TRAINING/EXERCISES
The IHP conducts regular training courses and simulation exercises to ensure that its support staff is well prepared for disaster response support missions, that the equipment is tested and its compatibility tested and share lessons learnt and best practises to ensure an even better response the next time a disaster strikes.
IHP training events and exercises are open for partners to ensure joint training and capacity building.
IHP Support Staff Training
The aim of the IHP Support Staff Training is to provide IHP technical staff and partners a basic awareness of the international emergency environment and the IHP support modules concept, in order to enhance their capacity to provide support services for the international humanitarian community.
While each member organisation is responsible for the technical training of their staff, during the IHP Support Staff Training participants will further be introduced to basic assessment and coordination methodology as well as receive training in the basic tools, which the support staff are utilising during UNDAC support missions.
The target audience is IHP technical and environmental support staff and partners, who are likely to be deployed in IHP missions. The course is also open for technical staff from partner organisations such as MapAction, UNOSAT, Ericsson Response, TSF etc.
Support Staff Refresher
Once every year, a Refresher Course for IHP support staff is being conducted to share lessons learnt and best practices, refresh skills field methodology and operational skills and provide more advanced training in use of technical tools and applications. In addition, the compatibility of the support modules is checked and the future development of IHP support operations discussed.
The target audience for Refresher courses is IHP support staff (mainly IT and OOSS) and partners who have participated in one of the IHP Support Staff Trainings.
Base Camp Management Course
The IHP Base Camp Modules have played a key role in large-scale emergency relief operations such as during the Indian Ocean Tsunami and the Pakistan Earthquake. As a part of strengthening the IHP camp management skills and knowledge, the IHP community is regularly conducting a Camp Management Course with the aim of training participants to perform as camp managers in an international humanitarian emergency support operation.
OSOCC Operational Support Staff Course
The OSOCC Operational Support Staff (OOSS) Course was developed as part of the revised IHP Support Modules Concept. The OOSS module consists of two OSOOC Operational Support Staff members, who have received this specialised training and can be deployed with their own operational equipment to facilitate the staff work of an On-Site Operations Coordination Center (OSOCC).
The participants of the OSOCC Operational Support Staff Training Course will receive training which will enable them to assist the OSOCC functional elements such as, keeping information display updated, prepare operational plans and briefings, organize internal information sharing procedures, prepare hand-out material (maps, reports, briefings etc.), support the OSOCC reception desk, assist with logistical planning, coordinate with external resource providers, and manage the OSOCC log.
Environmental Assessment Module Course
The Environmental Emergencies Training aims to train national emergency responders for international emergency response deployments and thereby contributes to strengthening the international response capacity for environmental emergencies that occur either as the primary event or as a secondary consequence to a natural disaster. A particular focus rests on making the participants familiar with the international disaster response system and the roles and responsibilities different actors have in the response cycle. IHP support staff deploying with the Environmental Assessment Module are requested to participate in this training, which is however aimed at a wider audience.
The Environmental Emergencies Training is organized and delivered by the Joint UNEP/OCHA Environment Unit in cooperation with the host country of the requesting national authorities.
Exercise TRIPLEX
TRIPLEX is a biennial humanitarian exercise, which was been organised by the IHP since 1997. Since then, it has grown to become one of the largest humanitarian simulation exercises in the world involving not only IHP support staff but also external partners.
Following a pre-exercise workshop where participants meet, have the possibility to present their organisation and receive training in different areas of humanitarian response, TRIPLEX is conducted over 3 days as a full-scale exercise where the response to a sudden-onset natural disaster is being simulated. This includes e.g. the deployment of and UNDAC and other bilateral response teams to the ‘affected area’, the set up of a base camp and the full provision of IHP support services.
TRIPLEX offers a unique opportunity for international humanitarian actors to meet and practice their skills and common approaches, learn and/or refresh their technical skills and knowledge about issues related to the international humanitarian response and train for the real case scenario.
