Source Material

The Global Hand standards were extracted from among the following documents. We also list here some other humanitarian principles and standards documents which guided and informed the first draft of the Global Hand standards.

The Sphere Project – Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response
http://www.sphereproject.org
The Humanitarian Charter is a set of principles to follow when assisting persons affected by disaster with an associated set of Minimum Standards in essential areas of disaster response. This Charter was developed in order to enhance the quality of aid received and increase the accountability of the donor organisations.
References to the Sphere Handbook are from the latest edition (2004 Revised Edition).

InterAction
InterAction’s Private Voluntary Organization (PVO) Standards
InterAction is a coalition of over 165 USA-based non-profit organisations working world-wide. They have put together a code of best practice for their members ( http://www.interaction.org/pvostandards ), known as the InterAction PVO Standards.

AERDO Interagency GIK Standards
http://www.aerdo.net/gik_standards/index.php
The AERDO standards govern US-based member organisations’ GIK activity. There are seven Standards within the code, dealing with issues such as Valuation Recording Practices, Recognition of Revenue and Expenses, and Product Appropriateness.

People In Aid – Code of Good Practice in the Management and Support of Aid Personnel
http://www.peopleinaid.org
The People In Aid network of 50+ international relief, development and advocacy agencies has launched an updated Code of Good Practice in the management and support of aid personnel. This code aims to help improve the quality of assistance provided by international and host country staff to communities affected by poverty and disaster. Code supporters worldwide include ACORD, World Vision, Oxfam, Save The Children, Red Cross, Mercy Corps, International Rescue Committee.

The Pharmaceutical Program
Guidelines on Medical Equipment Donation, The Pharmaceutical Program
This document, a publication of the Pharmaceutical Programme – World Council of Churches&Community Initiatives Support Services, is a guide for those accepting and making donations of medical equipment and for those planning to buy equipment.

World Health Organisation
Guidelines for Drug Donations, World Health Organization, 1999
These Guidelines were developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in cooperation with major international humanitarian agencies. The first version was issued in 1996 and the second edition in 1999. The Guidelines aim to improve the quality of drug donations and are intended to serve as a basis for national or institutional guidelines, to be reviewed, adapted and implemented by governments and organisations dealing with drug donations. The Guidelines are supported by a number of groups, including ICRC, IFRC, MSF, UNHCR, OXFAM, UNICEF, Caritas, the International Pharmaceutical Federation, Pharmaciens Sans Frontières, Churches’ Action for Health of the World Council of Churches, UNAIDS, UNDP, the United Nations Population Fund and the World Bank.

Code of Conduct for the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief
http://www.ifrc.org/publicat/conduct/
The IFRC formulated the Code of Conduct for The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and NGOs in Disaster Relief. This code seeks to maintain high standards of behaviour and improve efficiency of relief organisations, while maintaining independence. It is a voluntary code that may be adopted by any organisation, and it requires self-enforcement of the codes and standards. The code is sponsored by eight of the largest non-governmental humanitarian agencies. These being Caritas Internationalis, Catholic Relief Services, International Save the Children Alliance, Lutheran World Federation, Oxfam, The World Council of Churches, The International Committee of the Red Cross, Members of the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response.

Reference material

As part of our ongoing research into the area of standards, Global Hand has put together a listing of standards, codes and guidelines relevant to public-private partnerships.

This listing can be accessed via

Further information