1.       The sector: The Sphere Project initially identified Standards in five key ‘life-saving’ sectors in humanitarian response. For the 2004 edition of the handbook these were regrouped into four chapters: Water, sanitation and hygiene promotion; Food security, nutrition and food aid; Shelter and non food items; and Medical services. The Sphere Board has decided that further chapters should not be added for future revisions of the handbook, in order to avoid the book becoming too long.

However it is recognised that Standards in other sectors have emerged in response to new demands from the field and to new developments in the humanitarian sector. A companion volume could be for a sector not already included within the Sphere Project Handbook, or for an already addressed cross-cutting issue where there were significant new developments. The publication should explicitly indicate how the Standards were identified and developed, and should have the following core characteristics:

o Be linked with the principles set out in the Sphere Project Humanitarian Charter, the Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Non-Governmental Organisations and other relevant international legal instruments. It should also be explained how the Standards conform with the core beliefs of the Sphere Project: that all possible steps should be taken to alleviate human suffering arising out of calamity and conflict, and that people affected by disaster have a right to life with dignity.
o Be linked with the different Sphere technical chapters. References should be specified where appropriate to the Sphere Handbook to ensure the new sector/issue is mainstreamed within the core “life-saving” humanitarian sectors.

2.       Process: One of the main characteristics of Sphere is the process by which it was developed, piloted and adopted. It was a significant process entailing an extensive and broad-based consultation in the humanitarian community. The people who participated in writing the first edition of the Sphere handbook, and in its revision for 2004, came from national and international NGOs, UN agencies, and academic institutions. Thousands of individuals from over 400 organisations representing 80 countries have participated in various aspects of the Sphere Project, from developing the handbook through to piloting and training. The Sphere process has endeavoured to be inclusive, transparent, and globally representative.

The development of companion Standards should follow a Sphere-like process, involving a similarly wide range of stakeholders and geographical coverage. The process leading to the development of those Standards should be documented and a brief description of it included in the publication.

3.       Content, Structure and Terminology: developed Standards should follow a similar structure and terminology to the Sphere Handbook:

o The Sphere Handbook is not a “how to” manual. It offers a set of Minimum Standards and Key Indicators, complemented by Guidance Notes that inform different aspects of humanitarian action.
o The Standards are based on the principle that populations affected by disaster have the right to life with dignity. They are qualitative in nature, and are meant to be universal and applicable in any operating environment. They define the minimum level to be attained in a given context.
o The key indicators, as measures to the Standards, can be qualitative or quantitative in nature. They act as “signals” that determine whether or not a standard has been attained. Without them, the Standards would be little more than statements of good intent, difficult to put into practice.
o The Guidance Notes relate to specific points that should be considered when applying the Standards in different situations. They offer advice on priority issues and on tackling practical difficulties, and may also describe dilemmas, controversies or gaps in current knowledge.
o There should be a section/chapter about Common/Process Standards setting out guidelines for programme design and implementation.
o   Standards, Indicators and Guidance Notes should use simple language that can be understood by non-experts, be used at the field level, and takes account of future translation. Jargon and acronyms should be kept to a minimum (see also below, 7).
o   Standards and Indicators that accompany them should not be new, but consolidate and adapt existing knowledge and practice. They should reflect a consensus across a broad spectrum of actors and stakeholders about how human rights and humanitarian principles should be realised in practice.
o   The length of the publication is a critical factor affecting its utilisation and adoption by practitioners. Sphere has been praised for being practical, easy to read by non-experts and focusing on core best practices. Although it is possible to develop lengthy, extensive, all-embracing guidelines[1], special care should be given to avoid adding content that should exist in other field or “how-to” manuals.

4.       Acknowledgements: Acknowledgements, listed in alphabetical order, should be made to all agencies, donors and individuals who participated in the development of the Standards. It should also be explained who takes responsibility for and ownership of the publication to ensure its sustainability and its life after publication. The publication should be independent, and not controlled nor governed by one organisation/donor. No logos of any organisation, donor or others should be present on the cover or inside the publication. A general, neutral logo can be used for the initiative developing the Standards and another one describing the sector, similar to the four technical chapters logos in the Sphere Handbook, can be used as well.

5.       Field testing: What makes good Standards is the degree to which they have been used and adopted by practitioners. To ensure the universality, practicality and the user-friendliness of developed Standards, field testing of a first trial edition is essential. This should be done by a variety of agencies, in a range of contexts and in different languages if possible, following a rigorous methodology for a period of at least 12 months. Feedback from field testing should be incorporated into the first edition. The first trial edition of Sphere was launched in 1998, followed by the first edition in 2000 based on significant field testing and feedback. Field testing should demonstrate that there is global acceptance and recognition of the Standards by different stakeholders, e.g. NGOs, UN, donors, technical experts, etc.

6.       Future Revisions: In line with the Sphere Project Handbook, the companion Quality Standards publication should be a “live” document. To this end, a clear plan for subsequent revisions should be presented to ensure regular updates, to reflect the latest developments in the Humanitarian sector.

7.       Translations: The language used should be simple and easily translatable to other languages to ensure widespread accessibility. The publication should exist already in a number of other widely used languages prior to association with Sphere.