Humanitarian Negotiations and Protection Advocacy Training

Program Overview

Contemporary humanitarian organizations work in an increasingly complex environment. Escalated armed conflicts, severe political instability, and natural and man-made disasters make daily operations extremely challenging. Worldwide nearly 60 million people live in the areas controlled by non-state armed groups, frequently with extreme access constraints. Thereby, humanitarian negotiations are crucial to facilitating operational access to those in need of assistance. What is more, humanitarian negotiations mitigate risks to relief workers and contribute to broader initiatives such as humanitarian corridors and ceasefires.

This Training has exclusively been designed by Risalat to equip aid workers with the fundamental knowledge required for conducting effective Humanitarian Negotiations and Protection Advocacy (HNPA). It empowers delegates to facilitate collaboration, ethically approach humanitarian dilemmas, and advocate for the protection of the rights of affected populations.

Target Audience

This Humanitarian Negotiations Training and Protection Advocacy Program would benefit all professionals involved with humanitarian assistance, protection, and advocacy efforts including but not limited to:

• Humanitarian practitioners
• Humanitarian negotiators
• Advocates and activists
• Government representatives
• Members of donor organizations
• Community leaders
• CSOs/CBOs

Program Objectives

Upon the successful completion of this Training Program, its delegates are expected to:

• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of key concepts, principles, and frameworks concerning HNPA.
• Develop and/or refine practical skills to effectively advocate and promote the rights of affected populations including vulnerable groups.
• Analyze contextual factors to facilitate humanitarian negotiations.
• Understand ethical considerations and dilemmas related to humanitarian negotiations and protection advocacy, including issues of neutrality, impartiality, and the duty to protect.
• Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of humanitarian negotiation and protection advocacy efforts.

Program Contents

First Day

• Understanding humanitarian negotiations
• Contextual analysis
• Conflict dynamics, power structures, and actors involved
• Risks and opportunities for negotiation
• The role of international humanitarian law in humanitarian negotiations
• Human rights and humanitarian negotiation

Second Day

• A principled approach to negotiation
• Building trust and rapport with the parties to the conflict
• Effective communication skills for humanitarian negotiations
• Active listening
• Understanding the importance and scope of protection advocacy
• Tools for vulnerability assessment
• Protection needs of different groups

Third Day

• Developing advocacy objectives and messaging
• Advocacy techniques: lobbying, campaigning, media engagement
• Ethical considerations in protection advocacy
• Conflict sensitivity during humanitarian negotiation and protection advocacy
• The broader role of humanitarian negotiations in forming humanitarian corridors and contributing to a ceasefire

Day 4 & 5 – Practical application exercise

The last two days of the program shall entirely be dedicated to the practical application of knowledge and skills emphasized during the course of earlier sessions. These shall cover:

• Simulation/role play on the negotiation of access to affected populations.
• Analysis of humanitarian negotiation and protection advocacy success stories.
• Practical exercise on developing M&E framework for humanitarian negotiation and protection advocacy efforts.
• Panel discussion with guest speakers from partner humanitarian organizations engaged in humanitarian negotiations.

Program Methodology

This Humanitarian Negotiations Training and Protection Advocacy Program has been designed as a skills-building Training Course. It combines various interactive tools in line with adult learning principles and methodology. Open presentations are complemented by group assignments, case studies, role plays, scenario analysis, and panel discussions.

Host Country Profile

Hosting large numbers of refugees, relief organizations in Jordan heavily rely on humanitarian negotiations to ensure the delivery of aid, protect vulnerable populations, and address the needs of affected communities. The country’s humanitarian community is very large and diverse with various actors operating including UN agencies, NGOs, regional organizations, refugee communities, CSOs, and the Jordanian government. They have accumulated substantial knowledge of humanitarian negotiations and protection advocacy both at national and international levels.

Course Deliverables

Participants will enjoy a full-service experience that covers everything needed before, during, and after the program:

Before the Program

During the Program

• Airport Pickup & Welcome Assistance
• Accommodation with Breakfast for the full duration
• Welcome Dinner for networking and connecting with fellow Participants & the Risalat Team
• Risalat Training Kit, including: bag, water bottle, coffee mug, t-shirt, cap, passport cover, pens, notebook, magnet, keychain
• Lunch Provided Daily during training days
• Comprehensive Course Manual & Training Materials
• Project-Based Templates, Tools, and Worksheets
• Mini Pad / Tablet for convenient access to digital resources
• Digital Case Studies, Reading Packs & Reference Materials
• Access to Sample Datasets & Practical Exercises
• Field Visit (where applicable)
• Complimentary Refreshments & Full Training Venue Facilities
• Access to Online Learning Resources
• Entertaining City Tour
• Certificate of Completion
• Risalat Program Participation Recognition Award

After the Program

• Post-Training Support & Follow-Up Guidance
• Program Report