Training on Humanitarian Program Management (HPM)

Module 1: The Humanitarian Program Cycle

• Overview of the program cycle in humanitarian contexts.

• Key stages: assessment, analysis, response planning, resource mobilization, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning.

• The role of coordination mechanisms (clusters, OCHA).

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Map the program cycle for a recent humanitarian response, identifying gaps and misalignments between stages.

Module 2: Needs Assessment and Response Analysis

• Coordinated assessments (multi-sectoral initial rapid assessment, detailed assessments).

• Analyzing assessment data to identify priority needs.

• Response analysis: selecting appropriate interventions and modalities.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Analyze assessment findings for a complex emergency and prioritize sectors and geographic areas for response.

Module 3: Strategic Response Planning

• Developing a humanitarian response strategy and theory of change.

• Defining strategic objectives, outcomes, and outputs.

• Alignment with Humanitarian Response Plans (HRP) and cluster strategies.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Develop a response strategy for a new emergency, including a theory of change and high-level objectives.

Module 4: Project Design and Logical Frameworks

• Designing projects that operationalize the response strategy.

• Logical frameworks (logframes): goal, purpose, outputs, activities, indicators, and assumptions.

• Activity, output, and outcome-level planning.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Develop a detailed logframe for a humanitarian project, ensuring vertical logic and testable assumptions.

Module 5: Budgeting and Resource Mobilization

• Developing activity-based budgets for humanitarian projects.

• Cost assumptions, inflation, contingency, and indirect costs.

• Donor landscape: government donors (USAID/BHA, ECHO, FCDO, GFFO), UN pooled funds, and private sources.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Develop a project budget aligned with a logframe, including personnel, activities, supplies, and indirect costs.

Module 6: Proposal Writing for Humanitarian Funding

• Anatomy of a humanitarian proposal: executive summary, needs statement, project description, logframe, budget, M&E plan, and organizational capacity.

• Tailoring proposals to donor requirements and strategies.

• Writing compelling narratives based on evidence.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Draft a proposal narrative for a concept note based on a given needs assessment and response strategy.

Module 7: Implementation Management and Team Leadership

• Operational planning: detailed implementation plans and procurement schedules.

• Managing multi-sectoral teams and partner relationships.

• Financial management and compliance.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Develop a detailed implementation plan for a humanitarian project, including activity sequencing, staffing, and procurement timelines.

Module 8: Monitoring and Evaluation in Humanitarian Programs

• Designing M&E plans: indicators, data collection, and frequency.

• Real-time monitoring and adaptive management.

• Evaluations: baseline, endline, and real-time evaluations.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Develop an M&E plan for a humanitarian project, including indicator definitions, data sources, and a data collection schedule.

Module 9: Reporting, Accountability, and Learning

• Donor reporting: narrative and financial reporting requirements.

• Accountability to affected populations (AAP) in program management.

• Learning mechanisms: after-action reviews, lessons learned workshops, and knowledge management.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Draft a donor progress report based on monitoring data, including achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.

Module 10: Coordination, Cluster System, and Exit

• The cluster coordination architecture and the role of the program manager.

• Engaging with OCHA, sector leads, and government coordination bodies.

• Transition and exit strategies: phase-out, handover, or integration with development.

• Case Study/Hands-on Exercise: Simulate a cluster coordination meeting, presenting project updates, identifying gaps, and negotiating cross-sectoral collaboration.