Summary

Overall, the Project was on course as we closed the third and final year of Phase III. Most of the objectives were met and the project continued to generate a robust interest from many sectors of the humanitarian system.

The handbook revision process came to a close, and the editing, design and printing of the second edition were completed during the reporting period. A 45-minute video was finalised and produced in VHS and DVD in English, French and Spanish. The handbook was successfully launched in Geneva and Washington DC at the end of October 2003 and a clip of the video was screened at that event. Representatives from NGOs, UN, donors and academic institutions attended both launches.

Country-level institutionalisation efforts continued to develop, as working groups implemented activities to promote and apply the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in humanitarian work. In addition to the five focus countries formally supported by the project, groups of NGOs in four other countries are working to incorporate the systematic use of Sphere into their work.

Report against proposal objectives:

1. Training programme

1.1 Based on experience and feedback, continue to update and refine the current training modules.

The training modules have been redesigned and upgraded to reflect the changes in the 2004 edition of the Sphere handbook (see 4. below), and they were available for sale through Oxfam Publishing from December 2003. A 100-page Trainer’s Guide outlines the how and why of Sphere workshops, and the training modules with many optional exercises are presented in a 400 page wire-bound book for easy photocopying. The pack also includes a CD ROM, containing both editions of the handbook, all the training modules, lessons learned and the 9-minute Sphere video produced in 2000. The training package will initially be available only in English. French and Spanish versions should be available during 2004 if funding for translation is confirmed.

A document to support people running Sphere Training of Trainers (ToT) courses, based on lessons learned from Sphere’s ToT courses, will be published during 2004. It will initially be available in English, and later in French and Spanish, again dependent on funding.

The most recent version of all materials will continue to be freely available on the Sphere website.

1.2 Conduct a Training of Trainers

In June 2003, the Sphere Project held its 8th Global Training of Trainers’ course in France. Out of 75 applicants, 24 people were selected, of 20 different nationalities and representing 16 organisations. Two trainers from the Afghanistan Sphere initiative (see 3 below) were amongst the participants.

1.3 Facilitate 15 inter-agency workshops worldwide.

As noted in previous reports, the project has already fulfilled this commitment and no interagency workshops took place during the reporting period.

However, a long-promised Sphere workshop was hosted by VOICE in Brussels in May 2003. The workshop was co-facilitated by the Sphere Training Manager and a trainer from the Spanish Red Cross. The majority of the participants were VOICE members and a few ECHO desk officers also attended.

2. Outreach

2.1 Pro-actively engage with the humanitarian community with a particular emphasis on Southern/Eastern situations and voices.

Southern/Eastern-based agency engagement continues to take place through the handbook revision consultations and piloting work (see point 4.1 below).

Sphere staff continue to attend and present at a variety of forums within the humanitarian community. In May the Project Manager and Training Manager presented at ALNAP, focusing on progress of the Sphere project and learning from the field respectively. The Project Officer presented Sphere at a Madrid-based NGO, University & Government Association to Promote the Quality of International Assistance.

In September Sphere was a nominee at the Conrad Hilton Awards and flyers for the 2004 edition of the handbook were distributed at the award presentation. A Sphere presentation was made by phone to a Sphere technical workshop run by InterWorks, a US based training agency.

2.2 Facilitate incorporation and ratification by UN operational agencies with a focus on co-ordination with implementing partners.

Sphere moderated a panel at UNHCR’s PreExCom (annual meeting to which NGOs are invited prior to the executive meeting), where the 2004 edition of the handbook was also promoted. UNHCR has continued to consult with Sphere on its own development of Standards and Indicators, and plans a meeting to bring together key NGO staff with experience of Sphere in practice.

Meetings have been held with OCHA to introduce the 2004 handbook and video, and to discuss the use of Sphere in CAP training.

2.3 Develop generic work plans and support packages adaptable to country-based consortia wishing to create Sphere focal points.
See point 3 below.

2.4 Review, update and maintain website.

The 3-language website continues to be regularly reviewed and updated. Hits to the website averaged 135,940 a month during the reporting period, which is an increase of nearly 6,000 per month compared with the previous period. They peaked at 165,669 in May, when the draft version of the handbook was on line for comment (see 4.)

2.5 Produce a 60-minute video based in real-time disaster situations that will graphically illustrate the practical application of the Sphere handbook in field use.

A 45-minute Sphere induction/orientation video was made available in English VHS (PAL/NTSC) in August. A 3-language (English, French, Spanish) DVD version, and VHS versions in French and Spanish were finalised in October. Both the video and DVD were launched with the 2004 edition of the handbook in Washington and Geneva on 31st October 2003 and are on sale through Oxfam Publishing.

2.6 Prepare, in consultation with the academic community, suggested scenarios for use of handbook in academic curricula, with particular emphasis on universities based in the Southern Hemisphere.
A list of academic institutions using Sphere was not completed during the reporting period. However, a promotion strategy for the new Sphere materials is planned for the Phase III Extension period. This will include gathering information on academic institutions, both northern and southern, which either already use Sphere or offer courses in humanitarian affairs. Copies of the 2004 handbook and DVD will be sent to relevant course providers.

2.7 Continue distribution of the newsletter and other informational material.
As noted in the last report, quarterly newsletters and announcements continue to be sent out on three separate distribution lists (English, French and Spanish). The total number of subscribers to all three distribution lists is now over 4,000.

The free 9-minute Sphere video, and brochure on Sphere in 3 languages, continue to be requested and distributed by the project office. Between 1 September 2002 and 31 October 2003, 4,763 English versions of the brochure were distributed on request, 426 in French and 1,517 in Spanish. Figures for the distribution of the video for the same period are as follows:

English PAL 128
English NTSC 56
French PAL 24
Spanish PAL 16
Spanish NTSC 71
Portuguese PAL 5

In September, a 3-page colour flyer was produced by Oxfam Publishing announcing the new Sphere materials available (the 2004 edition of the handbook, the Training Package and the new Sphere film). The flyer was widely distributed by the Sphere office, the handbook revision focal points and Sphere Management Committee members. Recipients of the flyer included graduates of Sphere Training of Trainers courses, people who had previously requested Sphere materials, and members of the database held by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies for the distribution of the World Disasters Report. Over 15,000 flyers were distributed in total.

3. Agency incorporation (the Pilot programme)
Field-level institutionalisation efforts are developing in each of the three focus areas: India, Central America (El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua) and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In each country a Memorandum of Understanding with the Sphere Project has been signed with a committee of NGOs, government and other agencies in that country, committed to working towards improved humanitarian work through the use of Sphere. The Sphere Project is making a small contribution towards funding a year of work in each case. Each of the three Central American countries receives USD 10,000 while DRC and India receive USD 20,000 each.

In India, an innovative structure has been formed, with a wider Sphere membership chaired by the National Centre for Disaster Management, and a smaller managing committee who direct two staff. CARE India is the chair of the committee, and Oxfam is the host agency.

The first field level initiative of Sphere India took place during the Assam floods in June-July 2003. A team of experts from various agencies conducted a rapid assessment using Sphere standards from 22nd to 26th of July 2003. The joint assessment report was submitted to the humanitarian stakeholders present in the state capital, and the Resident Commissioner of Assam also participated. During the Orissa floods in September some of the pilot agencies present in the state carried out joint Sphere-based implementation in Banki Block of Cuttack district, paving the way for more collaborative efforts in future.

Based on these excellent responses on the part of State governments and other agencies in Orissa and Gujarat States, Sphere India has made plans for grassroots level capacity building and institutionalisation of Sphere in these states during the first phase.

In the DRC, two working groups have been formed, one in Kinshasa and one in Goma. Their work will focus on training interagency groups in data collection methods and the use of the Sphere handbook to audit projects. The group is putting together a training of trainers to be held towards the end of the year. Participants will be expected to replicate training and to monitor projects, both inter-agency and within their own organisations.

In El Salvador 13 NGOs form the working group and Oxfam America, the Lutheran World Federation, ASPRODE, World Vision, and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance ES will act as the coordinating body. A Sphere resource person has been hired by the group to facilitate and coordinate the work.

In Honduras the Sphere working group is formed of NGOs, the government disaster response agency and IOM; Oxfam GB, CARE, CRS, and the Honduran Red Cross are forming the steering group to act as a coordinating body. Areas of activity include interagency co-ordination, dissemination and training, and the development of tools for institutionalisation of the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards. The group has begun the process of producing a “popular” version of the Sphere handbook, which will be a tool to strengthen community-level participation in disaster response and preparedness using Sphere.

In Nicaragua, the Sphere working group consists of ADRA, CRS, World Vision, Centro Humboldt, IFRC, CARE, CIDENIC (Local partner of CORDAID) and Oxfam GB. They have signed a letter of agreement to work towards the use and institutionalisation of Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards through training and work with local authorities.

In addition to the five countries where the Sphere Project is formally working, four additional countries are spontaneously working on country level institutionalisation. In Afghanistan, a group of NGOs on their own initiative and with financial support from the American Red Cross are working towards systematically using Sphere in their work. The group hired two Sphere trainers, both of whom attended the 8th Sphere TOT. A Sphere Support Extension Team has been hired and will be working over the next 12 months to build capacity in the humanitarian community in Afghanistan.

Burundi, Kenya and the Pacific Islands also have Sphere groups working to encourage wider use of the Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards.

4. Sphere Handbook Management

4.1 Identify, second, and support sector team-leaders for review and revision of handbook in the third year of the project.

An ECHO-funded meeting in Brussels was held in May, at which ECHO’s regional technical experts had the opportunity to meet with the handbook revision focal points to discuss the revision process, learn about the changes to the chapters and provide feedback. This generated useful technical feedback for the focal points and established ECHO's engagement with the handbook.

The final draft of the revised edition of the handbook was posted on the Sphere website during May 2003 for public comment. Announcements through the Sphere email newsletter mailing list, AlertNet and Relief Web helped inspire almost 2,000 downloads of the chapters from the Sphere website during this time. Over 400 comments on the revised edition were received by revision focal points.

The 2004 edition of the handbook was finalised by a contracted editor working closely with the Sphere Project Manager. During and following the launch in October, over 200 copies of the handbook were given away to key individuals and organisations, including donors, Management Committee members and focal points.

The names of all contributors to the handbook will be posted on the Sphere website in December. It was not possible to include the names of all contributors in the printed version as this would have meant 40 pages of text.

Forced Migration Online at the Refugee Studies Centre in the UK obtained copyright permission for at least 75% of the reference materials for the Sphere handbook. These will be available freely on their website at the end of 2003.

French and Spanish translations of the handbook were started as soon as the final English version was available. They were published in March 2004.

4.2 Support and facilitate efforts world-wide to produce local-language publications of the handbook following the successful initiatives of Phase II.

During the reporting period, the Sphere project suggested that agencies wait for the revised edition of the handbook before undertaking translations.

4.3 Undertake specific language productions if not produced during Phase II of Arabic, Chinese and/or KiSwahili.

Contact has been re-established with the Swahili translator of the 2000 edition of the handbook which was never published because of delays in the translation. Depending on funding, a Swahili translation of the 2004 edition will be negotiated.

Arabic and Russian translations are planned for the 2004 edition, dependent on funding for the Phase III Extension during 2004.

4.4 Liaise with, and encourage other humanitarian consortia who are consolidating and producing Minimum Standards on other sectors and promote the Sphere process of broad-based collaboration and sector expertise and consensus.

The Sphere project is in close contact with the Code of Good Practice for HIV/AIDS Project, and the working group for Minimum Standards for Education in Emergencies facilitated by the InterAgency Network for Education in Emergencies. Both of these efforts have learnt from Sphere’s experience in facilitating collaboration and consensus, and are using worldwide consultation as the basis for their work.

4.5 Minimum Standards and key indicators regarding food security in disasters and calamity could be incorporated into future editions of the handbook if they have been developed through a broad, collaborative, evidence-based process.

The food aid and nutrition chapters in the 2000 edition of the handbook have been combined into a food security, nutrition and food aid chapter in the 2004 edition. This is the product of the work of focal points in each of these three areas.

4.6 Handbook general sale

Sales of the 2000 handbook continued to grow with 33,000 copies sold in 6 languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish) from the date of its availability until the end of the reporting period. In addition to the copies sold through Oxfam Publishing, 1000 copies of a locally-produced English edition were sold through Maya Publishing in India. A group of agencies in Peru printed their own edition of the Spanish handbook at reduced cost and sold 1,000 copies.

5. Evaluation

The external evaluation of the Sphere Project, conducted by Columbia University in partnership with the Institute of Public Health at Makerere University in Uganda, closed in September. The submission of the final report by the evaluation team was delayed but the report was available on the Sphere website in November.

6. Project management, staffing and funding

Management Committee
The Sphere Management Committee met during the reporting period in June and September.

Nancy Lindborg of Mercy Corps, who has chaired the committee for three years, handed over this role in September, though she will continue as a committee member. Lola Gostelow, SC UK, is the new chair. Lola has been involved with Sphere since 1997 when she led the development of the original nutrition chapter of the Sphere handbook.

Staffing
After five years with the project, the Sphere Project Manager did not renew her contract, which came to an end on 31 October 2003. The incoming project manager began work at the beginning of October.

As planned the Sphere Project Training Manager’s contract came to an end on 31 July 2003 and the post was closed as part of the eventual closure of the project.

Funding
The project accounts for Phase III closed with a positive balance carried into the Phase III Extension period. Exchange rate losses in early 2003 mean that there was less flexibility in the budget to be carried into 2004 for activities such as translations of materials that do not feature in the Phase III Extension proposal. However other funding is being sought to support these activities.

The audit of Phase III and the Extension period of the project will be conducted in the first trimester of 2005.

END