The Essentials of Humanitarian Practice (EHP) course teaches participants the core competencies for working within the modern humanitarian system. Participants come away with the knowledge and skills to effectively respond to an international humanitarian crisis. The EHP course was tailored to a Pacific context with the goal of strengthening the capacity of Pacific Islander humanitarian and disaster management experts.

"I think it’s important because the Pacific is quite unique in the way it’s structured geographically – there are different hazards. These are international topics, part and parcel of our work every day, but being in a room with different partners, having that shared knowledge on how you apply different topics in a Pacific context, was great," explained Katabwena Tawaka, Manager of Preparedness for the Emergency Response Unit at the Pacific Disability Forum. 

When asked, participants said the course improved their understanding and awareness of gender, protection, inclusion and climate change throughout all stages of the disaster cycle. Overall, there was a 28 per cent increase in participant confidence across the eight key learning outcome areas between day one and day five of the course, and 89 per cent of participants believed the course was adequately adapted to the Pacific.

Despite current travel restrictions due to COVID-19, RedR Australia used its strong network of local experts, including those in its regional office in Fiji, to coordinate and deliver a high quality humanitarian training.

RedR Australia hopes to deliver the EHP course to more Pacific Islanders in the future and recruit more humanitarians from the region onto its Humanitarian Roster, in order to deploy locally during a crisis. Completing the EHP course is a critical component of this.

Participant evaluations revealed an average course satisfaction rating of 92 per cent. One NGO participant noted that the course was "an experience of a lifetime for me! The practical side of the training was truly awesome and a quick way to step out of one’s shell."

You can learn more about RedR Australia’s humanitarian training courses on our website.