Organization: Network on Humanitarian Action
Registration deadline: 25 Oct 2015
Starting date: 02 Nov 2015
Ending date: 11 Dec 2015
This third edition of this unique course on humanitarian protection offers an informed and practice-oriented approach to the main challenges, current discussions and key issues around humanitarian protection. The course consists of a combination of reading and audio-visual materials, lectures, case studies and in-depth discussions. Participants will be presented with concepts and tools to assess protection needs in order to develop programs in protection.
The protection of affected populations in situations of crisis, such as armed conflicts or natural disasters, has become a main element of humanitarian action. Humanitarian agencies have developed policies, manuals and guidelines in protection. However, its operationalization remains a challenge due to, inter alia, the persistent ambiguity of the concept, its complexity, and, in many cases, the lack of external references and standards for implementation.
This course is a blend of theory and practical learning which will introduce participants to sector-specific information, will give them given practical opportunities to apply the concepts to operational approaches to humanitarian protection, and will equip participants with skills and competencies for designing and implementing humanitarian protection projects and activities.
The course faculty is comprised of leading experts from around the humanitarian world presenting conceptual and practical insight into the course content thus providing students with first-hand experience and examples and case studies drawn from major humanitarian emergencies.
The course is organised and accredited by the UD, UCL, and NOHA (with the collaboration of Oxfam GB and Protection International).
Learning outcomes
By the end of the course, we expect that participants will be able to:
- Integrate protection considerations in their daily practices in humanitarian work
- Assess risks and needs in protection
- Design a humanitarian protection program
- Take informed decisions when facing humanitarian protection dilemmas
Contents of the course
1. Introduction to key concepts
- Definitions and key concepts around protection
- A risk approach to protection needs
- A critical approach to protection
2. Normative frameworks for humanitarian protection
- General normative frameworks, with a focus on Internally Displaced People: normative frameworks and main challenges for their protection.
3. Assessing protection risks/needs and addressing them
- Protection: a Context and Risk assessment approach
- Undertaking a risk assessment for establishing protection needs
- An overview of protection work (rom safe programming to protection programs)
Addressing protection needs:
- Approaches and activities
- Focus on community-based protection
- Focus on Gender Based Violence (GBV)
4. Designing, monitoring and evaluating a protection project
- Objectives and activities in protection projects
- Group work and plenary discussion: actual design of a protection project (on the basis of a fictional case scenario)
- Monitoring and evaluating protection projects
- Group work and plenary discussion: monitoring and evaluation of the designed protection project
5. Focus on advocating for protection: design and implement advocacy strategies
- Introduction: advocating for protection in a wider humanitarian scenario
- Focus on humanitarian protection and peacekeeping forces
- Design of an advocacy strategy (at local, national and international levels)
- Advocacy tools : Policy brief, communication strategy, intention survey
- Group work and plenary discussion: Designing an actual advocacy strategy for the case scenario
6. Humanitarian protection advances and challenges. Different views on protection
- Protection sector: different views in protection
Mode of delivery
- Option 1: Full online course
- Option 2: Blended learning (on-line and face-to-face modes)
Course length
6 weeks (online, with a 3 day face-to face seminar in Brussels for the blended course)
Dates
2 November – 11 December 2015.
The face-to-face seminar in Brussels: 23-25 November (three full days)
Award received
Diploma from the University of Deusto (certified postgraduate level, equivalent 2 ECTS – European credits) and a NOHA certificate.
Participants
Persons with experience in humanitarian action.
Course details – online and blended option
The course has two possible paths:
Full online path (tutored distance learning):
This will take place during a period of 6 weeks and participants will study through the online University of Deusto virtual campus. Participants will be able to engage fully with the course content and with their peers via Course Units and selected documents, a discussion board with question and answer sessions with the tutors and through the provision of feedback and assessment by tutors and other peers.
Required dedication will be about 10 hours per week. There will be written assignments for individual work during the online part of the course.
Blended path (Tutored distance learning with a face-to-face Seminar (3 days).
Blended path (tutored distance learning with a face-to-face seminar of three days in Brussels):
The blended path will include a 3-day face-to-face seminar, with a combination of plenary presentations and discussions and active sessions of group work. During the seminar, participants are asked to use judgement and analytical skills to develop an in depth understanding of the challenges around humanitarian protection and how to actually design a protection project.
The seminar will last 3 full days (21 hours of work load, 7 hours per day), and it will take place within the premises of DG ECHO (Rue de la Loi 86, 1000, Brussels).
For both paths, the last part of the course (tutored online learning) will go in depth on some specific topics within the field of humanitarian protection, with a more individualized tutored process for each participant.
The syllabus is the same for both paths. Only the contents and methodology will be arranged slightly differently. The participants in the blended path will benefit from the interaction and exchanges of the face-to-face seminar, but online participants will make the most of the exchange possibilities provided by the forum and a webinar (an online seminar) the same week of the presential training.
Organisation
The Network on Humanitarian Action (NOHA) is an international association of Universities that aims to enhance professionalism in the humanitarian sector, by promoting humanitarian values and providing certificated high-level courses (www.nohanet.org)). The University of Deusto and the Catholic University of Louvain are founding members of NOHA. As such, they offer – jointly with other European universities – the NOHA Joint Masters in International Humanitarian Action. With the collaboration of Oxfam Intermon, Oxfam GB and Protection International.
Course directors
Dr. Cristina Churruca Muguruza (Human Rights Institute – University of Deusto)
Enrique Eguren (Protection International)
Course faculty
The course is taught by a prestigious group of professionals with proven track records, including first-hand knowledge of humanitarian protection practice and issues.
Course assessment
The assessment pattern reflects the course’s learning outcomes and is intended to demonstrate that participants possess the skills and knowledge required in practice. Knowledge will be tested through the active engagement of participants in the virtual and face-to-face exchanges, and the submission of a number of short written products (around the design of a humanitarian protection program).
Participants will also receive feedback and guidance throughout the course which will enable them to make progress and develop their confidence and analytical skills.
How to register:
Admission is granted on the basis of past education (Master degree or equivalent) and/or experience in the field. Candidates should fill in the following admission form:
- For the online course: click here
- For the blended course: click here
Maximum 35 participants. Pre-registration until 25 October 2015 (on a first come first served basis). Once accepted, registrations will become effective after payment of the course fee. Final payment deadline: 30 October 2015. Waitlisted candidates will be notified (in case of acceptance) after the 30 October. Prospective students for the blended option are responsible for their visa arrangements.
Course Fee
Course fee (including all course material): 450 € for both, online or blended path. A limited number of grants (50% of the fee) are available upon motivated request.
Cancellations
The fee will be fully reimbursed for valid reasons if requested before 30 October (a 50% cancellation fee will be retained from 30 October onwards).
Accommodation
The 3-day face-to-face seminar will take place at DG ECHO (rue de la Loi, 86, 1000, Brussels).
Participants are responsible for their own travel and accommodation. For further information: noha.protection.school@deusto.es