact. The focus of this training will be on risks related to safety and security as well as how to implement and maintain a comprehensive risk management system together with partner organizations. On the basis of the Circle of Security, participants will discuss how to conduct a context analysis and a risk assessment, how to reduce the impacts of the identified risks and how to formalize them in Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). They will also get familiar with contingency planning and the monitoring of their risk management.

The online training will take place on 17, 19 and 24 April as well as 4 May 2023 with own case studies between the online sessions for the participants to apply the seminar learnings to their own work contexts. The course includes regular breaks and is eligible for one of the Certificates of Advanced Studies in the area of "Foundations of Humanitarian Action" or "Locally-led Humanitarian Action".

Data collection is an essential part of humanitarian projects. Yet, affected communities are often treated as passive respondents, and overlooked when it comes to humanitarian project design. In this online training, you will get an overview on different participatory data collection methods (traditional and innovative, remote and on-the-ground) and get the opportunity to practice them. The training consists of four half-day online sessions on November 2nd, 16th, 28th and Dezember 6th; please note, however, that homework tasks will be assigned after each session. We estimate that each task will take you a maximum of 120 minutes to complete.

This training is part of the aha’s certification program and is eligible for a Certificate of Advanced Studies in the area of “Foundations of Humanitarian Action”.

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.

Understanding the carbon footprint of a humanitarian organization is a necessary step toward climate neutrality and environmental sustainability. Many humanitarian organizations are already considering climate change impacts on their operations, which is an essential step towards climate neutrality. As individuals, communities, and organizations, we have a responsibility to protect the environment and reduce our carbon footprint. In order to achieve this, it is crucial to understand the sources of greenhouse gas emissions and take practical steps to reduce them. However, it is also important to remember that we must balance our investment in reducing carbon emissions with other humanitarian and environmental priorities. 

This course is designed to provide yout with the necessary tools and knowledge to promote environmental sustainability in your organizations. Through interactive lectures, practical activities, and group work, you will learn about the key sources of greenhouse gas emissions in typical humanitarian responses. Additionally, you will gain hands-on experience using standard tools for estimating and tracking emissions, as well as learn practical steps to reduce them. 

 To achieve carbon neutrality, it is vital to prioritize environmental initiatives and strive for a balance between carbon neutrality goals and other environmental benefits. By taking this course, you will be able to lay the groundwork for environmentally-friendly humanitarian responses and support the development of green organizational practices. Join this workshop and acquire the skills necessary to make a positive impact on our planet and promote climate-neutrality transformation in your own organization.

 Using real-world examples and scenarios, the course will explore the steps needed to achieve climate-neutrality in the present-day operational realities in humanitarian settings. You will learn from case studies in which humanitarian organizations have reduced their carbon footprint and improved their environmental performance.

This training is part of the aha’s certification program and is eligible for a Certificate of Advanced Studies in the area of “Foundations of Humanitarian Action”.

In the 3-day course "WASH in Emergencies - Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Humanitarian and Transitional Assistance" you will receive a comprehensive overview on the field of WASH in humanitarian and transitional assistance, technical and non-technical options of intervention as well as specifics and challenges in the WASH sector. The course covers the basics of humanitarian assistance in the WASH sector, including the related humanitarian principles and WASH standards. Approaches and technologies for water, sanitation and hygiene provision in humanitarian crisis settings will be presented. WASH-specific project planning approaches and cooperation structures in humanitarian aid will be discussed. Experienced speakers from the German WASH network and external experts will give technical inputs and contribute up-to-date practical examples to the course.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". Staff of Aktion Deutschland Hilft member organizations can apply for reimbursement of the course fee. Please note: The course language is English or German depending on the participants. Materials will be provided in English. Individual sessions by international speakers may be only feasible in English.

International applicants: Please register before 1 October 2023 to make sure that you can obtain your visa in time for the course.

EU participants: Please send an email to aha-anmeldungen@akademie.rub.de to see if there are any places still available.

People-First Impact Method (P-FIM) is a community engagement tool where communities lead in identifying important issues and activities in their lives. The starting point is people and communities, not projects or agencies. It builds transparency, shared learning and trust between all stakeholders, especially the community, local government and agencies. P-FIM strengthens communication with affected people as a basis for accurate information gathering, understanding context and facilitating active engagement. As a participant of this training, you will qualify to facilitate P-FIM exercises yourself.

The course is planned as a face-to-face training in Bonn from 26 February to 1 March 2024 and includes regular breaks. The course is eligible for one of the Certificates of Advanced Studies in the areas of "Foundations of Humanitarian Actions " or "Locally-Led Humanitarian Action".

As environmental crises deepen, the humanitarian sector faces the urgent task of minimizing its environmental footprint while responding to emergencies effectively. This 3-day course will train you in the knowledge and skills necessary to lead and implement green initiatives within food security and logistics operations. Drawing on the European Commission’s Directorate-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) approach, this course provides you with a comprehensive understanding of the environmental impacts of humanitarian actions, focusing on food assistance programs. Through a blend of theoretical insights and practical exercises, you will learn to integrate sustainability into your operations, from sustainable supply chain practices to waste management and environmental impact assessment. This course is designed to foster leadership in environmental stewardship, encouraging you to spearhead green food security initiatives within your own organization and network.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

Humanitarian actors globally are seeking to improve the environmental outcomes of their operations. The shelter and settlement sector offers concrete opportunities for such environmental improvements.  In this course you will gain a knowledge of the key environmental impacts related to humanitarian shelter and settlements and learn how environmentally sensitive site planning and preparation can underpin a wider green humanitarian response. You will understand the multiplication of environmental impacts that comes from the scale of shelter responses, and how green shelter and settlement responses can contribute to sustainable energy and water access through a cross-cutting approach to green response. Further, you will gain skills in the design of green shelter and settlement responses in emergency contexts. After this training, you will be able to undertake environmental screening and environmental outcome monitoring to continually improve the environmental sustainability and climate compatibility of your work in this sector.

This workshop is designed for participants who want to take part in-person in Bochum (Germany) and for people who can only take part online (hybrid) . However, online participation is only possible during the morning sessions until lunch break. These sessions will be held by our trainers in Bochum, but will also be distributed via Zoom. In the afternoon, only participants who will be on site in Bochum can take part. Important: Only in-person participants can take the Certificate of Advanced Studies!

This Seminar will be delivered in a hybrid format. It is divided into morning sessions, which will be conducted by our trainers on site in Bochum but also streamed online via Zoom, and afternoon sessions , which will only be attainable to those participants in Bochum.

The three-day joint sessions (online and in-person) will be held in the morning (10.00-13.00 CEST). They will cover the theoretical approach to understanding and improving the environmental impact of shelter and settlement activities in a humanitarian context. This will include understanding the key environmental impacts of shelter and settlement activities, conducting environmental assessments, and identifying solutions to improve environmental outcomes.

The in-person program offers a more immersive experience, including participation in the joint sessions described above and afternoon sessions (1400 to 1800 CEST or UTC/GMT +2). In addition to the theoretical activities of the joint sessions, in-person participants will discover simulated, practical experience in designing and assessing green shelter and settlement responses in humanitarian contexts through participation in a scenario-based group activity. Only students participating in the full in-person program will be eligible to take the examination to qualify for the Certificate Program (CAS).

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

Please note that although the course fee is free, all travel, visa and accomodation costs are the responsibility of the participant.

Water supply and sanitation facilities are closely linked to the natural environment. Water sources rely on adequate quantities of good quality water. Poor sanitation can damage those water sources. Inappropriate vector control can actively disrupt local ecology. Some of the ways of reducing these impacts, such as recycling solid waste, are very difficult in humanitarian contexts, which may take resources away from lifesaving WASH services. Best practice in providing WASH services can reduce some damage, but some environmental protection actions have more impact than others. Learning what actions to prioritize to protect the environment can minimise adverse impacts without excessive costs. Some impacts are outside the control of the WASH sector. Where displaced people settle is often decided before WASH staff are involved. Limited water resources, poor drainage and difficult ground conditions have to be managed as they cannot be avoided by this stage.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action".

The “Humanitarian action all-round: foundations, challenges, trends” training course offers you a comprehensive and hands-on introduction to contemporary humanitarian action. Spanning over 6 training days of around 4.5 hours each and 17 online thematic sessions, the course curriculum covers the ideological, legal, practical, and institutional foundations of Western humanitarianism; key policy frameworks and their implementation aspects; as well as cross-cutting issue areas and possible humanitarian “game changers”.

The course aims to complement theory with practical examples provided by guest speakers who have relevant work experience (shared, for instance, in the “deep dive” format). Furthermore, the course offers you a critical perspective and includes a variety of interactive and participatory methods, including case studies, group discussions, quizzes, and roleplays. In addition to dedicated sessions, the course aims to consider power dynamics with respect to all its content and this way seeks to avoid reproducing power imbalances and the problematic knowledge gaps within the sector.

The training includes regular breaks and is part of aha's certification scheme: It can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". Staff of Aktion Deutschland Hilft member organizations can have their course fee reimbursed.

In the 3-day course "WASH in Emergencies" you will receive a comprehensive overview on the field of WASH in humanitarian and transitional assistance, technical and non-technical options of intervention as well as specifics and challenges in the WASH sector. The course covers the basics of humanitarian assistance in the WASH sector, including the related humanitarian principles and WASH standards. Approaches and technologies for water, sanitation and hygiene provision in humanitarian crisis settings will be presented. WASH-specific project planning approaches and cooperation structures in humanitarian aid will be discussed. Experienced speakers from the German WASH network and external experts will give technical inputs and contribute up-to-date practical examples to the course.

The training is part of aha's certification scheme and can be credited towards a Certificate of Advanced Studies in "Foundations of Humanitarian Action". Staff of Aktion Deutschland Hilft member organizations can apply for reimbursement of the course fee. Please note: The course language is English or German depending on the participants. Materials will be provided in English. Individual sessions by international speakers may be only feasible in English.