Bernadette Sexton

As the Global Partnerships Conference brings together governments, donors and humanitarian organisations, there is a clear opportunity to move beyond commitments on localisation and focus on how to deliver it at scale.

What needs to change

1. Scale predictable, flexible, multi-year funding directly to local actors

Local leadership will not be realised while funding remains short-term, project-based, and routed through multiple intermediaries. To enable meaningful change, donors must:

• Expand multi-year, flexible funding mechanisms (including Country-Based Pooled Funds and similar instruments), ensuring equitable overheads for national partners
• Require implementing agencies to demonstrate genuine delegation of decision-making, not just “participation” by local organisations

Without these shifts, local actors will continue to operate within constraints that limit their leadership

2. Fund collective, country-level approaches rather than scattered pilots

Localisation efforts remain fragmented and too small to shift systems. Greater impact will come from investing in:

• National capacity ecosystems, including learning networks, surge pools and technical quality assurance bodies
• Consortia designed to be locally led, with international organisations playing a supporting or incubator role

This approach reduces duplication, builds institutional, not just individual, capacity, and creates viable pathways to scale.

3. Embed proportionate due diligence and shared risk across funding architectures

Risk allocation remains a significant barrier to localisation. Current approaches often transfer disproportionate risk to local actors, limiting access and trust.

A more enabling model requires:

• Proportionate due diligence requirements and the adoption of sector-wide passporting initiatives
• Risk-sharing frameworks that prevent responsibility being pushed downstream to local organisations

These reforms are essential to unlocking greater flows of funding to local actors at scale.

4. Invest in standards-based capacity strengthening as a core pillar of localisation

Local leadership cannot be achieved without sustained investment in high-quality, contextually relevant capacity strengthening. This includes:

• Adoption of recognised quality standards for humanitarian competencies, learning and technical capability (such as the HPass standards developed with partners including HLA, IFRC, Bioforce and Oxfam)
• Capacity strengthening that is co-designed with national partners, adapted to context, and delivered in the languages practitioners use

This ensures investments translate into long-term institutional resilience, rather than short-term, project-level skills gains.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, RedR is working with CONAFOHD—representing more than 500 local and national NGOs—to deliver a Digital Humanitarian Academy. The platform provides modular, certified training pathways in French, Lingala and Congolese Swahili, functions offline for organisations in low-connectivity environments, and includes an AI assistant to support personalised learning.

Critically, certifications are linked to organisational profiles, enabling local NGOs to demonstrate their capabilities to donors in real time, addressing persistent barriers around visibility, access, and recognition.

Similarly, in Ukraine, RedR has delivered in-person training to approximately 800 water utility professionals. Delivered in Ukrainian and tailored to operational realities, this work has strengthened the capacity of senior managers, engineers and operators to maintain essential services under pressure.

5. Support meaningful inclusion of local actors in global and national policy fora

Shifting funding alone is not sufficient; influence must also change. This requires:

• Facilitating direct engagement of local organisations at global convenings, including forums such as this Conference
• Embedding “people-first governance”, ensuring local leadership is reflected in planning, oversight and accountability structures

This is critical to ensuring localisation reshapes decision-making, not just delivery.

The role of INGOs in accelerating the shift

As an INGO focused on engineering humanitarian effectiveness, RedR recognises its responsibility to actively support this transition.

Our Commitments

Scale high-quality, standards-based capacity strengthening that enables system-wide change

RedR is committed to uniting globally recognised standards with deeply localised practice. We embed the HPass framework for humanitarian learning and competency assessment across our work, while tailoring delivery to local contexts and languages.

Developed through consultation with more than 400 organisations across over 60 countries, HPass reflects the realities of humanitarian work globally. It provides a shared benchmark that enables practitioners to build recognised, transferable competencies.

We will:

• Expand competency-based learning, assessment and credentialing for national actors, grounded in HPass standards
• Support locally led training ecosystems, including national partners, trainers and centres of excellence
• Ensure all programmes are co-designed, contextually relevant and delivered in appropriate languages

This strengthens the system, not just individual organisations.

Reinforce models that transfer power

RedR will:

• Prioritise local delivery models, investing in national experts and institutions
• Increase shared governance through co-led needs assessments, programme design and quality assurance systems

Promote fair and transparent partnership models

We commit to:

• Applying proportionate due diligence and contributing to sector-wide passporting initiatives
• Ensuring equitable overheads for local partners
• Avoiding subcontracting models that limit agency and influence
• Embedding risk-sharing approaches, rather than risk transfer

Support long-term resilience of local systems

RedR will strengthen the ability of local actors to sustain operations before, during and after crises by:

• Reinforcing organisational systems, including HR, MEAL, finance and preparedness
• Supporting interoperable competency and quality systems that enhance professional mobility and recognition

Share evidence on what works

We will continue to generate and share evidence on:

• The value for money of locally delivered, quality-assured learning
• The link between strengthened competencies and improved humanitarian performance

Conclusion

The Global Partnerships Conference presents an opportunity to focus on how a more effective humanitarian system can be delivered in practice. 

Fragmented, project-based approaches do not create the conditions for sustained impact. What is required is investment in coherent systems, where funding, standards, capacity strengthening, accountability, and governance are aligned to support national and local actors to lead.

Following the devastating earthquake that struck central Myanmar in March 2025, RedR UK has published an Initial Learning Needs Assessment (LNA) examining technical capacity gaps and priority training needs related to post-earthquake damage assessment and building repairs.

The earthquake, which affected large areas along the Sagaing Fault, caused widespread damage to housing and community infrastructure, compounding existing vulnerabilities linked to conflict, displacement, economic hardship and limited technical capacity. The scale and complexity of damage, combined with severe constraints on skilled personnel, materials and funding, has placed enormous pressure on responders tasked with assessing damage and supporting safe, timely recovery.

Purpose of the LNA

Commissioned by RedR UK, this Initial LNA was designed as a qualitative, exploratory assessment, rather than a large-scale survey, reflecting the challenging access and operating conditions in Myanmar. Its purpose was to explore whether there is a shared and credible demand for training on damage assessment and repairs, and to identify:

• key technical capacity gaps,
• priority learning audiences,
• contextual constraints affecting practice, and
• indicative considerations for training design.

The assessment forms an evidence base to guide future training decisions and contribute to the development of more consistent, practical and context-sensitive technical approaches to post-earthquake recovery.

Methodology

The LNA was conducted between September and December 2025 and was based primarily on:

• Semi-structured Key Informant Interviews with over 20 national and international practitioners involved in the Myanmar earthquake response, including engineers, architects, programme managers, coordinators and technical advisors.
• A focused desk-based review of relevant tools, guidance and reference materials currently used or cited by responders.
• A remote co-creation workshop involving more than 40 participants from UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and private-sector specialists, aimed at validating findings and refining priorities for training and tool development.

While not statistically representative, the strong consistency of themes across interviews and workshop discussions provided confidence in the relevance of the findings.

Key Findings

The LNA highlights a clear and widely shared need for capacity strengthening in damage assessment and repairs in Myanmar. Key findings include:

• Significant technical capacity gaps in moving beyond rapid life-safety assessments towards informed decisions on habitability, repairability and prioritisation of repairs, particularly across Myanmar’s diverse and often non-engineered building typologies.
• Ongoing reliance on adapted ATC-20-style rapid assessment tools, which are essential for access decisions but provide limited guidance on incremental repairs and risk reduction.
• Severe shortages of skilled technical personnel at all levels – from engineers and assessors to supervisors, masons and carpenters – leading to critical repair decisions often being made by underqualified or overstretched actors.
• Major constraints on feasible repair solutions caused by degraded supply chains, price inflation and variable material quality, underscoring the need for training grounded in real-world conditions rather than idealised standards.
• Risks associated with fragmented and uncoordinated technical messaging, raising concerns about inconsistent or contradictory advice being given to affected households.

At the same time, the assessment identified important strengths, including strong motivation among local responders to learn and share experience, and valuable contextual knowledge held by Myanmar engineers and artisans that can be built upon through participatory training approaches.

Priority Training Needs

Based on the findings, two clear priority areas for capacity strengthening emerged:

• Advanced technical training for engineers, focused on post-earthquake damage assessment and incremental repair and retrofit approaches, primarily as professional development and preparedness.
• Hands-on, face-to-face training for non-engineer practitioners, including carpenters, masons and households, recognising the central role of self-recovery in Myanmar’s context.

In parallel, participants highlighted the need for a simple, visual and context-appropriate damage assessment methodology or tool, accessible to non-engineers, incorporating decision-making flowcharts tailored to Myanmar’s main building typologies, and developed through multi-actor collaboration to promote shared ownership and harmonised practice.

This Learning Needs Assessment identifies capacity gaps and learning needs among technical and non‑technical responders involved in damage assessments, repairs, and reconstruction activities in Ukraine.

Understanding these gaps is essential for developing context‑specific training programmes that support safe, technically sound, and effective decision‑making in an active conflict environment.

The LNA also assessed existing strengths among responders, enabling RedR to recommend how humanitarian partners can best leverage current capacity while addressing critical technical and operational gaps.

Using the findings to shape damage‑assessment training in Ukraine, RedR conducted this in‑depth Learning Needs Assessment to inform the adaptation of its damage‑assessment and reconstruction‑related training programmes in Ukraine.

The assessment focuses on the evolving needs of responders as the response moves beyond rapid classification towards repair, retrofitting, and demolition decision‑making.

The overarching questions this Learning Needs Assessment seeks to address are:

• What are the current capacity gaps and learning needs among responders involved in damage assessments in Ukraine?
• What capacity strengths already exist across technical and non‑technical roles?
• How can training better support complex, conflict‑specific damage‑assessment activities?

By understanding these learning needs and operational constraints, RedR can ensure that training is relevant, progressive, and aligned with real‑world practice.

Key findings

Priority learning needs identified include:

• Conflict‑specific technical skills, including blast effects on structures, load calculations, and retrofitting for blast resistance
• Advanced structural evaluation, repair, and demolition decision‑making
• Foundational construction knowledge and site safety for non‑technical responders
• Construction oversight skills, including quality assurance, cost estimation, and technical reporting
• Personal safety, security, and mental wellbeing in an active conflict environment
• Flexible, blended learning approaches that reflect responders’ limited availability and operational pressures

Structural Damage Assessment for Engineers and Technical responders in Ukraine – Cohort 3

• Start Date: Tuesday 6th January 2026
• Free – for responders in Ukraine
• Online

The Structural Damage Assessment for Engineers and Technical responders in Ukraine training will be delivered through a series of 5 live facilitated sessions which last 3-hours each online.

Course Objectives

By the end of the training you will be able to:

• Apply the Ukrainian regulatory framework and Construction Good Practice Standards (CGPS) to damage assessments.
• Assess common types of structural damage in masonry and reinforced concrete buildings.
• Classify the severity of structural damage using a standard classification system and specify immediate actions to ensure safety.
• Conduct and record damage assessments efficiently using a dedicated digital data collection tool.
• Describe and evaluate appropriate repair strategies for various types of observed structural damage.
• Identify and mitigate personal health and safety risks when visiting and assessing damaged buildings.

What does the course cover?

Module 1: Damage assessment and classification of buildings: Introduction on structural forms and key principles

Module 2: Types and causes of building damage (blast effects on structures)

Module 3: Conducting damage assessments (tools and practicalities)

Module 4: Shelter assessments & Blast Design

Module 5: Repair and Retrofitting

Timeline:

The facilitated sessions will be held on 6th, 8th, 13th, 15th and 22nd January 2026 14:00 – 17:00 Ukraine time.

Who should attend?

This course is for Technical responders, individuals with professional qualifications or extensive experience in engineering, architecture, or construction, responsible for evaluating structural damage, assessing repair viability, and guiding technical aspects of shelter interventions. Their role ensures the safety, quality, and technical soundness of damage assessments and resulting shelter solutions. M&E staff who are not engineers but who support on these assessments.

How to join

If you would like to attend, please register through Eventbrite. You will receive instructions on how to join the course after registration.

HPass badge

Upon completion of the training, participants will be eligible to apply for a HPass Badge, a digital indicator of achievement, and a way for participants to demonstrate their skills and experience in the humanitarian sector. You can find more information on HPass Badges here.

Any questions? Check out our T&Cs here.

If you have any questions about this course or require further information, please contact engineering.skills@redr.org.uk.

In case of any complaints, please email complaints@redr.org.uk.

RedR UK is committed to making sure everyone’s needs are met, including people of different genders, ages and disabilities. If you have any specific access requirements or learning needs RedR UK is committed to try and make reasonable adjustments to support your needs, please email training@redr.org.uk at any stage of the booking process to talk directly to RedR UK about your needs.

Structural Damage Assessment for Engineers and Technical responders in Ukraine – Cohort 2

• Start Date: Monday 24th November 2025
• Free – for responders in Ukraine
• Online

The Structural Damage Assessment for Engineers and Technical responders in Ukraine training will be delivered through a series of 5 live facilitated sessions which last 3-hours each online.

Course Objectives

By the end of the training you will be able to:

• Apply the Ukrainian regulatory framework and Construction Good Practice Standards (CGPS) to damage assessments.
• Assess common types of structural damage in masonry and reinforced concrete buildings.
• Classify the severity of structural damage using a standard classification system and specify immediate actions to ensure safety.
• Conduct and record damage assessments efficiently using a dedicated digital data collection tool.
• Describe and evaluate appropriate repair strategies for various types of observed structural damage.
• Identify and mitigate personal health and safety risks when visiting and assessing damaged buildings.

What does the course cover?

Module 1: Damage assessment and classification of buildings: Introduction on structural forms and key principles

Module 2: Types and causes of building damage (blast effects on structures)

Module 3: Conducting damage assessments (tools and practicalities)

Module 4: Shelter assessments & Blast Design

Module 5: Repair and Retrofitting

Timeline:

The facilitated sessions will be held on 24th, 25th, 27th November, 1st and 4th December 2025 14:00 – 17:00 Ukraine time.

Who should attend?

This course is for Technical responders, individuals with professional qualifications or extensive experience in engineering, architecture, or construction, responsible for evaluating structural damage, assessing repair viability, and guiding technical aspects of shelter interventions. Their role ensures the safety, quality, and technical soundness of damage assessments and resulting shelter solutions. M&E staff who are not engineers but who support on these assessments.

How to join

If you would like to attend, please register through Eventbrite. You will receive instructions on how to join the course after registration.

HPass badge

Upon completion of the training, participants will be eligible to apply for a HPass Badge, a digital indicator of achievement, and a way for participants to demonstrate their skills and experience in the humanitarian sector. You can find more information on HPass Badges here.

Any questions? Check out our T&Cs here.

If you have any questions about this course or require further information, please contact engineering.skills@redr.org.uk.

In case of any complaints, please email complaints@redr.org.uk.

RedR UK is committed to making sure everyone’s needs are met, including people of different genders, ages and disabilities. If you have any specific access requirements or learning needs RedR UK is committed to try and make reasonable adjustments to support your needs, please email training@redr.org.uk at any stage of the booking process to talk directly to RedR UK about your needs.

Damage Assessments and Repair Management for Non-technical responders in Ukraine – Cohort 3

• Start Date: Wednesday 21st January 2026
• Free – for responders in Ukraine
• Online

The Damage Assessments and Repair Management for Non-technical responders in Ukraine training will be delivered through a series of 3 live facilitated sessions which last 3-hours each online.

Module Objectives

By the end of the training you will be able to:

• Understand good construction practices to ensure that all repair work is safe, durable, and completed to a high standard.
• Confidently identify and assess common types of non-structural damage to walls, windows, doors, and roofs caused by military action.
• Create clear photo and written reports to effectively communicate damage to engineers and contractors, while following essential on-site safety rules.
• Develop simple work plans and schedules to track progress and coordinate effectively between construction teams and community members.
• Use practical tools to estimate the cost of necessary materials and labour, helping to create realistic budgets for repair projects.
• Monitor and verify the quality of common repairs, ensuring the work being done is correct and matches the agreed-upon plan.

What does the course cover?

Module 1: Construction Good Practice Standards (CGPS) and Non-Structural Damage Assessment

Module 2: Damage Documentation and Repair Monitoring

Module 3: Construction Management, BOQ preparation, WBS preparation

Timeline:

The facilitated sessions will be held on 21st, 27th and 28th January 2026 14:00 – 17:00 Ukraine time.

Who should attend?

This course is for Non-technical responders in Ukraine, individuals focused on community engagement, humanitarian principles, and social data collection, primarily responsible for identifying the human impact of damage, assessing household vulnerabilities, and ensuring the assessment process is inclusive and people-centred. They ensure the broader humanitarian needs are captured alongside structural damage. In addition to responders involved in the logistics and administrative needs for damage assessments.

Programmes staff (from project officers to project managers) and M&E staff who are not engineers but who support on these assessments.

How to join

If you would like to attend, please register through Eventbrite. You will receive instructions on how to join the course after registration.

HPass badge

Upon completion of the training, participants will be eligible to apply for a HPass Badge, a digital indicator of achievement, and a way for participants to demonstrate their skills and experience in the humanitarian sector. You can find more information on HPass Badges here.

Any questions? Check out our T&Cs here.

If you have any questions about this course or require further information, please contact engineering.skills@redr.org.uk.

In case of any complaints, please email complaints@redr.org.uk.

RedR UK is committed to making sure everyone’s needs are met, including people of different genders, ages and disabilities. If you have any specific access requirements or learning needs RedR UK is committed to try and make reasonable adjustments to support your needs, please email training@redr.org.uk at any stage of the booking process to talk directly to RedR UK about your needs.

Damage Assessments and Repair Management for Non-technical responders in Ukraine – Cohort 2

• Start Date: Monday 3rd November 2025
• Free – for responders in Ukraine
• Online

The Damage Assessments and Repair Management for Non-technical responders in Ukraine training will be delivered through a series of 3 live facilitated sessions which last 3-hours each online.

Module Objectives

By the end of the training you will be able to:

• Understand good construction practices to ensure that all repair work is safe, durable, and completed to a high standard.
• Confidently identify and assess common types of non-structural damage to walls, windows, doors, and roofs caused by military action.
• Create clear photo and written reports to effectively communicate damage to engineers and contractors, while following essential on-site safety rules.
• Develop simple work plans and schedules to track progress and coordinate effectively between construction teams and community members.
• Use practical tools to estimate the cost of necessary materials and labour, helping to create realistic budgets for repair projects.
• Monitor and verify the quality of common repairs, ensuring the work being done is correct and matches the agreed-upon plan.

What does the course cover?

Module 1: Construction Good Practice Standards (CGPS) and Non-Structural Damage Assessment

Module 2: Damage Documentation and Repair Monitoring

Module 3: Construction Management, BOQ preparation, WBS preparation

Timeline:

The facilitated sessions will be held on Mondays 3rd and 10th November and the last session on Wednesday 19th November 14:00 – 17:00 Ukraine time.

Who should attend?

This course is for Non-technical responders in Ukraine, individuals focused on community engagement, humanitarian principles, and social data collection, primarily responsible for identifying the human impact of damage, assessing household vulnerabilities, and ensuring the assessment process is inclusive and people-centred. They ensure the broader humanitarian needs are captured alongside structural damage. In addition to responders involved in the logistics and administrative needs for damage assessments.

Programmes staff (from project officers to project managers) and M&E staff who are not engineers but who support on these assessments.

How to join

If you would like to attend, please register through Eventbrite. You will receive instructions on how to join the course after registration.

HPass badge

Upon completion of the training, participants will be eligible to apply for a HPass Badge, a digital indicator of achievement, and a way for participants to demonstrate their skills and experience in the humanitarian sector. You can find more information on HPass Badges here.

Any questions? Check out our T&Cs here.

If you have any questions about this course or require further information, please contact engineering.skills@redr.org.uk.

In case of any complaints, please email complaints@redr.org.uk.

RedR UK is committed to making sure everyone’s needs are met, including people of different genders, ages and disabilities. If you have any specific access requirements or learning needs RedR UK is committed to try and make reasonable adjustments to support your needs, please email training@redr.org.uk at any stage of the booking process to talk directly to RedR UK about your needs.

Devastating 6.0 Magnitude Earthquake in Eastern Afghanistan

Assessment Date: 5 September 2025
Location: Epicentre and Surrounding Villages, Nangarhar Province

On the night of 31 August 2025, a powerful 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck north-eastern Afghanistan. The epicentre, located 27 kilometres northeast of Jalalabad City, caused widespread destruction across the region.

The humanitarian impact has been catastrophic:

• Over 2,000 lives lost
• More than 3,500 people injured
• Nearly 6,800 homes destroyed
• Approximately 497,000 people affected, including 263,000 children

Relief operations remain extremely difficult, with blocked roads, rough terrain, and limited communications hampering access to many of the worst-hit areas.

In the face of overwhelming challenges, Afghan communities have shown extraordinary solidarity. Local volunteers quickly mobilised, pooling their resources to transport the wounded, clear debris, and deliver emergency supplies. This grassroots response reflects the resilience of the Afghan people. Yet it also underscores the urgent need for structured, technical support to ensure recovery is safe, sustainable, and future-proof.

RedR’s Engineering Response: Building Local Capacity for Safer Recovery

In early September, Dr Noor Kuchai, RedR’s Senior Coordinator in Humanitarian Engineering, conducted a field assessment in the epicentre and surrounding villages. His visit identified critical gaps where RedR’s expertise could provide life-saving and long-term value:

1. Damage Assessment Training – Delivering tailored training for local engineers and Afghan NGO staff on how to conduct safe, effective damage assessments, preventing further loss of life and guiding appropriate shelter interventions.
2. Earthquake-Resilient Shelter Design – Collaborating with communities and experts to develop culturally appropriate, earthquake-resilient shelter designs using locally available materials such as stone and timber.
3. Retrofitting and Repair Guidelines – Providing practical guidance and training for local responders on safe repair techniques that would have sector wide applicability. Many homes can be salvaged through retrofitting, reducing the need for full reconstruction, and preserving community heritage.

This Learning Audit & Needs Assessment identifies capacity gaps and learning needs amongst Vodokanal (Water Utilities staff in Ukraine.

Understanding these gaps is essential for developing targeted training programmes, that can enhance the skills and knowledge required to address the complex challenges posed by the ongoing conflict. 

The LNA also assessed the existing strengths among vodokanal staff, so RedR can recommend the best ways that partners can leverage best these capabilities. 

Using the findings to train responders on the most urgent topics

RedR conducted this in-depth and detailed Learning Needs Assessment to better inform the ongoing capacity strengthening program for Ukraine’s water utilities (vodokanals). The overarching questions that this Learning Needs Assessment seeks to assess are:

• What are the current capacity gaps and learning needs among vodokanal personnel in Ukraine?
• What are the capacity strengths among vodokanal personnel involved in water supply and sewage services?
• How can RedR UK respond to the needs of the vodokanals in ways that are most appropriate and relevant?
• What are the capacity needs for future programming of RedR and other partners?

It enables RedR to tailor their response to the evolving needs of the vodokanals in Ukraine. By understanding the specific learning needs and capacity gaps, RedR can provide training that is most relevant and impactful, thereby enhancing the overall WASH service delivery in Ukraine.

Key findings

The main findings of this learning needs assessment are:

• Demographics of Respondents: A total of 70 responses were received, with 69 from the target learner groups (Senior Management, Engineers, Operators). The majority of senior managers (51%) and engineers (eighteen) have worked at the vodokanal for more than five years. Operators also largely have over five years of experience (six out of eight respondents). Respondents are located across 17 oblasts, with 41 responses from UNICEF’s priority oblasts
• Training Topic Priorities: Respondents identified several priority training topics essential for improving their response capabilities:
  • Operators: Highest priority topics identified by operators, engineers, and senior managers are Modern Water Treatment and Supply Systems and Energy Efficiency and Power Optimization. High priority topics include Modern Wastewater Treatment and Discharge Management, Water Quality – Measurement and EU Standards, and Leak Detection.
  • Engineers: Highest priority topics identified by engineers, senior managers, and operators are Modern Water Treatment and Supply Systems, Modern Wastewater Treatment and Discharge Management, and Energy Efficiency and Power Optimization
  • Senior Managers: Highest priority topics identified by senior managers, engineers, and operators are EU Standards and Best Practice, Policy and Management, and Investment Planning.

يحدد هذا التقرير الموجز لتقييم احتياجات التعلم وتقييم قدرات المنظمات الوطنية الثغرات في القدرات واحتياجات التعلم بين المستجيبين الأفراد والمنظمات المشاركة في الاستجابة للأزمة في لبنان

إن فهم هذه الثغرات أمر ضروري لتطوير برامج تدريب مستهدفة، يمكن أن تعزز المهارات والمعارف المطلوبة لمواجهة التحديات المعقدة التي فرضتها الأزمة

كما قام تقييم احتياجات التعلم بتقييم نقاط القوة الموجودة لدى المستجيبين، بحيث يمكن لريدر أن توصي بأفضل الطرق التي يمكن للشركاء في المجال الإنساني الاستفادة من هذه القدرات على أفضل وجه

استخدام النتائج لتدريب المستجيبين على الموضوعات الأكثر إلحاحًا

أجرت ريدر تقييمًا متعمقًا ومفصلاً لاحتياجات التعلم من أجل تحسين استجابة التدريب المستمر للأزمة في لبنان. الأسئلة الشاملة التي يسعى تقييم احتياجات التعلم إلى تقييمها هي:

ما هي الفجوات الحالية في القدرات واحتياجات التعلم بين المستجيبين الإنسانيين للاستجابة الجارية في لبنان؟

ما هي نقاط القوة في قدرات المستجيبين المشاركين في جهود الاستجابة الإنسانية؟

كيف يمكن للشركاء الإنسانيين الاستفادة من هذه النقاط القوية على أفضل وجه؟

كيف يمكن لـ RedR UK الاستجابة لاحتياجات الاستجابة بالطرق الأكثر ملاءمة وملاءمة؟

ما هي احتياجات القدرات لبرامج RedR والشركاء الآخرين في المستقبل؟

وهي تمكّن RedR من تكييف استجابتها مع الاحتياجات المتغيرة للأزمة. ومن خلال فهم الاحتياجات التعليمية المحددة والثغرات في القدرات، يمكن لـ RedR توفير التدريب الأكثر ملاءمة وتأثيراً، وبالتالي تعزيز الاستجابة الشاملة في لبنان.

النتائج الرئيسية

النتائج الرئيسية لتقييم احتياجات التعلم هي:

الاحتياجات الخاصة: هناك حاجة ملحة للتدريب في مجال خدمات الصحة العقلية بسبب الأثر النفسي للنزاعات الأخيرة. كما أن التدريب على إدارة الملاجئ الجماعية أمر بالغ الأهمية، نظراً لتدفق النازحين إلى الملاجئ المؤقتة. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، يعد التدريب على إدارة السلامة أمراً حيوياً، حيث يواجه العاملون في مجال الإغاثة مخاطر كبيرة.الإدارة المالية

التركيبة السكانية للمستجيبين: غالبية المستجيبين (86٪) مقيمون في لبنان، مع تمثيل كبير للنساء (71٪). يتمتع معظم المستجيبين بخبرة كبيرة في القطاع الإنساني، حيث يتمتع 63٪ منهم بخبرة تزيد عن خمس سنوات.

أولويات مواضيع التدريب: حدد المستجيبون عدة مواضيع تدريبية ذات أولوية ضرورية لتحسين قدراتهم على الاستجابة:

تطوير استجابة شاملة لحالات الطوارئ

خدمات الصحة العقلية والدعم النفسي

إدارة الملاجئ الجماعية

إدارة السلامة والأمن

كتابة المقترحات

جمع البيانات وحمايتها وتحليلها

Dr. Noorullah Kuchai

RedR UK’s Senior Programmes Coordinator, Dr. Noorullah Kuchai, spoke about RedR’s impact and mission at our recent Annual Reception. Focusing on RedR’s work in Ukraine, Dr. Kuchai shared moving examples of how we are equipping local responders with the tools and knowledge to lead recovery efforts on their own terms. His remarks highlighted the urgent need for locally led responses and the importance of shifting power to those closest to the crisis Read his full speech below.

The world is facing an era of compounding crises. The demand for humanitarian assistance is escalating, while resources are shrinking. In this landscape, the effectiveness of the response is not just important – it is vital. And this is where RedR’s work truly matters. Tonight, I’d like to share with you two specific examples of how we put our mission into action through our response to the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. 

Nearly 3 years ago, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine leading to a devastating impact on Ukrainians causing massive civilian casualties and the destruction of infrastructure. Resulting in millions being in need of humanitarian assistance – including more than 2 million children. 

Within just two months, RedR responded by designing and delivering 27 training sessions to 360 humanitarian responders. We then continued to expand our reach, ultimately training more than 6,000 Ukrainians. These were individuals supporting communities under extraordinary pressure. 

Our trainings equipped them with tools & skills to respond more effectively, covering topics such as humanitarian principles, blast-induced damage assessment, repair methods, retrofitting technologies and more. 

We trained local people, so the knowledge stays there.  

We hired and mentored local Ukrainian trainers. We delivered trainings and produced resources in Ukrainian. And we rooted the training contents in the reality of the situation in Ukraine, drawing on local case studies and Ukrainian building standards to make our trainings relevant and immediately applicable in the field. And this local capacity strengthening is hugely important. 

Recently the Mayor of Mykolaiv has communicated with us that “capacity strengthening” is one of their key needs. We have grouped up with our industry engineering partners in the UK and the Engineering Without Borders to train local professionals to support the safe return of displaced communities. 

In response to the acute shortage of qualified experts – damage assessors – we will train Ukrainian engineers and university lecturers. These lecturers will then train future generation engineers, thereby enhancing long-term in-country capacity. 

In one example shared by Engineers Without Borders, 750 children were not able to go to school because there was not enough capacity to determine whether their school building, which had been partially damaged by a missile strike, was safe to use or not. So, its not only the immediate impact of the destruction being caused, but the longer-term impact on the entire community which is also affected. In this way, our training on damage assessment unlock the capacity of more professionals to carry out “safe-building entry checks”, and in this case, hopefully to get those 750 children back into school. 

This initiative addresses critical societal challenges caused by war, including widespread displacement and infrastructure damage that compromise safety, health, and dignity. By equipping engineers and educators with essential skills, the project supports recovery efforts and promotes the reconstruction of built infrastructure. 

Our training strengthen the quality of the humanitarian response. It enhances local ownership. And ultimately, it saves lives. 

And crucially, we could not have done any of this alone. 

The speed and scale of our Ukraine response—and our ongoing work in conflict and climate-affected areas—has been driven by RedR’s core mission: uniting diverse expertise across humanitarian and private sectors to empower and train local responders for more effective, locally led humanitarian action in an increasingly complex world. 

That is why this work matters. And that is why your continued support matters.  

Read our strategy here. 

Bernadette Sexton

To mark RedR’s 45th anniversary, CEO Bernadette Sexton delivered a speech at our recent Annual Reception, reflecting on the organisation’s evolution and continued relevance in today’s humanitarian landscape. She addressed the growing global need for assistance, the challenges posed by shrinking funding, and the vital role of RedR’s locally led approach and partnerships in delivering lasting impact. Read the full speech below.

When we developed the strategy last year, we engaged with many stakeholders to determine how best we could deliver our mission: to develop the capacity of aid workers and organisations to respond to humanitarian needs and mitigate the impact of crises on the most vulnerable people.

Our mission remains sadly relevant because the demand for humanitarian assistance has never been higher. 1 in 22 people worldwide require humanitarian assistance.

This need is informed by escalating natural disasters, protracted conflicts, and deepening social inequities. At the same time, we are observing extreme weather events, with 2024 being the hottest year on record. So, the need has never been greater.

In this context, RedR’s impact is clear: we strengthen local responders to improve delivery, reduce waste, and contribute to a more effective humanitarian system.

That was in 2024. Since then, at the start of 2025, there have been significant cuts to humanitarian funding globally. This presents an existential challenge for the humanitarian sector as the sector considers how to fundamentally rethink how we create global impact.

In this landscape, RedR’s locally led approach has become even more acutely necessary.

Through our training and technical assistance, we gain localised insight regarding the immediate challenges being faced in disaster situations, allowing us to inform improvements through convening and sharing at the sectoral level.

That’s where our partnerships come to the fore. Whilst we are a small core team, our reach is wide.

We hosted our strategy launch at the offices of Arup, one of our longstanding partners. It’s just one visual example of how we engage within an ecosystem of partners where values align and where we benefit from synergies.

Those partnerships allow us to extend and amplify our impact.

What does this look like in practice? It includes:

1. Developing standards for camp management to support the flow of refugees and internally displaced populations in Nigeria and Ukraine
2. Designing resources to support responders to conflict related sexual violence in several languages including Burmese, French, Ukrainian, and English
3. Building climate resilience in drought and conflict vulnerable contexts in Somalia and Afghanistan
4. Training local NGOs delivering nutrition in emergencies in Mali to address extreme hunger
5. Delivering engineering in emergencies services in response to earthquakes and floods in Morocco, Libya, Turkey and Syria
6. Supporting global commitments to provide clean water, and improved sanitation and hygiene systems through the WASH roadmap.
7. Conducting blast damage assessments to allow safe return to homes; and supporting reform and repair of the water utilities in Ukraine.

RedR’s work is only possible through this ecosystem.

We have relied on your training and technical expertise that allows us to deliver our work to a high standard.

We have tapped into your networks that have connected us to key stakeholders to ensure a contextualised approach that builds on best practice.

We have benefited from your funding as individuals, as trusts and foundations, and as companies that has allowed us to deliver this work.

This year marks the 45^th anniversary of RedR. Our founder Peter Guthrie remains an enthusiastic supporter.  Anytime, I meet up with Peter, I come away from that discussion with a renewed sense of urgency from one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met and a sense of how RedR has evolved to continue to be relevant and make a difference.

RedR was established in 1980. Since 1988 Her Royal Highness has been our President and has remained steadfast in her support of RedR, and has displayed an active interest in our work.

What we see in our work in crisis-affected areas – is that investing in people, knowledge and skills creates a ripple effect that has long lasting impact.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Read our strategy here.