Introduction

In humanitarian action, ensuring that programs are inclusive is not just about addressing the needs of a specific group but about recognizing the diversity within populations and ensuring that all individuals, regardless of gender, age, disability, ethnicity, or other vulnerabilities, are equally protected and have access to resources, services, and opportunities. This 5-day course will provide participants with the tools to integrate inclusivity into every phase of humanitarian programming. It will explore the challenges and strategies for designing programs that are responsive to the needs of vulnerable groups, and ensure equality, accessibility, and participation.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, participants will:

1. Understand the Importance of Inclusivity: Grasp the core principles and frameworks of inclusive humanitarian action and their relevance in modern crisis settings.
2. Analyze the Needs of Vulnerable Groups: Learn how to identify and assess the diverse needs of marginalized populations, such as women, children, elderly, disabled individuals, and minorities.
3. Design Inclusive Programs: Gain practical skills in designing and implementing inclusive humanitarian interventions, ensuring all groups have access to services and opportunities.
4. Ensure Equal Participation: Learn how to ensure that marginalized groups are meaningfully included in decision-making processes, from program design to evaluation.
5. Evaluate Inclusive Programs: Develop strategies for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness and impact of inclusive humanitarian programs.
6. Advocate for Inclusivity in Humanitarian Action: Learn how to advocate for inclusive approaches in policy and program development within humanitarian organizations.

Who Should Attend?

This course is ideal for:

• Humanitarian professionals working in emergency response, recovery, and development programs.
• NGO staff, UN agencies, and community-based organizations involved in the design and delivery of humanitarian interventions.
• Policy makers and donors who want to promote inclusivity in humanitarian programming.
• Community leaders and civil society organizations working to advocate for marginalized populations.
• Social workers, healthcare providers, and educators focused on vulnerable groups in humanitarian settings.
• Researchers and academics studying inclusive programming and humanitarian action.

Course Outline

Day 1: Introduction to Inclusive Humanitarian Programming

• Morning Session: The Importance of Inclusivity in Humanitarian Action
  • Defining inclusivity in the context of humanitarian action: Why it matters for vulnerable populations.
  • Key principles of inclusive humanitarian programming: Non-discrimination, accessibility, equality, and participation.
  • Understanding the diversity of affected populations: Vulnerable groups and their specific needs (e.g., disabled individuals, women, minorities).
  • Case study: Inclusive programming in refugee camps and conflict zones.
• Afternoon Session: International Frameworks for Inclusive Humanitarian Action
  • Overview of international standards and guidelines: The SPHERE standards, UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), IASC Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities.
  • The human rights-based approach to inclusivity: How human rights principles guide humanitarian action.
  • Group activity: Mapping the global frameworks that inform inclusive humanitarian programming.

Day 2: Identifying and Understanding the Needs of Vulnerable Groups

• Morning Session: Needs Assessment and Vulnerability Analysis
  • Conducting needs assessments that prioritize inclusivity: Tools and methods for understanding the needs of marginalized populations.
  • Vulnerability mapping: Identifying groups at heightened risk (e.g., women-headed households, children, elderly, refugees, disabled persons).
  • Case study: Needs assessment for displaced populations in Sudan.
• Afternoon Session: Gender, Disability, and Age: Understanding Intersectionality
  • The concept of intersectionality: How different forms of identity (e.g., gender, age, disability, ethnicity) intersect to create complex vulnerabilities.
  • Understanding gender-based violence (GBV), disability inclusion, and child protection in humanitarian settings.
  • Group exercise: Analyze case studies to assess gender, age, and disability considerations in humanitarian needs assessments.

Day 3: Designing and Implementing Inclusive Humanitarian Programs

• Morning Session: Designing Inclusive Programs
  • Strategies for inclusive program design: Ensuring accessibility, non-discrimination, and active participation.
  • Integrating gender-sensitive, disability-inclusive, and age-appropriate interventions.
  • Addressing barriers to participation: Infrastructure, information, attitudes, and policies.
  • Case study: Designing an inclusive health program for refugee populations.
• Afternoon Session: Implementing Inclusive Humanitarian Interventions
  • Ensuring inclusivity in emergency response: Addressing immediate needs (e.g., food distribution, shelter, healthcare) while considering the needs of marginalized groups.
  • Practical strategies for accommodating people with disabilities, ensuring safe spaces for women, and protecting child welfare in emergency settings.
  • Ensuring community-based participation: Empowering local actors and affected populations to be part of the solution.
  • Group exercise: Design an inclusive shelter program for disabled individuals and elderly in a crisis setting.

Day 4: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Accountability for Inclusive Programs

• Morning Session: Monitoring Inclusive Humanitarian Programs
  • Tools and indicators for monitoring inclusive programs: Ensuring accountability and transparency.
  • Collecting disaggregated data: Gender, age, disability, ethnicity – the importance of analyzing data to ensure equal access.
  • Tools for ensuring that all stakeholders, including marginalized groups, are included in monitoring activities.
  • Case study: Inclusive monitoring of health programs in refugee settings.
• Afternoon Session: Evaluating the Effectiveness and Impact of Inclusive Programs
  • Designing evaluation frameworks for inclusive humanitarian interventions: What metrics to use and how to measure success.
  • Conducting feedback sessions with vulnerable populations to assess the impact of interventions.
  • Case study: Evaluation of inclusive education programs in post-conflict settings.
  • Group activity: Develop an evaluation plan for an inclusive education project in a crisis setting.

Day 5: Advocacy and Ensuring Sustainability of Inclusive Programming

• Morning Session: Advocacy for Inclusive Humanitarian Programming
  • Strategies for advocating for inclusivity at the policy level: Engaging with donors, governments, and international organizations.
  • The role of advocacy organizations and civil society in promoting inclusive humanitarian action.
  • Raising awareness about the needs of marginalized groups within humanitarian response.
  • Case study: Advocacy for disability inclusion in humanitarian responses to the Rohingya crisis.
• Afternoon Session: Ensuring the Sustainability of Inclusive Programming
  • Building local capacity to ensure that inclusive programs can be sustained after humanitarian aid ends.
  • Engaging local government institutions, civil society, and community-based organizations in ensuring the continuation of inclusive efforts.
  • Planning for long-term inclusivity: Ensuring that the needs of marginalized groups are addressed in post-crisis recovery and development.
  • Group discussion: How to sustain inclusive programming beyond the immediate crisis phase.