From Accountability to Care: Working with Affected People
Certificate of Advanced Studies in Humanitarian Action
This certificate explores how humanitarian organisations can build more
accountable, inclusive and ethical relationships with the people they serve.
Bringing together approaches to accountability, participation and care, the
programme examines how humanitarian action can move beyond compliance-driven mechanisms toward practices grounded in trust, dialogue and shared responsibility.
Participants will develop practical skills to design people-centred programmes, facilitate meaningful participation, and strengthen accountability to affected people across different operational contexts. The CAS also addresses care as a key dimension of humanitarian practice, focusing on the prevention of harm, organisational responsibility and the ethical implications of decision-making. Participants will analyse power dynamics and institutional constraints, while learning how to embed more care-oriented approaches within organisations and programmes.
This intensive online course is organised in partnership with UNICEF.
At the end of the CAS, participants will be able to:
- Design and implement accountable and people-centred programmes
- Facilitate meaningful participant and inclusive decision-making
- Analyse and address power relations in humanitarian action
- Embed duty of care and organisational responsibility in practice
- Translate accountability and care principles in organisational change
Around 250 hours of work including:
- Synchronous live sessions (once a week)
- Asynchronous self-study activities (individual or group work activities such as readings, interviews, podcasts, videos, in-class presentations, self-tests, case studies and simulation exercises, reflexive analysis, forum discussions etc.)
Module I (5 weeks): From compliance to care - Integrating accountability to affected people for humanitarian organisations
Module II (5 weeks): People-centred programming: Tools and strategies for inclusive humanitarian action
Module III (5 weeks): Promoting a culture of care
CAS Assessment (to submit after the end of the CAS)
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Programme managers and field coordinators in humanitarian and development organisations
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Accountability, community engagement, protection and safeguarding specialists
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MEAL, quality assurance and organisational development professionals
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Health, social work and community-based practitioners working with vulnerable populations
- Broadband/high speed connection – 2.5 Mbps minimum
- Most weekly content is accessible via phone, but a laptop/PC is preferred
- Microphone and webcam
Interested in applying? Learn more about the admission requirements and application process here.
