• Simulations
  • View Emergency Simulations Guide
  • Download Simulations Materials
  • Simulations Case Study
  • ECB Consortia Share Learning Highlights
  • IASC Facilitator Training
  • Goma Joint Emergency Training
• Building Trust in Diverse Teams
• National Staff Development
• Staff Retention and Turnover
• Surge Capacity Research
• Other initiatives

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The ECB Simulations Project began in 2007, with the development of a new guide to facilitating multi-agency and single agency simulations. The guide defines a methodology that enables humanitarian staff to test their skills to perform and collaborate with diverse colleagues in an intense disaster scenario.

The near real-life experience is heightened by the fact that partners from the United Nations (UN), government, donors, international media, and national NGOs are invited to join the two day event. 

At the end of the simulation, a debriefing session allows the participants to step back from the experience and analyze their own performance, as well as their colleagues and NGO partners.

• Read about the highlights and learning from our most recent five Simulations.
• Access PDFs of our Simulation package including guidelines and resources.
• Read the simulations guide online in English and Spanish.

An Oxfam simulation teaches learners how to save lives in a flood. © Abbie Trayler-Smith/Oxfam

Background

The ECB Simulation Package was developed in Phase 1 through:

• a single-agency simulation in Ethiopia based on a flooding emergency scenario
• and later as a multi-agency simulation in Sierra Leone focusing on coordination during a simulated response to an influx of refugees from conflict in a neighboring country.

During the life of the pilot project, a total of 87 staff from all ECB agencies and partner organizations participated in the simulations, and a total of 32 staff participated in the Training of Trainers workshops.  Since then, many ECB multi-agency simulations have been run.

The ECB Simulation Tool was used as the basis for a simulation exercise included in the EPN (now integrated into People In Aid) / Inter-Agency Working Group (IAWG) for Disaster Preparedness workshop on Staff Care held in Nairobi in March 2008 and co-facilitated by CRS and World Vision.

The target group here were HR staff working in field programs, and as part of a scenario based in Somalia, participants responded to issues coming from the field and HQ, related to staff care, security, policies, benefits and compensation, and orientation. The three day meeting was attended by 40 people from 20 humanitarian agencies, including field staff working in Kenya, Sudan, Iraq, Uganda, and regional offices covering East Africa.

These materials are translated into Spanish on the resources page. Please contact us for materials in Portuguese.