New training pack makes learning about the Sphere standards easier for all

The new Sphere training pack was piloted during a four-day workshop in Nairobi in March 2019. Photo: Tristan Hale

Sphere has just released an updated version of its comprehensive training pack to support humanitarian professionals wishing to learn more about Sphere and humanitarian standards or deliver training themselves.

The training pack is an essential companion not only for seasoned Sphere trainers, but also for less experienced workshop leaders and even self-learners. Like the Sphere Handbook, this updated tool is written in plain language, so it is easier for non-native English speakers to understand and easier to translate.

The pack of 20 training modules was updated based on the feedback of trainers and learners who have been using the previous version of the tool since 2012. It is Sphere’s most popular learning and training resource – downloaded more than 1,700 times in 2018 alone – and the main support tool for lecturers, learning consultants and field trainers who organise Sphere workshops.

The pack contains five days’ worth of materials. Its modular nature means it can be used in its entirety, broken up into shorter workshops or injected into broader initiatives such as humanitarian degree programmes.

Before its release, the training pack was tested during a four-day event in Nairobi organised by the Inter-Agency Working Group, one of the Sphere Focal Points in Kenya. The participants’ feedback was used to adjust some of the content and exercises to improve the final product based on real experience.

The training pack will be translated into French, Spanish and Arabic in the coming months to serve the learning needs of an even broader group of practitioners.

• Download the Sphere training pack (with embedded videos – 1.2 GB)
• Download the low-bandwidth Sphere training pack (videos play from YouTube – 120 MB)
• Discover more Sphere learning resources