Humanitarian Standards Partnership

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HSP History

Sphere Project and INEE become companions

The HSP traces its roots to the Companionship Agreement entered on 23 October 2008 by the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) and the Sphere Project, then managed by Alison Joyner and hosted by the IFRC.

October 2008

LEGS and MERS accepted as companion standards

The Livestock Emergency Guidelines and Standards (LEGS) and the Small Enterprise Education and Promotion (SEEP) Network’s Minimum Economic Recovery Standards (MERS) were both accepted as companion standards by the Sphere Project Board at its 18-19 May meeting in Johannesburg.

May 2011

CPMS becomes a companion

Companionship was approved by the Sphere Project Board in their 15-17 May meeting in Geneva. The decision acknowledged the quality of the Child Protection Mainstreaming Standards (CPMS) as well as the broad consultative processes that led to their development. The CPMS handbook was developed by the Child Protection Working Group (CPWG).

The companionship agreement was signed on 30 May 2013 by John Damerell, Sphere Project Manager, and Katy Barnett, CPWG Coordinator.

May 2013

Sphere Project Board endorses formalisation of a global standards alliance

Christine Knudsen was appointed Sphere Project Director in September 2014, officially taking over from Linda Poteat at the November Board Meeting in Delhi.

One of Christine’s first actions was to elaborate an organisational strategy for the next five years, including:

“Priority 4: The progressive formalisation of a global standards alliance will improve coordinated action, allowing humanitarian standards to better influence humanitarian response, building greater ownership by individuals, communities and organisations.”

January 2015

CaLP joins the Sphere companion standards family

The Sphere Board granted companion status to the Minimum requirements for market analysis in emergencies developed by the Cash Learning Partnership (CaLP), and endorsed the creation of a Global Humanitarian Standards Partnership (GHSP).

December 2015