PHAP: Learning sessions and webinars

Latest Episodes:

Embracing the leadership of local actors and communities in climate action Mar 18, 2022

Show notes

On 17 March, ICVA and PHAP will organize the next session of the Learning Stream on Climate Change and Humanitarian Action, exploring Commitment #3 of the Climate and Environment Charter. Commitment #3 aims to embrace the leadership of local actors and communities by learning from traditional and indigenous knowledge on mitigation and adaptation measures, including nature-based solutions. In turn, we also need to support local communities and actors to be better prepared to face the impacts of a changing climate and environmental risks.
This webinar will aim at answering the following questions:
- How are NGOs and local communities working together to support local leadership in climate action?
- How can we ensure meaningful and inclusive participation and leadership of local actors and people we serve are part of our programs' design, management, implementation, and evaluation?
- What can we do better to promote local leadership in the light of climate change? How can we improve our programs accordingly?
- What can we learn from local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge which can be replicated in other contexts?
Read more about the event at https://phap.org/17mar2022

Practical tools and initiatives for reducing environmental impact in humanitarian action Feb 04, 2022

Show notes

As humanitarian actors are working towards reducing their environmental impact, it’s important to understand what tools are being developed and what initiatives are underway that can serve as a model for other organizations. Join us on 3 February for the next session of the Learning Stream on Climate Change and Humanitarian Action to learn more about how some of these may be useful for your work.
In our previous webinar, we gave an overview of how organizations can develop and implement environmental policies and strategies in line with Commitment 2 of the Climate Charter, and looked at challenges and opportunities, including some of the donor requirements and standards being put in place. Taking a starting point in these discussions, the next webinar will focus on practical tools and initiatives undertaken by organizations to reduce their environmental impact in humanitarian action.
This webinar will aim to share lessons learned on and responses to some of the following questions:
- How can we incorporate more environment-friendly practices into our programming?
- What are some of the nature-based solutions/do no harm practices being used by organizations in their programming?
- What are the tools for NGOs to measure their environmental impact?
Read more about the event on https://phap.org/3feb2022

Complaints and feedback mechanisms: Making much-needed changes Dec 08, 2021

Show notes

It has long been recognized that affected people must play an active role in decisions that affect their lives. Yet recent evaluations show that this is an area where the humanitarian sector is still lagging behind. There are few examples of systems that systematically capture the views and feedback from affected people, ensure they inform decision-making, and close the “feedback loop.” Many are not handling reports of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment appropriately, risking dangerous breaches of confidentiality. This webinar will be looking at some of the existing good practices, and at plans to scale them up and strengthen complaints and feedback mechanisms.
Read more and access resources at https://phap.org/7dec2021

Maximising the environmental sustainability of our work Nov 25, 2021

Show notes

Commitment 2 of the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, in line with the principle of “Do No Harm,” calls on us to “avoid, minimize and manage the damage we cause to the environment and the climate, while maintaining our ability to provide timely and principled humanitarian assistance”.
More and more, organisations are looking into how to implement sound environmental policies and start systematically assessing the immediate and long-term environmental impact of our work in the humanitarian sector. This entails that we systematically evaluate, avoid and mitigate the negative environmental impacts of our programs as much as possible, and use our influence to push for more environmentally sustainable humanitarian action, notably when it comes to supply chains and logistics.
This webinar will aim to share an overview and initial lessons learned on some of the following questions:
- How can organisations develop and implement more environment friendly policies?
- What are the challenges and opportunities to do so?
- How can NGOs reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and responsibly use and help manage natural resources? What are some of the challenges in undertaking such a shift in our work?
What are some of the requirements and standards being put in place by donors? What support will be available from donors?
Read more about the event at https://phap.org/24nov2021

Accountability and inclusion in the COVID-19 response: Lessons for the future Nov 03, 2021

Show notes

The COVID-19 response, like any other public health emergency, has required a focus on communication around associated risks and the promotion of healthy behaviors. However, in humanitarian settings, accountability and inclusion principles have been central to shaping this response. This webinar will explore lessons around Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) from the COVID-19 response and decades of practical experiences around accountability in the humanitarian sector and how they can inform future health and non-health emergencies.
Read more about the event on https://phap.org/2nov2021

Adapting to the impacts of the climate and environmental crises Oct 14, 2021

Show notes

We are already witnessing how climate and environmental crises disproportionately impact communities in vulnerable contexts and situations, and regardless of what we do, these impacts will not disappear overnight.
Commitment #1 of the Climate and Environment Charter calls on us to “Step up our response to growing humanitarian needs and help people to adapt to impacts of the climate and environmental crises.” It focuses on how we use climate change adaptation (CCA), disaster risk reduction (DDR), and anticipatory action in our programming adapt our programs to better support and strengthen people’s resilience to current and future climate and environmental risks.
Many NGOs are already working to address climate change in and alongside vulnerable communities and to help organizations live up to their commitment, there are tools and resources available to guide NGOs in their work.
This webinar will aim to share lessons learned on the below questions:
How can NGO programming be fit for purpose, ensure that they are designed and implemented to address current impacts and help reduce future risks?
How can we scale-up climate-smart disaster risk reduction efforts and identify locally appropriate solutions to address them?
What are some of the tools and resources available in terms of CCA, DDR and anticipatory action?
What can we learn from local, traditional, and indigenous knowledge which can be replicated in other contexts?

Practitioner insights: Applying guidance on accountability and inclusion Oct 07, 2021

Show notes

Introduction to the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organisations Sep 30, 2021

Show notes

The recently launched Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organisations sends a clear signal that humanitarian organizations have a key role to play in addressing crises faced by communities due to the climate and environmental crises. We must be a part of the solution by helping people adapt to a changing climate and environment, while also increasing our own environmental sustainability. This needs to be a collective endeavor, as it is clear that no organization can tackle this alone. The Charter intends to guide humanitarian action in the face of these crises and their humanitarian consequences.
Serving as the starting point for the ICVA and PHAP Learning Stream on Climate Change and Humanitarian Action, this webinar will help introduce the Charter, which will serve as an important reference point for the rest of the learning stream. The questions we will look at in this webinar include:
- Why the Charter is needed now?
- What the commitments imply and the resources available?
- How NGOs can sign the Charter and what their signature means?
- What are the next steps to support organisations in implementing the Charter and to monitor progress?
Read more about the session on https://phap.org/30sep2021

Making collective accountability to affected populations a reality Sep 12, 2021

Show notes

Accountability to affected populations (AAP) is an essential part of good humanitarian programming. But while some organizations may integrate it well into their own operations, people do not live in silos and their needs and priorities regularly cut across different programs and as a result, they are often faced with confusing and overlapping feedback and engagement systems. Collective approaches to AAP seek to address this by focusing on the overall humanitarian response and putting people rather than projects at the center.
Building on the operational research on Communication and Community Engagement conducted by the Humanitarian Policy Group at ODI, as well as its ongoing work around inclusion, the first webinar will consider some of the lessons emerging from this research and explore how such approaches can be encouraged, particularly by leadership at country level.
Read more about the event at https://phap.org/8sep2021

Risk Management and Funding Partnerships Jun 11, 2021

Show notes

Risk management practices are playing an increasingly important role in partner selection and engagement when NGOs receive funding from UN agencies or government donors. On June 10, ICVA and PHAP organized a webinar, as part of the Learning Series on Risk Management in Practice, where we examined the role of risk management in good funding partnerships as NGOs engage with external funders.
For funders of humanitarian programming of NGOs, risk management is playing an increasing role in both the decision to offer funding and the terms and conditions of partnership once a grant is secured. Funding from UN agencies for NGO partners now includes an assessment of risk management practices in partner selection. Most also use a risk rating system with partners to determine funding limits and levels of required oversight.
Donor governments currently have a wider range of practice, some with extensive risk management systems in place. For NGO partners, there can be major consequences if donor government funding is accepted without a proper risk assessment being carried out. Accounting and compliance requirements for NGOs can be difficult to meet without appropriate training, and there are often serious legal consequences if the terms of funding agreements are not met.
The topics that we have covered so far in the risk management series have primarily focused on internal decision making and the role of risk management. It is important to extend this thinking, however, to external funding relationships. NGOs should be confident that they are basing the decision to accept funding taking into consideration key questions such as:
- Can we meet expectations of the funder?
- What is the likelihood that we can fulfill compliance requirements?
- Which risk controls are missing, or should be strengthened, to help meet expectations and compliance requirements?
As with our other webinars in the series, we were joined by a panel of experts representing both NGO and funder perspectives, followed by a live discussion with participants.
Read more at https://phap.org/10jun2021