LSTM  >  Learning & Teaching  >  LSTM Courses  >  Professional Diplomas  >  DHA

Diploma in Humanitarian Assistance

Programme Objectives

• To provide humanitarian workers with the awareness, understanding and skills essential for effective action as individuals and as members of a team.
• To identify and promote standards of good practice in humanitarian responses.
• To encourage cooperation and dialogue between governmental, non-governmental, national and international agencies involved in humanitarian action.
• To examine strategies for early warning and prevention of humanitarian crises.
• To create a more effective synergy between emergency humanitarian interventions and programmes promoting sustainable development.

Student Entry Qualifications

University degree or equivalent professional qualification or experience. Applications are welcome from persons working with governmental, international and non-governmental organisations, as well as other individuals preparing for, or currently engaged in, humanitarian work.

Care is taken in selection of students to ensure an appropriate mix of skills and experience consistent with the multidisciplinary nature of the course.

Format

This is an intensive, multidisciplinary programme designed to encourage students from a variety of backgrounds and experiences to interact in a stimulating learning environment in which they will develop individual and team skills. The carefully constructed curriculum combining core and specialist modules enables students to explore the essential issues relevant to all humanitarian workers, whatever their professional background, and to select a specialist module which will provide them with a deeper understanding of an area of special interest.

Teaching methods include lectures, case studies, seminars, practical exercises and scenarios. Students are assessed as individuals and as members of a team.

DHA Structure and Content:

 1. Core Module (5 days): The Humanitarian Arena

Political, Social and Economic context
Complex Humanitarian Emergencies, Fragile States
Natural Disasters, Global Climate Change
International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and Human Rights
Humanitarian Ethics and Codes of Conduct
The role of the Media

2. Core Module (5 days): Strategic Planning and Management of Displaced Populations

Team building, motivation and management
Emergency preparedness and strategic planning
Co-ordination; Humanitarian Reform
Minimum standards - The Sphere Project
Cross cultural communication skills
Gender issues; vulnerable groups in displaced populations
Working with local services and communities
Project proposals, reports, fundraising
Humanitarian workers: health; career development;
Security

3. Core Module (5 days): Process towards stability and sustainable development

The role of the military in humanitarian interventions
Peacekeeping, peace-building and peace-making
Repatriation and reintegration; Tracing
Post conflict rehabilitation and demobilization; Child Soldiers
Managing the transition to sustainable development
Economic stabilization and sustainable livelihoods
Exit strategies in humanitarian assistance programmes

4. Specialist Options (10 days): Participants choose one of the following modules running in parallel:

5. Core Module (5 days): Synthesis and Assessments

Humanitarian emergency scenario exercises working in multidisciplinary teams
Individual Assessments and Team Presentations

NGO Forum

Many leading NGOs actively recruit graduates of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. The NGO forum is a 'careers fair' that includes short presentations by NGOs followed by an 'open forum' session in which individual students meet with NGO representatives for more detailed discussion, including advice regarding employment opportunities and application procedures. The following NGOs regularly participate: Concern, Goal, IMC, Medair, Medecins du Monde, MSF, Merlin, Oxfam, SC(UK), VSO.

DHA Faculty:

The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine is recognised worldwide for its work in promoting health in developing countries.

The University of Liverpool:
The School of Politics and Communication Studies brings expertise on political aspects of complex emergencies, sustainable development, political and ethnic violence, and the role and responsibilities of the media in humanitarian interventions.

The School of Law has an international reputation in providing specialist training in the Law of War and International Humanitarian Law.

Bioforce Development Institute (France) is a centre for professional training and human resources management, specialising in International Aid which are particularly adapted to the needs of professionals in the field: logistics, administration, project management, vehicle fleet management, water and sanitation.

Mango (Management Accounting for NGOs) provides practical financial management training for NGO staff working in development and humanitarian aid.

Experts from ICRC, Merlin, MSF, Oxfam, Save the Children (UK) and other leading NGOs and international organisations also contribute to the DHA faculty.

How do I apply?

Information and application forms are available at the top of this page.

Further information and application forms are also available from:

Professional Courses Unit

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Pembroke Place
Liverpool L3 5QA
UK.

Tel: + 44 (0)151 705 3172 / 3753 / 3754
Fax: +44 (0)151 705 3347

Email: cpdlstm@liv.ac.uk

 For information on Student Welfare and Accommodation see:
Welfare & Accommodation