Bonino, F., Warner, A. (2014) What Makes Feedback Mechanisms Work?

This literature review supports a broader ALNAP and CDA initiative aiming at producing evidence-informed guidance for humanitarian agencies on ways to strengthen the effectiveness of mechanisms for gathering feedback from affected populations in humanitarian contexts. It focuses on two key questions: (1) why and how humanitarian agencies seek, process, and respond to feedback from affected populations and (2) which elements have been identified as having […]

Bonino, F., Jean, I., Clarke, P.K. (2014) Humanitarian Feedback Mechanisms: Research, Evidence and Guidance

In 2012 ALNAP and CDA started collaborating on action research looking at feedback mechanisms in humanitarian contexts, to establish what makes them work effectively and to focus on bringing different stakeholders’ perspectives – particularly those of crisis-affected people – into the conversation. The case studies document the experience of three different agencies that use feedback mechanisms as part of their humanitarian programmes and operations: World […]

Bolton, L., Kanguru, L. (2013) Helpdesk Report: Community-Led Total Sanitation in Africa

Evidence and comments suggest that CLTS has been successful in some cases in Africa, however it is difficult to find strong data to support this. Claims to have achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) status have often been exaggerated and estimates of numbers of ODF communities inflated. Verification systems need to be improved. Another problem is that ODF is an absolute condition, important as a community objective […]

Bloch, P., Toft, U., Reinbach, H.C., Clausen, L.T., Mikkelsen, B.E., Poulsen, K., Jensen, B.B. (2014) Revitalizing the Setting Approach. Supersettings for Sustainable Impact in Community Health Promotion

The concept of health promotion rests on aspirations aiming at enabling people to increase control over and improve their health. Health promotion action is facilitated in settings such as schools, homes and work places. As a contribution to the promotion of healthy lifestyles, we have further developed the setting approach in an effort to harmonise it with contemporary realities (and complexities) of health promotion and […]

Barrantes, S.A., Rodriguez, M., Pérez, R. (2009) Information Management and Communication in Emergencies and Disasters: Manual for Disaster Response Teams

Many specialists from the fields of communication and disaster management from Latin America and the Caribbean participated in developing this manual. The contents were tested and adapted under actual emergency and disaster conditions. The final product reflects consensus among the experts about the most important uses of information and communication in emergency situations. This manual focuses on operational aspects of disaster and emergency response as […]

Bandura, A. (1977) Self-Efficacy: Toward a Unifying Theory of Behavioral Change

The present article presents an integrative theoretical framework to explain and to predict psychological changes achieved by different modes of treatment. This theory states that psychological procedures, whatever their form, alter the level and strength of self-efficacy. It is hypothesized that expectations of personal efficacy determine whether coping behavior will be initiated, how much effort will be expended, and how long it will be sustained […]

Balfour, N., Otieno, P., Mutai, C., Thomas, A. (2014) CLTS in Fragile and Insecure Contexts: Experience from Somalia and South Sudan

During more than 20 years of civil conflict in both Somalia and South Sudan, sanitation interventions were mostly limited to construction of emergency latrines for affected populations or education on sanitation and hygiene, using the Participatory Hygiene and Sanitation Transformation (PHAST) approach, followed by fully subsidised latrine programmes for selected households. There is little evidence that these interventions achieved the desired results: recent surveys in Somalia […]

Ambuehl B., Tomberge, V.M.J., Kunwar, B.M., Schertenleib, A., Marks, S.J., Inauen, J. (2021) The Role of Psychological Ownership in Safe Water Management: A Mixed- Methods Study in Nepal

Long-term management and use of community-based safe water systems are essential to reduce water-related health risks in rural areas. Water sector professionals frequently cite water users’ sense of ownership for the water system as essential for its continuity. This study aims to provide the first insight into users’ understanding of psychological ownership, as well as generalizable data, regarding safe water management in rural Nepal. In […]

Ager, A., Stark, S., Potts, A. (2010) Participative Ranking Methodology: A Brief Guide: Version 1.1.

This document describes the participative ranking methodology, a development of the participatory rapid appraisal ranking method. Participative ranking is a mixed-methods approach to data collection, in which a group of knowledgeable participants are guided in generating responses to a specific question or set of questions. It draws on both quantitative and qualitative methodologies to generate rich, contextualised data that can nonetheless be counted, ranked, and […]

Smith, W.A., Strand, J. (2008) Social Marketing Behavior: A Practical Resource for Social Change Professionals

Adebo, S. (2000) Training Manual on Participatory Rural Appraisal

The PLA/PRA approach is used with the following assumptions: 1. Rural communities form active foundation for rural development 2. Communities need committed local leaders to stir up their development 3. Communities have knowledge and information but it needs to be organized 4. Communities have resources but they need to be mobilized. They can introduce projects, acting primarily on their own resources. 5. Community organizations are among the many, which are […]

ACF (2005) Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Populations at Risk

ACF (2013) Conducting KAP Surveys: A Learning Document Based on KAP Failures

Currion, P. (2014) Humanitarian Needs Assessment. The Good Enough Guide

Needs assessment is essential for programme planning, monitoring and evaluation, and accountability, however needs assessment is still a critical weakness of humanitarian response. Organizations urgently need to improve how they do assessments. ACAPS and the Emergency Capacity Building Project (ECB) have produced this guide to fill the gap that existed for a practical resource that pulls together the main lessons learned from various humanitarian initiatives […]

ACAPS (2012) Qualitative and Quantitative Research Techniques for Humanitarian Needs Assessment. An Introductory Brief

Collection, collation, analysis, and synthesis of qualitative and quantitative information, gathered and analysed using appropriate sources, tools, and methods is the cornerstone of rapid needs assessments that allows decision makers to plan a timely, appropriate, and coordinated emergency response.

ACAPS (2011) Technical Brief: Direct Observation and Key Informant Interview Techniques, for Primary Data Collection During Rapid Assessments

ACAPS (2016) Questionnaire Design. How to Design a Questionnaire for Needs Assessments in Humanitarian Emergencies

There is no shortage of questionnaires used during emergencies that are too long, overly complex or unable to generate useful responses. The art of developing an effective questionnaire is the topic of master degrees and doctorates. The questionnaire is a critical tool in humanitarian response and requires time, resources and a detailed understanding of the context, factors which are all in short supply during an […]

Abel, M. (2017) Clean Hands, Good Toilet, Happy Family! Hygiene Promotion Guidelines and Tools. Western Pacific Sanitation Marketing and Innovation Project

It feels good to be clean. It feels good to live in a beautiful environment. It feels good not to get sick. Influencing health behaviour change seems like it should be simple. Present the logical evidence (information) for why changing a behaviour is worthwhile (washing hands kills germs) and the need for change should be obvious. But logic isn’t the only basis for making decisions […]

World Vision (2017) Baby WASH Toolkit Version I

BabyWASH at World Vision is an initiative which aims to improve the integration of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) interventions with maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), nutrition and early childhood development (ECD), to enable a more profound impact on child health outcomes in the first 1,000 days of life. The initiative was developed due to a recognised gap in the integration in these sectors […]

The Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (2020) Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

The Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS) have become one of the key resources for humanitarian workers since its launch in 2012. The CPMS have been developed to support child protection work in humanitarian settings by: Establishing common principles between those working in child protection; Strengthening coordination between humanitarian actors; Improving the quality of child protection programming and its impact on children; […]