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Competency-Based Standardized Training for Humanitarian Providers: Making Humanitarian Assistance a Professional Discipline

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 April 2013

Kirsten Johnson ,
Leanne Idzerda ,
Rachel Baras ,
Jessica Camburn ,
Karen Hein ,
Peter Walker  and
Frederick M. Burkle
Kirsten Johnson*
Affiliation:
Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal Canada
Leanne Idzerda
Affiliation:
School of Human Nutrition, University of Stellenbosch, South Africa
Rachel Baras
Affiliation:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA
Jessica Camburn
Affiliation:
Save the Children, UK
Karen Hein
Affiliation:
Department of Family & Community Medicine Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College, Hanover NH
Peter Walker
Affiliation:
Feinstein International Center, Tufts University, Medford, MA
Frederick M. Burkle
Affiliation:
Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, Cambridge, MA.
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Kirsten Johnson, MD, MPH; Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 515-517 Pine Ave W, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H2W1S4 (e-mail kirsten.johnson@mcgill.ca).
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Abstract

The number of people employed in international humanitarian care is growing at a yearly rate of 6%. The demand for better coordination, accountability, and training has led to a need for standardized humanitarian training programs for providers. Training should be based on comprehensive core competencies that providers must demonstrate in addition to their skill-specific competencies. This report explores the competencies specific to humanitarian training that are practice- and application-oriented, teachable, and measurable. Competency-based, standardized programs will be used to select humanitarian workers deployed in future crises and to guide the professionalization of this discipline.

Keywords

humanitarian responsetraining and educationcompetenciesadult learningprofessionalizationstandards of care
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , August 2013 , pp. 369 - 372
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2013 

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