Staff capacity

Findings of research undertaken by People In Aid, in February and March 2007 and supported by the ECB Project into the use and effectiveness of competency frameworks within the humanitarian sector. The report, identifies 8 common competency areas consistently applied to humanitarian roles, highlights practical tools and suggests ways in which the use of competency frameworks can be grounded within organizations.

Humanitarian practitioners identify trust in emergency teams as one of the most important factors in launching timely and effective emergency responses. This Toolkit can be used throughout the cycle of an emergency response and features a Trust Index, to assess and measure trust within diverse teams, and 10 trust-building tools that can be selected based on the identified team needs to build trust. Published by Oxfam Publishing November 2007.

Executive summary of this important research. February 2007.

During exchange visits between IWG agencies in 2005, a series of promising practices were identified. Brief but informative case studies of these practices have been developed by People in Aid in partnership with ECB, and are published on the People in Aid website. April 2007.

Material in Spanish for a multi-agency simulation: use in conjunction with Administrator's Guide in Spanish.

The IWG Employee Study conducted by People in Aid to identify factors affecting loyalty and retention. February 2006.

Competency based HR management systems are widely recognized as a “good practice” for long-term posts in HQs and/or development programs. Includes identification of common competences for humanitarian professionals and suggested tools for recruitment of short-term Emergency Program Managers. April 2006.

Study by IWG agencies into the most important staffing factors in emergency response - recommends a set of key indicators that can be benchmarked across the sector. October 2005.

This report provides an independent strategic review of the ECB National Staff Development Program pilot project and its place within the IWG agencies’ approach to national staff development and capacity building. Managed by People In Aid, the review draws on interviews with key stakeholders within each participating IWG agency, as well as a range of external authorities, and makes clear recommendations to take this initiative forward.

National staff represent the most significant untapped resource in emergency response. The ECB National Staff Development Programme aims to develop the potential of national staff to become key staff in their own countries and beyond. A learning needs survey was undertaken to determine the perceived gaps in knowledge and skills of national staff and to give a sense of which of these should be prioritized. November 2006.

A simple, adaptable simulation package enabling field teams to test their systems and skills in a realistic emergency scenario, which can be tailored to a country context. This Administrator’s Guide explains how to implement the simulation effectively and maximize learning during the debrief. The two zipped folders provide all necessary materials. October 2007.

Research conducted with People In Aid into the capacities of humanitarian and development agencies to rapidly respond in times of increased need. This paper aims to foster a deeper understanding of these ‘surge capacities’ by identifying the triggers or drivers for surge, and exploring how surge capacity is resourced, enacted and effectively enabled. October 2007.

Staff turnover is often cited as a major cause of program shortcomings – every agency has suffered from “the revolving door syndrome” yet we also need flexibility to adjust staffing levels as program needs change. How can agencies improve retention and better manage the consequences when good people leave? Published by Humanitarian Practice Network www.odihpn.org June 2006.