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Introduction and Overview
About The National Staff Development Program
The single most important resource for NGOs in an emergency environment is experienced and capable staff, to provide the expertise and leadership critical to effective response. Yet many agencies acknowledge that at present they are not taking full advantage of the talents and experience of staff who are nationals of the countries in which they operate. In 2007 six agencies participating in the Emergency Capacity Building Project, a collaborative effort of the Inter-Agency Working Group, came together to implement a National Staff Development Program. The National Staff Development Program was modeled after an existing Operations and Foundations course developed by Save the Children. The program was adopted through the ECB project to target agency staff at the national level and increase the number of staff capable of participating in, leading, and managing emergency programs. The National Staff Development Program represents the first significant attempt to pool resources and expertise from six large humanitarian agencies to develop a common mechanism to promote the professional development of national staff.
The material and resources gathered by this initiative have now been compiled and organized around thirteen topics identified to be critical for emergency response. These topics are organized in this website called the NSD Staff Training and Resource Tool. The material is made available for use as needed by each agency. It is a work in progress and as ECB embarks on a second phase, additional material will be added to this site as participating agencies continue to refine and strengthen the content in each of the topics identified.
What is in this website?
This website is an online resource of materials gathered from agencies who participated in the National Staff Development Program initiative of the Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB). It provides some of the material used in the NSD training curriculum.
You will find training content, lesson plans, power point presentations, handouts and suggested activities for training in 13 topics covered in the National Staff Development Program. These topics have been identified as critical to emergency response and preparedness across all agencies. The material is organized within each topic in a format for ease in navigation and access. The side bar on this website lists all the topics with available materials.
Please note that each of these materials will need to be adapted to agency specific needs and may not all be applicable to each unique context. Please note: materials used in the simulation activities are not included. In the future, it is hoped that more thorough documentation of the methodology will be conducted.
Who should use these materials?
Trainers and facilitators who are designing a training program can access this website to review available material that can be adapted to and support the development of agency specific training content.
Subject matter experts who are tasked with designing an emergency program can use this tool for ideas and approaches for presenting information or developing activities that reinforce the content in their respective area of expertise.
How were materials used in the NSD program?
In the National Staff Development Program the materials were used in three stages.
Stage I – The first Assessment Phase and Foundations program was held for fourteen days in Pakistan in 2007. This program included a seven day simulation of an emergency, followed by three days of classroom learning which included: a review of humanitarian principles and practices; Safety and Security; and People Issues in Emergencies. See a sample agenda for details – sample agenda
Stage II – Involved an on-line learning component. This was the first time that agencies were experimenting with a virtual tool called Elluminate. Two topics on Media in Emergencies and Health in Emergencies were presented via Elluminate. Technical experts presented via power point and participants were able to engage in the presentation via chat or voice. This virtual on-line learning tool allowed for participants across different countries to engage in the program.
Stage III – The final phase included an Advanced Emergency Operations Program held in Thailand for another fourteen days. This program was an intensive 8 days of classroom learning on a variety of topics including: Logistics, Protection, Vulnerability, Assessments, Health, Education, Leadership and teamwork, Building Trust in Teams, Safety and Security, Program Management and Incident Control Systems, First Aid. The eight days of classroom learning was then followed by an intensive advanced simulation for seven days to apply the learning into an actual emergency response event.
The materials available can be used either to run a similar program or can also be used and adopted to meet agency specific training needs such as:
- Design of stand alone modules
- Used as input into existing agency emergency curriculums
- Used as input for the design of agency specific training
What Competencies Were Used?
Leadership Competencies in Emergencies
The program is designed around six vital signs that describe the critical competencies necessary for success in emergencies. These six leadership competencies served as the foundation for the program and participants were both selected and assessed against these competencies. The six vital signs include:
- Communication skills
- Leadership
- Resilience
- Teamwork
- Caring for others
- Beneficiary focus
Operational Competencies
Key operational competencies were also identified as critical for success. These competencies were outlined in detail and participants were evaluated against these competencies during simulation activities. For more detail on these operational competencies, please see:
Combined Competencies Abridged – for a detailed explanation of each operational competency and what to look for.
Competency Assessment Tool – for a detailed assessment tool based on the operational competency. This tool was used by evaluators to assess participants. See model below.
For additional resources on competency studies undertaken through the ECB project, please see:
Humanitarian Competencies Study Report.pdf - Explores the use of competency-based human resources (HR) management systems amongst participating ECB agencies, and identifies competencies useful to those developing systems for the recruitment, management and development of humanitarian professionals.
Learning Needs Survey – An analysis undertaken by the National Staff Development initiative to assess the learning needs and competency gaps in emergencies among national staff.
These studies can assist in providing models for agency specific emergency training and were the basis for the design of the ECB NSD program.
Who was involved in the NSD program?
Participants
Six participating agencies from CARE, World Vision, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, British Red Cross and government counterparts from each country identified 3-5 participants for a total of 40 participants. These participants were selected using a common criteria for selection.
Mentors
Each agency also identified a mentor. The NSD pilot had eight mentors who participated in all three stages of the program, and evaluated participants. Mentors were identified based on their experience with emergencies and their willingness to dedicate time to coach and mentor participants.
Trainers/Facilitators
The program also involved technical experts in security and first aid. Each agency also contributed individuals who taught select pieces of the program based on their expertise in that area. Save the Children contributed by providing in-house technical experts with experience in running simulations. Through the ECB project a full time staff person was dedicated to managing all the logistics and administration of the training.
For a sample criteria for participants, mentors and facilitators see –sample criteria
What type of assignments were included in the program?
Team tasks
Participants were assigned to teams and were assigned team tasks before, during and after the program. Team assignments would be assessed by mentors. For a sample of the team assignments click here – Team tasks.
Individual task
Participants were also given individual tasks to complete. These assignments were given before, during and after the program and assessed by mentors and the project manager. Please see the individual assignments by clicking here – Individual assignments.