The Local Capacities for Peace (LCPP) Project was formed in the 1990s in order to help aid workers find ways to address human needs in conflict contexts without aggravating conflicts. Within this project, the Do No Harm (DNH) principle was born. Building on DNH, in the early 2000’s, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) adapted the approach and its methodology. It was named the “Better Programming Initiative” (BPI) and was mainstreamed into IFRC policies, tools and guidance (e.g. VCA handbook), and adopted by a number of National Societies.
Conscious of the need to update the BPI and revive its use within RCRC National Societies, the IFRC developed a guiding background piece entitled “Applying the BPI – Do No Harm” in 2016. Recently, IFRC also joined forces with the Swiss Red Cross looking for synergies between BPI and the Conflict Sensitive Programme Management (CSPM), which has been mainstreamed through training for many years.
For the roll out of the revised BPI, a need to refresh knowledge of programme designers and managers has been highlighted. This consultancy designed and delivered:
- A harmonised and comprehensive BPI Training programme that capitalises on the CSPM but also links to other types of existing context analysis tools (that address elements of gender, rapid/slow onset hazards, urban/rural, access and protection, migrant/settled populations).
- A training package used in live face-to-face trainings (3 days, 1 day and 3 hours);
- Key supporting documents (MS PPTs with teaching notes, participant handouts, etc.).
