International and Humanitarian Affairs

CAS Accountability to Affected People 2025

Putting accountability at the heart of programming. This CAS addresses the ambition of improving Accountability to Affected People (AAP) within the humanitarian sector.
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Information

Period

6 January 2025 - 30 March 2025
10 ECTS credits
250 Distance teaching hours
The majority of this course is online, with the exception of a one week residential course in Kenya.

Language

English

Format

Blended learning

Contact

Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies
+41 (0)22 379 56 50
humanitarianstudies(at)unige.ch
website

Registration

Registration deadline

1 December 2024

Fees:

  • CHF 5,000

Contribution to the SDGs

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Objectives

At the end of the CAS, participants will have developed the relevant skills to design and adapt humanitarian strategies and projects related to AAP in line with the specificities of each context.

More specifically, participants will be able to:

  • Define the AAP concept and relate it to other humanitarian values
  • Explain the origins of the concept of AAP and discuss its boundaries
  • Understand the philosophical, conceptual underpinnings of responsibility, accountability, and moral principles in humanitarianism
  • Differentiate the institutional ingredients of AAP
  • Understand how organizational cultures impact accountability mechanisms on the local/ national/ regional and global level
  • Plan and conduct the evaluation of the AAP strategy in a humanitarian project
  • Appraise their project organization and team through the AAP lens
  • Formulate evaluation strategies and tools adapted to their project/organization

Audience

Professionals in the humanitarian, development or social sector looking to improve their provision of humanitarian assistance through accountability lenses.
Professionals from other sectors (private, academic, etc.) who wish to increase their understanding of the humanitarian field and develop their competence in accountability to affected people.

Programme

Module I: The origins and evolution of AAP

  • Week 1: What is accountability to affected people (AAP)?
  • Week 2: Accountability as a relationship
  • Week 3: Collective accountability: Humanitarian practice today through accountability lenses

Module II: Actors in AAP

  • Week 4: Certifications and standards: building a culture of accountability
  • Week 5: Accountability as leadership & the role of donors
  • Week 6: Accountability in programming
  • Week 7: Accountability and localisation

Module III: Modalities and practices of AAP

  • Week 8: Accountability as transparency: giving account
  • Week 9: Accountability as listening & participation: taking account
  • Week 10: Accountability as response, adaptation & overview by affected communities
  • Week 11: Residential session in Nairobi, Kenya, CAS assessment

CAS assessment

  • Week 12: Preparing a final written assignment on an AAP-related dilemma or an AAP strategy formulated for their project/organization

Director(s)

Prof. Karl BLANCHET, Geneva Centre of Humanitarian Studies, a joint Centre of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Geneva

Diploma delivered jointly by

University of Geneva, IHEID

Partnership

UNICEF
This certificate addresses the ambition of improving Accountability to Affected People (AAP) within the humanitarian sector. It discusses the components, conceptual underpinnings and practice of AAP in various contexts. It prepares participants to better realize the principle of accountability in their field of expertise, through familiarizing them with existing modalities and organizational practices of accountability and critically assessing these modalities’ promises and limitations.

Admission criteria

  • a university qualification (bachelor’s degree or equivalent)
  • at least three years of relevant professional experience
  • excellent command of English*

*English Language Requirements

Please provide a proof of your English language level according to the following conditions:

(1) You are a native English speaker: please provide a copy of your passport.
(2) You have been working for at least five years in English with MSF or ICRC: please provide a copy of the English test you have undertaken internally with your employer.
(3) You do not meet the conditions (1) or (2): please provide an English language level certification. Please refer to our website for recognised tests and scores.

 

Application File

  • Copy of identity document or passport 
  • Passport photo (.jpg format) 
  • Curriculum vitae 
  • Cover letter (explaining the reason why you apply for this course and how will the acquired skills help you in your career) 
  • Copy of the highest educational qualification obtained 
  • Copy of Work certificates/official document from your current and the previous two job positions 
  • Proof of English language competence to be dated less than 2 years. Please refer to https://humanitarianstudies.ch/application/  
  • Two recent letters of recommendation (academic and/or professional) signed and with direct mention of the programme of your choice 
  • Employer's funding agreement (if applicable) 

More information about the application process is available on our application page.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. The Selection Committee examines the quality of the application and aims to reach a balance between the numbers of men and women, educational profile and professional experience, geographical distribution and financial contribution. 20 candidates maximum are selected each year.

Number of participants

Maximum 20 candidates

Cancellation Policy

Please check our cancellation policy

Contribution to the SDGs

Goal 1: End poverty in all its forms everywhere Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all Goal 8: Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all Goal 9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation Goal 10: Reduce inequality within and among countries Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development Goal 17: Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development