Learn about Sphere and related topics using your computer or mobile device with these e-learning courses, videos, webinars and other self-study and distance-learning resources.
Sphere e-learning courses
These courses can be accessed via Sphere’s Learning Management System here. They have been created by Sphere and are focused on Sphere topics.
Learn how to promote Sphere within your network, and how this benefits the people affected by crisis and disaster that you serve.
By the end of the module, you will be able to explain:
the Sphere Approach to humanitarian response;
The usefulness of the Sphere Handbook to prepare, manage and coordinate humanitarian relief efforts;
the benefits of using the Sphere Handbook to fulfil a commitment to quality and accountability; and
the first steps to advocating for Sphere within your network.
How to use the Sphere Handbook
e-learning60 to 90 minutes2023SpanishUkrainianEnglishBy Sphere
After completing this course, you will be able to:
describe the Sphere Approach to humanitarian assistance;
summarise the contents of the Sphere Handbook;
apply minimum standards, indicators and guidance notes to challenges encountered by humanitarians;
reflect on how to use the Handbook to better assist people affected by crises; and
list sources of additional information to help you use the Handbook.
Do you want to know how to put Sphere standards and principles into practice? Do you already include Sphere in your humanitarian work but want to know how to use it better? Do you already know Sphere but want to discover how it is applied in different crises and scenarios? Are you new to humanitarian work, and so have little or no knowledge of Sphere? Are you interested in finding out more about Sphere?
If your answer to any of these questions is ”yes”, then you will benefit from taking this course.
Coronavirus (Covid-19) learning resources
These courses are provided by members, focal point organisations and other Sphere partners. Please contact learning@spherestandards.org if you would like to add your course to this section.
This collection of free resources from reputable health organizations such as WHO, CDC, KonTerra, and EJ4 will help responders of COVID-19 to work safely and promote infection prevention, preparedness and well-being during this pandemic.
STOP COVID-19 – Essentials for the prevention and control of the virus
e-learningBetween 2 and 3 hours2020EnglishFrenchArabicBy Institut Bioforce
In countries where the health systems are already fragile and where confining the population is impossible, mitigating the spread of the virus and protecting front-line staff and volunteers is an absolute priority. In such contexts, large scale communication and application of preventive measures is critically important, and building awareness of the population has become a major public health challenge. This mission will be carried out by a wide variety of actors (State, community based organisations, national and international humanitarian organisations …) working with local communities, both in urban and rural areas.
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Learning Pathway – Open Access
The COVID-19 Learning Pathway aims to enable humanitarians, including local responders, to be best equipped to respond to the global pandemic COVID-19 (Coronavirus).
3rd party Sphere courses
These courses are focused on Sphere and are provided by our network of focal points and partners around the world.
Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Humanitarian Response: The Application of Sphere Standards is a free video-based online course offered by The Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Organized in five lessons, the course systematically explains the main contents and practice of Sphere, including an introduction to the Sphere organisation; the origins and core beliefs of Sphere; the Humanitarian Charter; Protection Principles; the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS); and the technical chapters as presented in the 2018 edition of the Sphere Handbook.
The following on-line learning resources are provided by Sphere’s partners in the HSP and can be used to deepen your knowledge in the technical areas of child protection (CPMS), livestock (LEGS), economic recovery (MERS), education (INEE), market analysis (MISMA) and inclusion of older people and people with disabilities (ADCAP) in relation to humanitarian action.
A Brief Overview of the Minimum Economic Recovery Standards
The Minimum Economic Recovery Standards, or the MERS, are internationally recognised standards aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and quality of economic aid for markets in crisis.
What does this mean? Watch this 3-minute video to find out.
An online self-study course to develop a good conceptual understanding of the steps involved in market assessments and basic skills in how to apply this understanding in real-life settings.
This 3.5 hour online course is designed to provide future humanitarian market assessment team members with a solid understanding of the theory and steps of market assessments so that they can join assessment teams prepared with a basic understanding of what they will be doing and why. Learners will be guided through the common steps within market assessments, using a fictional emergency scenario as a basis. This course is relevant to most types of emergency market assessment, including EMMA, RAM, MAG, the 48-Hour Tool, the WFP VAM and PCMA.
This course is aimed at humanitarian workers with an understanding of market assessments. After completing the course participants will have gained a solid understanding of the theory and steps of market assessments.
Visit the Cash Learning Hub (free Kaya login required) for more learning resources: https://kayaconnect.org/course/view.php?id=491
Basic Principles of Disability Inclusion in Humanitarian Response
identify the models of disability, from charity to the human rights-based model;
define the categories of impairments;
explain the challenges faced by older people and people with disabilities in humanitarian contexts, and factors increasing their vulnerability;
define older age and the perceptions of ageing and attitudes towards older people; and
improve attitudes towards people with disabilities.
Three e-learning courses: Comprehensive accessible humanitarian assistance for older people and people with disabilities, Understanding older people and their needs in a humanitarian context, and Basic principles of disability inclusion in humanitarian response, are available from the following site (in English and Arabic), along with core training materials to build into your own training materials to make them more inclusive: https://www.helpage.org/what-we-do/emergencies/adcap-age-and-disability-capacity-building-programme/
Child Protection Minimum Standards – Standards to Work Across Sectors
Video10 minutes2021EnglishFrenchSpanishArabicBy The Alliance
Made for all humanitarians, this video focuses on the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action - Standards to Work Across Sectors for preventing and responding to the protection risks children face. By taking a holistic and multi-sectoral approach, we can achieve our collective responsibility to uphold the Centrality of Protection, and build stronger, more effective programmes that improve outcomes for every child.
Visit the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action's YouTube channel for this and other great training videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAllianceCPHA
Learn about the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS) and how they can be applied in practice. Updated in 2021, this is a free, self-guided online course. It offers more than 10 learning modules introducing the CPMS, its principles and specific child protection standards. On finishing the core components, you may download and/or print a certificate of completion.
The Conflict Sensitive Education Online Course is a free, interactive e-learning course designed to give a broad overview of education considerations in conflict environments. This course is intended for field practitioners, donors, and other professionals working in the field of education in emergencies.
The CSE Online Course content is divided into the following five modules:
What is Conflict Sensitive Education?
What is Conflict Analysis?
Conflict Sensitive Strategies for Community Participation, Coordination, and Analysis.
Conflict Sensitive Strategies for the INEE Minimum Standards.
Conflict Sensitive Education Monitoring and Evaluation.
Conflict Sensitive Education – training videos & webinars
Based on the INEE Conflict Sensitive Education Pack, and developed in coordination with INEE members and Truscribe, this video illustrates conflict sensitive strategies for each of the INEE Minimum Standards five domains:
Community Participation, Coordination and Analysis,
HelpAge International established the Knowledge and Resource Hub to develop and provide training, and tailored adhoc support to local, national, and international organisations, private sector organisations, and government to mainstream older people in their policies and humanitarian interventions. This hub serves as a centre and meeting point for all project stakeholders to exchange experiences and best practices.
Introducing the 2019 Edition of the Child Protection Minimum Standards
Video6 minutes2019ArabicEnglishFrenchSpanishBy The Alliance
The Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS) set out common principles and critical actions to keep children safe from abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence -- and to holistically support their well-being. They provide important guidance and standards for all humanitarians, including through the standards to work across sectors.
Visit the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action's YouTube channel for this and other great training videos: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheAllianceCPHA
Introduction to the Minimum Standards for Camp Management
This introductory e-course is for anyone currently working with and for children in humanitarian settings, as well as all child protection workers who want to prepare themselves for a potential humanitarian crisis.
The LEGS Core Training Refresher Course reviews the LEGS approach. This course will support your understanding in how to use LEGS in assessment and response identification as well as how to use the LEGS approach in response planning.
Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) Gender Module
After completing this course, you will be able to:
define “accountability to affected people” and identify steps that can be taken to improve accountability to affected people;
explain “taking account”, “giving account” and “being held to account”;
identify why it is important to be accountable to affected people; and
explain what accountability to affected people means in practice, related to real-life actions across the programme cycle.
Introduction to the Core Humanitarian Standard
e-learning1 to 2 hours2018EnglishFrenchArabicSwahiliBy The Academy
Select this course if:
you are a humanitarian at any level;
you do not work for a humanitarian organisation, but you wish to understand why humanitarian organisations act in certain ways; or
you are looking for an overview of the Core Humanitarian Standard on Quality and Accountability.
The CHS is integrated into the Sphere Handbook. The intellectual property is jointly held by Sphere, Groupe URD and the CHS Alliance. This course was created by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy in partnership with the copyright owners.
External learning links
For more online humanitarian sector learning opportunities, check out the following external pages.
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