Sphere Project Progress to Date

In Newsletter 9 (November 1997), we reported on progress made by the SPHERE Project sector managers and technical working groups on compiling agreed minimum standards. Since then, comments and experience in the five sectors of health, water and sanitation, nutrition, shelter and food security have been sought from an extensive range of humanitarian actors and the sector managers are in the process of preparing second drafts.

A reminder of exactly what the SPHERE Project is…

The Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response (SCHR) and InterAction launched the SPHERE Project – minimum standards in humanitarian response – on 1 July 1997.

The one-year project involves front-line NGOs and the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, interested donor governments, and UN agencies cooperating to develop a set of standards in core areas of humanitarian relief. These standards will help to improve the quality of assistance given in emergencies, and the accountability of agencies to their beneficiaries, their membership and their donors. The standards will derive from a charter of humanitarian rights – drawn from existing international law – relevant to all with a legitimate claim to assistance in disaster situations.

A recent Sphere Project Newsletter article listed those minimum standards of provision to which everyone should be entitled – for copies of that Newsletter, contact email: purdin@ifrc.org or tel: + 41 22 791 6202. Listed below are the principal areas for which standards are being developed and the working group members involved in the drafting process.

In addition to the working group members, a further group of specialists are involved in a peer review capacity. The key to the initiative’s success is inclusivity. If your agency is not listed as a member of either the working or peer review groups and you wish to have access to drafts for comment, please contact the relevant sector manager.

Water and sanitation

water supply; excreta disposal; vector control; solid waste disposal; drainage
Contact: John Adams: jadams@oxfam.org.uk
Working Group: ACF, CARE, ICRC, IFRC, MSF, UNHCR, RedR.

Nutrition

mortality; morbidity; analysis; general nutritional support; support for malnourished persons; public health social/care environment.
Contact: L. Gostelow, A. Taylor: l.gostelow@scfuk.org.uk
Working Group: SCF-UK, Concern, UNICEF, WFP, ACF, MSF Int, LSHTM/ENN, OXFAM.

Food security

needs assessment; food provisioning; resource management
Contact: H. Hale: hvhale@mindspring.com
Working Group: CARE, Food Aid Management, EuronAid, WFP, FAO, ADRA, CRS, World Vision, USAID/FFP.

Shelter and site

clothing; housing; household items; site selection; site planning
Contact: P. Wijmans: wijmans-kalembo@wxs.nl
Working Group: CONCERN, LWF Field offices, RedR, ODI, IFRC, UNHCR, MSF.

Health services

assessment; health information system; measles programme; control of communicable disease; healthcare service delivery.
Contact: J. Kreysler: kreysler@ifrc.org
Working Group: CDC-USA, Koch Institute-Germany, Royal Tropical Institute Netherlands, Epicentre-France, WHO, AMREF-Kenya, ARC, IRC, MSF, GOAL, International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement, UNFPA, UNHCR, UNICEF.