A Reliable Knowledge Base for a Deeper Understanding of Humanitarian Work

The Sphere Handbook is recognized as one of the most authoritative global references in the humanitarian sector, owing to its pivotal role in establishing minimum standards that ensure a dignified and effective response to the essential needs of crisis-affected populations. The handbook is distinguished by its comprehensive and coherent structure, encompassing four core sectors that form the foundation of humanitarian interventions: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Food Security and Nutrition; Shelter; and Health. For each of these sectors, the handbook provides a detailed set of objectives, measurable indicators, and practical guidance that can be readily applied in diverse field settings.
The Sphere Handbook is grounded in internationally accepted humanitarian and legal principles, including humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, alongside key frameworks drawn from international humanitarian law and human rights law. It places strong emphasis on strengthening accountability within humanitarian action -both toward affected communities and toward donors and institutional stakeholders - while also promoting the active participation of crisis-affected populations in the processes of assessment, planning, and implementation. Through this integrated approach, the Sphere Handbook serves as an essential professional tool that enhances the quality of humanitarian services and fosters greater coordination among actors across the humanitarian landscape.

These guidelines provide a comprehensive and structured framework designed to strengthen the preparedness of humanitarian actors and enable them to deliver rapid and coordinated responses during crises. The framework is built around three interconnected stages that form an integrated preparedness system: a thorough risk analysis aimed at identifying potential hazards and assessing their impacts; the implementation of Minimum Preparedness Actions that ensure the availability of essential operational capacities; and the development of Advanced Preparedness Plans, which include detailed scenarios and sector-specific contingency measures.
The primary aim of these guidelines is to accelerate humanitarian interventions during the critical first days and weeks following a disaster, thereby reducing human and material losses. They also emphasize the importance of clearly defining roles and responsibilities across all stakeholders and formulating practical, actionable operational plans at the sector level. Collectively, these measures enhance coordination mechanisms and improve the overall effectiveness of field-level humanitarian response.

The Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability (CHS) serves as a comprehensive reference framework that outlines nine key commitments designed to guide humanitarian actors in delivering high-quality, people-centered responses grounded in transparency, accountability, and continuous learning. The CHS is widely used as a benchmark for assessing organizational performance, improving program design, and strengthening needs-based response mechanisms.
At its core, the standard emphasizes the protection of human dignity and the cultivation of a strong, trust-based relationship between humanitarian actors and crisis-affected communities. It promotes active community participation throughout all stages of the project cycle - from assessment and planning to implementation and monitoring. The CHS also underscores the importance of delivering contextually appropriate assistance, ensuring timely responses, and providing support that aligns with the actual priorities of affected populations.
Furthermore, the CHS integrates both the technical and ethical dimensions of humanitarian action, offering a unified framework that can be applied in evaluations, capacity-building initiatives, and accountability processes involving both affected communities and donors. In doing so, it contributes significantly to enhancing the quality, consistency, and integrity of humanitarian work across diverse operational settings.

The operational guidance for coordinated assessments in humanitarian crises constitutes a standardized tool endorsed by the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC). It aims to establish a comprehensive methodological framework that guides the coordination of multi-sectoral assessments during the early stages of humanitarian response. This guidance is applied in the implementation of the Multi-Cluster Initial Rapid Assessment (MIRA), which systematically integrates secondary data analysis with field data collection to produce a unified report outlining urgent humanitarian needs.
This consolidated report supports strategic planning, facilitates the prioritization of interventions, and enables the efficient allocation of resources toward a coherent and effective emergency response. The guidance is grounded in robust coordination mechanisms among various sectors and humanitarian organizations, reducing duplication of efforts and ensuring inclusive coverage. As such, it serves as a key reference for building a shared and accurate understanding of the conditions faced by affected populations, thereby strengthening the design of evidence-based and needs-driven humanitarian interventions.

The IASC Guidelines on the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, issued in 2019, constitute the first humanitarian reference framework to be developed in direct partnership with organizations representing persons with disabilities. This collaborative development reflects a growing international commitment to embedding principles of inclusion and non-discrimination within humanitarian systems. The guidelines aim to ensure the systematic integration of the rights and needs of persons with disabilities across all phases of humanitarian action - from assessment and planning to implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
The guidelines provide a set of practical tools and technical approaches that enhance safe and equitable access to services, support the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities in decision-making processes, and enable the adaptation of humanitarian programs and operational structures to be more responsive to diverse needs. At their core, these guidelines seek to strengthen the capacity of humanitarian actors to design and deliver inclusive interventions that promote equity, respect human dignity, and prevent all forms of exclusion or discrimination.

The IASC Guidelines for Integrating Gender-Based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Action, issued in 2015, provide a comprehensive and practical framework that supports humanitarian actors in preventing and effectively responding to gender-based violence (GBV) across all sectors. These guidelines reflect an institutional commitment to incorporating protection considerations from the earliest stages of humanitarian program design, emphasizing robust risk analysis and the development of interventions that address the specific needs of populations most vulnerable to GBV.
The guidelines offer structured tools for coordination, monitoring, and evaluation, enabling the development of integrated responses that tackle the underlying factors contributing to the heightened vulnerability of women, girls, and other at-risk groups in crisis settings. They also underscore the importance of meaningful community engagement and the adoption of a rights-based approach that ensures accountability, transparency, and the preservation of safety and dignity for affected individuals. In doing so, the guidelines strengthen the capacity of humanitarian systems to deliver comprehensive protection grounded in principles of equity, justice, and non-discrimination.

The IASC–WHO Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, issued in 2007, constitute a foundational international reference for guiding humanitarian responses in the field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). These guidelines aim to enable humanitarian actors to design and implement comprehensive, integrated interventions that address the psychological and social needs of individuals and communities affected by crises, while ensuring contextual relevance and reinforcing protection and well-being.
The guidelines encompass a broad range of clinical and community-based practices, alongside practical tools that strengthen coordination among stakeholders, enhance assessment and monitoring processes, and support effective communication with affected populations. They also provide a structured intervention matrix that categorizes actions according to levels of severity, facilitating prioritization and efficient allocation of resources. Furthermore, the guidelines highlight the importance of integrating community-based, non-specialized support with specialized mental health services, thereby promoting a balanced and dignified response that meets the diverse needs of crisis-affected individuals.

The IASC Guidelines on the Protection of Internally Displaced Persons, issued in November 2024, constitute an updated policy framework designed to strengthen the protection of individuals displaced within their own countries throughout all stages of displacement. Grounded in the principles of human dignity and international human rights standards, the guidelines clearly outline the responsibilities of governments and humanitarian actors to ensure an effective and comprehensive response.
This policy provides a unified framework aimed at enhancing the institutional and technical capacities of relevant stakeholders, improving leadership and coordination mechanisms, and fostering coherent humanitarian action. It further emphasizes the adoption of a rights-based approach that safeguards the fundamental freedoms of internally displaced persons, addresses their vulnerabilities, and ensures that their needs are met. Ultimately, the guidelines support the development of a more equitable, protective, and sustainable humanitarian response for displaced populations.

The Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) Standard is recognized as the first international framework dedicated to institutionalizing the principles of accountability and service quality in humanitarian action. This standard established clear and systematic foundations that enable humanitarian organizations to deliver responses that are professional, transparent, and aligned with the needs of affected communities. It does so by ensuring meaningful community participation, providing robust mechanisms for receiving and addressing complaints, and promoting strong practices of monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
The HAP Standard also placed particular emphasis on safeguarding human dignity, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and fostering high-quality relationships with beneficiaries - elements that contribute to strengthened trust and more effective, rights-based humanitarian interventions. Importantly, HAP served as a key reference for the later development of the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS), with its most effective components incorporated into a unified framework designed to enhance coherence, quality, and accountability across contemporary humanitarian action.

The ALNAP Guide to Evaluating Humanitarian Action constitutes a comprehensive reference framework designed to support practitioners in assessing the effectiveness of humanitarian responses, particularly within complex and dynamic environments. The guide employs an integrated methodological approach that combines both quantitative and qualitative evaluation techniques, ensuring analytical rigor and depth. It is grounded in the OECD-DAC evaluation criteria, which provide a robust foundation for guaranteeing the quality, relevance, and credibility of evaluation processes.
The guide offers a wide range of practical instructions that span all stages of the evaluation cycle - from defining the scope of work and formulating evaluation questions, to designing and implementing data collection tools, analyzing and interpreting findings, and finally developing actionable recommendations and extracting lessons learned to improve future performance. Through its comprehensive methodology and emphasis on accountability and learning, the guide has become a key instrument for humanitarian organizations seeking to enhance transparency, strengthen program effectiveness, and improve the responsiveness of their interventions to urgent needs.